Vintage Contemporary Resort Poster

[deej696]

A while back I saw a thread where someone had posted pics of a vintage piece of artwork that used to hang in the rooms at Contemporary. It showed a map of WDW as it was then, and even showed resorts that were never built. My understanding is that most of them were thrown away, and some were salvaged. Has anyone ever seen copies of these, or at least something similiar out there? I'm sure an original, if they do truely exist, would be atronomically priced, but I'd gladly pay for a copy

 

[asianway]

I got mine on ebay in 1999 for $400 or so. Have only seen one on ebay since. I think youd probably be looking at a grand at this point.

 

[flyinglizard]

Is this what you are looking for?

This piece was from the first Contemporary and Polynesian rooms. It measures 4 feet, by 5 feet, and seems like some sort of vinyl paint on a masonite board. To the best of my recollection, the rooms were rehabed about 1986-87. The pictures were torn from the walls of the rooms, and thrown into piles at the site. Later they were moved to property control and sold to cast members as "scrap masonite" for $5.00 each. Many were torn, scarred, broken and generally and totally trashed. However, a very few good ones made it out alive. Incidentally, at the same time, the also very rare "Pueblo Indian" prints by Mary Blair that decorated the Contemp rooms were victims of the same fate.

I got mine when they were first offered for sale, but at the time, the only way to ship it was Greyhound Bus, and it wasn't cheap. Neither was having it framed!

About 2003-04, I saw one on eBay for $10,000... it did not get a bid. I have also seen, about the same time, a "cut", appeared on eBay that showed only the MK. I don't remember if it sold or not. Obviously, that was the only good section left of that particular example.

I'm not sure what you are looking for when you say "a copy". It's a little big for a xerox or a scanner. However, a small copy of the exact same artwork exists in the first edition (maybe first printing) of The Story of Walt Disney World. That's the black, die cut souvenir book that is often seen on eBay. There is one on now, but I'm not sure what printing. Later printings had a different "cartoon" map, although those are very interesting as well, they don't show the "VAP" (Venetian-Asian-Persian) Hotels that were never built.

I hope this info helps you with your search...

 

[deej696]

Thanks for all the help, as yes this was what I was looking for. I guess in my mind I thought they were basically framed posters, and I thought someone may have copied them at some point. Obviously, I now know that there is a little more to it than that!

Any other suggestion for vintage Disney posters, particularly of the Contemporary?

 

[tearawayface]

If you want to see the poster in person there is one in the comedy club in Pleasure Island near the restrooms if I remember correctly!!

 

[flyinglizard]

Here's one that shows a small image of the Contemp- from Eastern Airlines, the Official Airline of Walt Disney World, circa 1971-72...

I'll look around to see if I can find anything more featuring the Contemp.

 

[Parkhopper_Vince]

Love the Eastern Airlines poster. I have never seen that one! We saw the Contemporary poster that is above it at the Comedy Warehouse this year. It is fun to see what differs from the original concept.

 

[Pryertopper]

Two of the Indian design prints that were in the Contemporary Resort from 1971-1985 are for sale on eBay with the auction ending on April 16th 2009. They are very rare and you can find them on eBay by searching "Mary Blair theme park art".

 

[MichelleinMaine]

FWIW, there is a copy of what FlyingLizard posted in the Original souvenier guide to WDW. My parents bought the book when they went 12/71. Something else to check Ebay for, I guess.

 

[flyinglizard]

FWIW, there is a copy of what FlyingLizard posted in the Original souvenier guide to WDW. My parents bought the book when they went 12/71. Something else to check Ebay for, I guess.

Be careful, I have copies of the same book (but different editions) where the map is not the original but "an updated artwork map" that does not show the "never built hotels"; The Venetian, the Asian and the Persian. There are two different versions of the updated map found in later editions of the black die-cut cover guide.

 

[wavecrusherx]

Here's one that shows a small image of the Contemp- from Eastern Airlines, the Official Airline of Walt Disney World, circa 1971-72...

I'll look around to see if I can find anything more featuring the Contemp.

omg I just found that poster in my parents basement. Does anyone know if it might be worth something or where I could go to find out more about it? my guess is they got it from my uncle that worked at eastern before it went out of business.