Here’s a confession: I’m a bit of a Disneyland nerd. Mind you, I’m specifically enamored with vintage Disneyland. As a kid, I used to visit the theme park once a year, and its design definitely contributed to my fascination with historic architecture. I wanted to live in the Haunted Mansion and commute to work on Main Street USA via the Disneyland Railroad.
Back in 2022, I had the opportunity to interview a true legend: Rolly Crump. Rolly was an Imagineer at Disney during the 1960s and 1970s, working on films like Peter Pan and Sleeping Beauty before transitioning to Disneyland attractions like the Tiki Room and the Haunted Mansion.
At the time I met him, Rolly was 92 and living in Oceanside, California. (He passed away the following year.) I took a drive down to his condo to talk to him about his career, but more specifically, I had burning questions about the iconic wallpaper in the Haunted Mansion, which he’s credited with designing. (You can read the original article I wrote here.)
That visit resulted in this very awkward photo in which I am nearly perched on Rolly’s lap, like a kid posing for a picture with Santa:
The Mansion wallpaper — a purple-and-black motif that appears to be damask, but is actually creepy eyes and otherworldly beings — has earned cult status, almost a fandom in its own right.
