Disneyland Hotel History News: Sad Day

[oldhotelguy]

A short while ago, I received an email from Kathy Weber (whose father was Kurt Weber) letting me know that Kurt passed away of natural causes this morning. Mr. Weber along with business partner Al Nicholson were the architects for Wrather Corporation from 1960 until the mid 1980's. The firm of Weber & Nicholson designed and built all Tower structures plus many more buildings at the Disneyland Hotel. I will be posting a list of major Disneyland Hotel projects below completed by the firm as well as some photographs of Mr. Weber throughout his career as lead architect at the Disneyland Hotel.



---------- Post added 09-17-2012 at 03:28 PM ----------

In the following photograph, Al Nicholson is handling the shovel while Kurt Weber is behind to the left in the white suit. Taken at the 1965 Tower Annex project groundbreaking.

[Kat95242]

That's sad. Mr. Weber's resume' is extremely impressive.

[calsig31]

Definitely sad news. Countless people have and will continue to enjoy the legacy he leaves behind.

[themur]

I believe he was in the audience at your panel last year at the D23 Expo. Despite his age he was full of energy and very excited about how enthusiastic the crowd was to learn about the history of the hotel and his part in it. He was a true gentleman.

[DisneyIPresume]

That is definitely some sad news. Would you happen to know if Mr. Weber and/or Al Nicholson were also involved in the building of the Balboa Bay Club? If so, which structures would they have been responsible for?

[oldhotelguy]

I believe he was in the audience at your panel last year at the D23 Expo. Despite his age he was full of energy and very excited about how enthusiastic the crowd was to learn about the history of the hotel and his part in it. He was a true gentleman.

That was Al Nicholson who is still alive. I just broke the news to him.

He told me he met Mr. Weber in 1946 and that he truly enjoyed his partnership, friendship and relationship with him. He said the firm could not have existed individually that each of their strengths contributed to the whole. After meeting Al in person over a year ago, he told my wife and I one of the first things he did after going back home was to go to the Weber's home to see them. Their partnership had dissolved in the early 80's on not the friendliest of terms. The meeting we had at our home had rekindled so many happy memories of working with Kurt Weber, he just had to go and see him. I am so happy they were able to get together again and I know it meant the world to Al.

---------- Post added 09-17-2012 at 04:28 PM ----------



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---------- Post added 09-17-2012 at 04:32 PM ----------

Kurt Weber is on the far right. Bill Luckman, of Pereira & Luckman, original Disneyland Hotel architects among many other projects, is next to Mr. Weber.


---------- Post added 09-17-2012 at 04:34 PM ----------

Concept photo for the Tower Annex project which doubled the size of the original Tower.


---------- Post added 09-17-2012 at 04:36 PM ----------

Here is a photograph of Mr. Weber at the Tennisland construction site in 1975 which Wrather also owned and was part of the Disneyland Hotel complex. You can see the Hotel in the background.



---------- Post added 09-17-2012 at 04:38 PM ----------

This letter is for the Bonita Tower addition:



---------- Post added 09-17-2012 at 04:39 PM ----------

That is definitely some sad news. Would you happen to know if Mr. Weber and/or Al Nicholson were also involved in the building of the Balboa Bay Club? If so, which structures would they have been responsible for?

They may have done some remodeling but not initial construction.