What comes to mind when you think about Disneyland? Perhaps, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion, or the Matterhorn Bobsleds? Or maybe you’re a fan of the Main Street Electrical Parade? 

Would you believe us if we told you that when the Magic Kingdom first opened in sunny SoCal in 1955, it included Hollywood-Maxwell’s Intimate Apparel Shop, showcasing the “Wonderful Wizard of Bras”?

Herndon J. Norris was the president of the Hollywood-Maxwell Brassiere Company. Disneyland even used his pre-recorded voice to emcee an underwear history lesson, showcasing styles from the 19th through mid-20th centuries. But how did a lingerie company earn such a conspicuous spot in a kid’s amusement park? The partnership likely proved strategic for the budding playground.

After all, Norris represented one of the “most famous names in American business” in 1955. As supplemental advertising from the Santa Ana Register (July 15, 1955), explains, “The Wonderful Wizard of Bras, famed symbol of the Hollywood-Maxwell Brassiere Company and major-domo of the novel, eye-popping exhibit prepared by Disneyland by this manufacturer of intimate apparel is one of the major magicians in the nation’s greatest magicland.”