Peter Ellenshaw, matte artist and visual effects pioneer, passed away on February 12th aged 93. Ellenshaw, won an Oscar for his work on Mary Poppins, and worked on much loved classics such as Treasure Island and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
Ellenshaw, hand picked by Walt Disney for his creative team painted the first map of Disneyland and featured on early souvenir booklets. Ellenshaw began with Disney way back in 1947, and worked on the studio’s first live-action production, Treasure Island in 1950, and continued with Disney until his retirement in 1979. However, Ellenshaw came out of retirement to work on some matte paintings for Dick Tracy in 1990.
Ellenshaw worked on an impressive list of movies including…Bednobs and Broomsticks, The Love Bug, The Island on Top of the World, The Sword in the Rose, The Black Hole, and Marry Poppins.
