Unbelievable Story Behind Disney Losing 95% Of Their Vintage Animations

It's almost impossible to find a person who hasn't seen one of Disney 's animated movies or series.

Regardless of age, gender, or tastes in storytelling, you either enjoyed them as a child or continue to do so with each new release.

What you may not know, however, is the tragic fate of most vintage animation. The ones that were hand-drawn and lost in a truly horrifying, from an art-historical standpoint, accident.

Don't worry, though: no humans were harmed. In fact, they probably enjoyed their time a little too much. Back in the '30s and '40s, no one really thought about preserving animation the way specialists do today.

Drawing each frame by hand was still considered a lengthy and laborious process, but it was a day-to-day business for those who worked in the industry, so they were far more carefree with the fragile art.

According to Arthur Stevens, Disney's animator, producer, and director who worked on such iconic films as Winnie the Pooh, 101 Dalmatians, Alice in Wonderland, and many others, animators would throw the finished canvases on the floor and slide around on them.

It was a story he remembered from working on Disney's groundbreaking '40s hit Fantasia. The film granted Disney all of the success it has today and set the standard for the industry.

Although it sounds fun, it actually caused the studio a lot of problems in the future, as this behavior resulted in the loss of 95% of Disney's vintage material. A loss that no animation expert could take lightly.

Fortunately for the general public, all of the films made during those early Disney days are still intact and available to watch on Disney Plus or some physical medium.

And everything that remains from that era is being cared for by the best experts in the field to preserve it for as many years as possible.

Source: MsMojo