On June 22, 1970, The Walt Disney Archives was founded by Dave Smith. This year they are celebrating their 50th anniversary. Although events were planned throughout this year to commemorate this milestone achievement many were cancelled or postponed because of the global pandemic.

Not to disappoint Disney fans, the Walt Disney Archives are offering up rare stories with many never-before-seen photographs on D23.com. Matt Moryc recently posted a story on the site featuring vintage photographs from the 1970s taken by a Florida resident.

After his wife passed away in January 1971, Millard C. Jones began visiting The Walt Disney World Resort as a way to alleviate his boredom and loneliness. Known by Cast Members as simply Mr. Jones, Millard would visit Walt Disney World two or three times a week, with his first visit on December 13, 1971, with his Rolleiflex camera at the ready.

Moyrc wrote when Mr. Jones visited the park he would take photos, hundreds of them, of Cast Members both on and off the clock. After keeping one copy of a photo for himself, Mr. Jones would gift a second copy—always at no expense—to those featured in each shot.

“Small ceremonies were held for Mr. Jones on the occasion of his 100th and 300th visit, but a special celebration occurred on June 15, 1978, to honor his 500th visit to the Magic Kingdom,” wrote Moryc. “Escorted by Snow White––his favorite character––Jones rode down Main Street, U.S.A. in the fire engine during a special parade in his honor. Arriving at the front of Cinderella Castle, Jones was met by then-Vice President of Operations, and future Disney Legend, Bob Matheison, who presented him a special plaque in commemoration of his 500th visit, and a silver pass.”

On August 22, 1978, Mr. Jones passed away at the age of 86. In his will Mr. Jones left all his photo albums, seven photo albums containing 2,206 photographs. “They were displayed backstage for three months for Cast Members to look at and remember arguably the most beloved Guest of that era,” wrote Moryc. “His photo albums, roughly 300 photographs in each, captured not only the burgeoning Walt Disney World Resort––as perhaps no Guest ever did back then–– but also images of the resort’s earliest Cast Members.”

In addition to photographing the park and Cast Members, Mr. Jones meticulously documented which days he visited the park and labeled many of the pictures with the Cast Member’s name.

In December 1978, his photo albums were donated to The Walt Disney Archives and are now part of their permanent collection. In addition to offering color images of Cast Members, Mr. Jones’s photographs proved to be important in documenting other aspects of Walt Disney World including early Cast Member costumes, shop interiors, construction wall artwork, in-park and resort signage. And of course there are a few photos of Mr. Jones himself with his friends at the Magic Kingdom.