Don Iwerks, Disney Camera and Projection Pioneer, Dies at 96

Don Iwerks David Bohrer/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Don Iwerks, the Disney legend who spearheaded various camera and projection systems for the company’s parks and films, has died. He was 96.

Disney announced Iwerks died on Thursday evening.

“It is with great sadness that we report that Disney Legend Don Iwerks has passed away at the age of 96,” reads a statement shared on Disney D23’s Instagram. “Iwerks was an innovator whose work brought The Walt Disney Company to new technological heights, aiding in perfecting the sodium vapor process used in 1964’s Academy Award®-winning Mary Poppins, developing the 360-degree Circle-Vision camera used to film America the Beautiful for Disney Parks, and implementing the projection system for the fan-favorite Star Tours attraction, among numerous other advancements. The achievements of Don Iwerks and his family have shaped Disney’s creative ethos and will forever be part of the company’s history.”

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Born July 24, 1929, Iwerks is the son of fellow Disney legend Ub Iwerks, co-creator of Mickey Mouse (alongside Walt Disney himself). Iwerks began at Walt Disney Productions in 1950, where he was a special photographic processes laboratory technician. He was drafted into the Korean War, but upon his return two years later, he returned to Disney.

Iwerks took on his role as a camera technician position in 1953, where he worked on his first feature 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. He went on to lead the machine shop department, camera service department and technical engineering and manufacturing division.

The executive is particularly known for developing the 360-degree Circle-Vision camera; alongside Ub, he also helped develop the sodium vapor process.

After 35 years with Disney, he founded Iwerks Entertainment, Inc. in 1986. The company was later acquired by SimEx, Inc. in 2001.

In 1997, Iwerks received the Gordon E. Sawyer Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Board of Governors, and was named a Disney legend in 2009.

“Don embodied that rare combination of heart, ingenuity, and passion that has always defined Disney,” Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro said in a statement. “Through his innovative contributions to some of our most iconic films and attractions, he helped create experiences that have delighted generations of fans around the world. All of us at The Walt Disney Company will miss him deeply, and we send our most heartfelt condolences to his family, whose enduring connection to Disney has helped shape its legacy for over a century.”