Harriet Burns
| Harriet Burns | |
|---|---|
Harriet Burns, Blaine Gibson, and The Haunted Mansion ghosts in 2008
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| Born |
August 20, 1928 San Antonio, Texas |
| Died | July 25, 2008 (aged 79) Los Angeles, California |
| Occupation | Scenic designer, model maker |
| Spouse(s) | William Burns |
Harriet Burns (August 20, 1928 – July 25, 2008) was an American artist and designer. Burns was the first woman hired in the Walt Disney Imagineering department within the Walt Disney Company.
Burns was born Harriet Tapp in San Antonio, Texas, on August 20, 1928, and raised in Seguin, Texas. She earned her bachelor's degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and studied advanced design at the University of New Mexico.
Harriet Tapp married William Burns, and the couple moved to Los Angeles with their infant daughter in 1953. William Burns died in 1986.
Burns' first job in Los Angeles was at Dice Display Industries Cooperative Exchange. She designed props and sets for television shows, including the Colgate Comedy Hour, as well as interiors and sets for floor shows and hotels in Las Vegas, including The Dunes. She also worked at a tourist attraction theme park in Lake Arrowhead, California, called Santa's Village during the mid-1950s. When the attraction closed, a friend advised Burns to apply for open positions at Disney.
Burns began working at Disney Studios in 1955 as a prop and set painter for the Mickey Mouse Club. She helped to design and build the famed Mouse Clubhouse which was a featured fixture on the show. Her appearance caused her to stand out on the set, as she dressed in high heels and a skirt to work with the hardware and tools, such as the drill press and sanders.
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