Grace Huntington
Grace Huntington was an American woman who pioneered aviation records and was the second female hired into the Disney Corporation’s lead animation department. Her drawings and techniques, forged in the animation department, have been replicated globally. The peak of her aviation endeavors spanned from 1937 to 1944. Much of her life was lived in Southern California, and her records were set above it as well. Along with her hard-fought career at Disney, she achieved a record altitude in her Taylorcraft light airplane of 24,310.975 ft. in 1940.[1]
Early Life
As a young girl, Grace was an avid reader of fantasy books. Of *Journey to the Center of the Earth* by Jules Verne, she said that “That book left me with an unquenchable desire to someday, in some way, bring the dream of a trip to space a little closer to reality.”[2]
Animation Career
Grace Huntington was hired in 1936 as only the second woman ever hired in Disney’s lead animation department.[3] In her first few days working at Walt Disney, she was the target of many jokes from her male coworkers, such as having a pig constantly placed around her and guards restricting her from entering story meetings. Even Walt Disney himself commented that “he would never consider hiring a woman for the animation department because when she was married she would be a total loss to the studio.” At her initial hiring, she was an avid writer of short cartoons. Her animation concepts became key to Mickey and Minnie Mouse films[4] as well as the Silly Symphonies. After a few months of working for the studio, Grace gained credibility among her coworkers by being heavily involved in the creation and design of characters and landscapes within Snow White. Grace also quickly became an advocate for the hiring of other women, such as Dorothy Ann Blake.[3]
Aviation Career
Concurrent with her animation career, Grace was also an enthusiastic flyer. Her brother owned and piloted his own plane, which provided her access to it. The plane was a Fairchild 24 named The Blue Dragon. Grace became deeply committed to her aviation career, hiring a teacher and diligently training to master aircraft piloting. Soon, she obtained her private pilot license in 1937. There was considerable sexism in the aviation industry at the time, so she researched various aspects of flight, including appropriate clothing for cold air, determining aircraft ceiling, and using oxygen equipment effectively. Grace also revolutionized aircraft supplies, modifying tools and first-aid kits for a more sensitive altimeter. Most of her lessons were taken at Joe Plosser's flight school at Grand Central Air Terminal in Glendale. In 1939, during a test flight, Grace's windshield cracked while she was flying above 20,000 feet. Fortunately, she successfully navigated the plane back to the ground. Grace's notable altitude record was set in 1940 with her Taylorcraft. The previous record for a Taylorcraft flight was 18,000 feet, and Grace confidently aimed to surpass it. During the flight, she achieved a new record, ascending to 24,310.975 feet. [5]
Personal Life
Grace married Berkeley Brandt Jr., also an enthusiastic flyer. They took many lessons together in Southern California. Berkeley Brandt Jr. later became a prominent Pan Am flyer. They had one son together. Brandt Jr. later published her autobiography, *Please Let Me Fly*, recounting her life as "anything but a stereotypical woman".[6]
Published books
- Please Let Me Fly* is the life story of Grace Huntington. The book includes lost documents, letters, and photos that tell the story of a remarkable woman who served as an inspiration to all women seeking their own defined roles in society.[5]
Legacy
Grace's sketches from her Disney years have become an inspiration to many. One anecdote depicts her entering a meeting with colleagues in full armour. Several books have been written about Grace's time at Disney, including *They Drew As They Pleased*, *The Queens of Animation*, and her own autobiography, *Please Let Me Fly*.[7]
See Also
References
- ↑ Brandt, Berkeley. "Grace Huntington and her Taylorcraft altitude record flight in 1940". www.taylorcraft.org.
- ↑ Johnson, Mindy. Pencils, pens & brushes : a great girls' guide to Disney animation (First hardcover edition ed.). ISBN 1368028683.CS1 maint: Extra text (link) Search this book on
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Ghez, Didier; Docter, Pete. They Drew as They Pleased: The Hidden Art of Disney's Golden Age. ISBN 1452137439. Search this book on
- ↑ Holt, Nathalia (2019). The Queens of Animation. Little, Brown and Company. pp. 51–53. ISBN 9780316439152. Search this book on
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Huntington, Grace. Please Let Me Fly. ISBN 0557013119. Search this book on
- ↑ Berkeley, Brandt. "Grace Huntington and her Taylorcraft altitude record flight in 1940".
- ↑ Holt, Nathalia (8 November 2019). "Inside the Early Struggles of the Women Who Built Disney". Literary Hub.
External Links
Please Let Me Fly on Google Books
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