Friday, November 07, 2014

Neato Main Street, 1956

Here are a few lovely Kodachrome views of Main Street USA from Disneyland's early years. 

I'm so glad that the Horse Drawn Streetcars are still with us… other vehicles have come and gone (like the chemical wagon just leaving the frame to our left), but Main Street wouldn't be Main Street without the streetcars. I'll bet that there are a lot of kids who never see horses anywhere else. Notice the Bekins van in the background.


If you have horses, you're gonna have horse poop. And that makes the street sweeper pretty important when you want to maintain a tidy amusement park! This particular sweeper (or "white wing") was purported to be one of the most popular characters at the park back in those days, and his name was Trinidad. I wonder if he could have ever imagined that fans would still remember him nearly 60 years later! That walrus mustache is pretty awesome, no doubt about it.


Zooming in just past Trinidad, we can see the doorway into the Gibson shop (purveyors of greeting cards and other novelties). Mounted on the glass next to the door are some of the wonderful note cards that are popular collectibles today. Matterhorn1959 has many of these posted on his blog, check them out HERE

To our right you can see a few of the novelty pre-written (and illustrated) letters that guests could buy and send home to the folks. I posted those HERE and HERE.


9 comments:

Nanook said...

Major-

Some wonderful early images, today - including Trinidad Ruiz - handlebar mustache and all-! Just what is the gent to the left of Trinidad wearing on his head - and is that a sash around his shoulders-? American Legion - I don't think so.

Now - the two lads in their (non-Levi) cuffed, 'matching' jeans, striking identical poses are a sight for the 1950's. Ahhhh.

Thanks, Major.

Chuck said...

That does appear to be an American Legion or VFW hat on that gentleman's head, but I have no idea what that thing on his shoulders is. I'm a member of both organizations but have never been to a meeting and don't even own a hat, so I'm not even sure it's related to the hat.

Nice to see a photo of Trinidad Ruiz!

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook, he's the World's Oldest Boy Scout. His collection of merit badges is pretty pathetic, which is why he is craning his neck, hoping to see a little old lady who needs help crossing the street.

Chuck, I think you owe it to yourself to get an official hat for either organization. Or are you done with hats after years in the military??

Chuck said...

I suppose I ought to look into getting a veterans' organization hat and go to soem meetings. After all, my dad IS my Legion post commander.

Although I have a decent-sized ball cap collection that I will occasionally draw from for outdoor wear, the only "official" hats I wear anymore are with my Boy Scout uniform. My favorite is the campaign hat my wife and kids got me as a Fathers' Day present six years ago, and it's settled into a nice River-Phoenix-as-Indiana-Jones shape from continual field wear over the years. It keeps my face out of the sun and rain in the summer, and there's that instant "Boy Scout" recognition factor as well. I just can't bring myself to curl up the front brim like Fred MacMurray in "Follow Me, Boys!"

JG said...

Ha, Chuck, I have often figured you as a Scout leader. Thank you for your service, both military and Scouting.

Definitely an American Legion hat on the visitor.

JG
(Scout Master for 14 years)

Major Pepperidge said...

Chuck, it sounds like your hat has truly become YOUR hat. If somebody else put it on, it would mysteriously fly off of them and land on you. No need to curl up the front brim, that's a goofy look!

JG, OK, but what's that sash thingy??

Chuck said...

JG - Thanks - and thanks for YOUR service to youth as well. Wow - 14 years as a Scoutmaster - I'll take my favorite hat off to that!

Connie Moreno said...

What has me intrigued is the slightly open door in the background...where does it go??

Brad Abbott said...

Nice shot of Gibson, as well as a peak at the Pen Shop sign on the right!