What happened to our future? Back in the 40s and 50s it was so hopeful and optimistic. Then, somewhere along the way it got dark, apocalyptic, dreadful. Disney’s latest feature Tomorrowland imagines a future in which all that optimism about science and human progress came to pass.

In the video above, I got special access to the box of materials that supposedly inspired the movie (nobody knows for sure), found underneath Disney Studios and labeled only “1952.” Inside I found what could clearly be the inspiration for the film, but a lot of it I couldn’t quite explain…