DTD's Famous California Arts and Crafts Movement Theme

[Moonliner]

You know how they talk about DTD on the tram ride in from the parking structure and how it's patterned after California's "Famous" Arts & Crafts movement?

I certainly not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I never heard of California's Arts & Crafts Movement and I didn't know it was famous either.

But then again I didn't pay much attention during Art class...

Does anyone know the history behind this comment and what aspects of DTW they are talking about?

Thanks,

Moonliner

[DCAWHITES]

They were talking about the Grand Californian Hotel, not Downtown Disney. I wouldn't call many of DTD's buildings (house of blues and the jazz kitchen for example) californian.

[raisun]

The Arts and Crafts movement was actually a nationwide movement that took place around the turn of the century, but gained fame in California and we have many great examples here in California to look at. One of the more famous examples is the Gamble House (David and Mark Gamble of Procter and Gamble) in Pasadena. Actually, if I remember correctly the imagineers actually studied the Gamble House to get ideas for the Grand Californian.

[Mainoumi]

Its an architechtural style...somewhat similar to Mission style. The Grand Californian Hotel is a marvelous example of Arts and Crafts style; just go into the lobby and look around..not just at the building, but at the furniture, clocks, wallpaper, etc. and you'll get a good idea of what Arts and Crafts is. One of the magazines devoted to this is called "Style 1900"...they did a big story on the Grand Califorinian when it opened. Here's a link and they give a nice explantation of the Arts and Crafts style.

http://www.style1900.com/shome.html

[ExClub]

The Art and Crafts Movement started in England in the late 1800s as a reaction against the industrial revolution. It celebrated individual craftsmanship. William Morris spearheaded the movement.

[FabDisBabe]

Frank Lloyd Wright spearheaded the Prairie Style of the Arts and Crafts Movement - it's the most famous American Style. Here are a couple of links that might help:

http://www.burrows.com/found.html

http://www.arts-crafts.com/

Good luck in your research! The Arts and Crafts Movement is my art darling baby, if you know what I mean.

Fab

[ocnative1964]

Also some of the style of the grand californian hotel came from the lodges of the national parks system particularly old faithful lodge in yellowstone park and the Timberline lodge on mount hood Oregon...(also used in the movie the shining) currently there are 192 inches of snow at the lodge level @ mt hood (6000 ft)

these old lodges were built durring the work projects in the depression, without the cheap labor these glorious building could not be built today (without disneys $$$)

as for pasadena it has one of the best historict districts for these old Arts and Craft style homes in the southern california as there was a building boom there durring that era...

http://www.timberlinelodge.com/lodge/history.shtm

[disneydude]

They were talking about the Grand Californian Hotel, not Downtown Disney. I wouldn't call many of DTD's buildings (house of blues and the jazz kitchen for example) californian.

The part of DTD that's next to the GCH has an Arts and Crafts theme. But yes after that, not so much.