Friday, September 3, 2010

Silhouette Studio and Harry Brice

On the east side of the street,
tucked between the China Closet and the
Arribas Brothers Chrystal Shop,
is a little shop that's been there forever...
It's the Silhouette Studio!

Here's an article from the Vacationland
Winter 82/83
Bonnie and Sylvia are still at the park...
I remember when we opened
Big Thunder Ranch,
Sylvia would sit on the porch of the log cabin
and spin yarn all day and chat people up about
the art of yarn...
she's a sweet lady and a true talent.

Here's an article from the Disneyland Line
Now...
Let's talk Harry Brice.Harry was the Senior Artist at the Silhouette Studio/Shop
for at least 20 years that I knew of...
Not many know that it was Harry who
came up with the idea of "Disney Dollars"!
Sadly I just found out he passed away a year ago, Sept. 5th 2009...
Here's a great tribute to Harry I found on line:

http://new.disneyecho.emuck.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?s=be17b02b189bfe9aaaf7ff1e3f5e3fa1;act=ST;f=73;t=16615

[The photo above is from that article]

Throughout the 80's,
whenever I'd go in the park.
I'd go through the Silhouette Shop
and say hi to Harry,
over the years I got to know him really well.

At Christmas he would be sitting in his shop,
with his briefcase on his lap,
at the end of the Parade
and I would be riding in the sleigh down Main St...
I'd look down and always say hi to my friend and ask
"How's your Holiday Harry?"
He'd give Santa a big smile and just laugh...

During "Blast to the Past"
I was atmosphere talent on Main Street,
All day I would Roller Skate, Hula Hoop
and Paddle ball up and down the street.
One day Harry called me over to the shop
and gave me a caricature he had drawn...
of ME!
What a great guy, a great talent and a great friend.

Disneyland was a fun place to work
because of Friends like Harry...

Goodbye My Friend!

4 comments:

Daveland said...

The Silhouette Studio is one of those few simple pleasures from the past that still survives — I sure do love it! What a great post. Thanks!

Snow White Archive said...

Looking back at the various jobs that I have held over the past 20 years, I can honestly say there's not much joy in my heart for those former employers. But I never worked at Disneyland.

What fondness you must feel from spending all those years at the park. Thanks for sharing your memories from the Happiest Place on Earth.

Just became a follower.

Unknown said...

I still have Groucho Marx caricature silhouette Harry did for me just to be nice. While he worked there, over the doorway was a more authentic Groucho silhouette, with his beret he always wore in his senior years.

Anonymous said...

Sylvia cut my 5 year old son's silhouette last Friday night. I hadn't realized she'd been there so long. Fabulous!!