Monday, January 04, 2016

More Rediscovered Treasures, August 14, 1956

I am pretty sure that I have never posted the following images before, having skipped the slides for being beyond my restoration abilities. It's the same old story... they had turned an orangey-red. But a new scanner and years of experience have helped to make them presentable to you, the GDB reader!

Both of today's images are from August 14, 1956, and both feature Frontierland. I love this shot taken from the middle deck of the Mark Twain, looking past some very 50's ladies toward the Old Mill, with the Twain's loading dock visible in the distance.  



Here's a second view, taken (I think?) as the Twain has just departed for another voyage around the Rivers of America. I wonder how many times that boat has circled Tom Sawyer Island  over the past 60 years? 

We also get a nice look at the Golden Horseshoe exterior. There is a fellow with a vest and a cowboy hat standing in the shade. Maybe it's Wally Boag! 


6 comments:

Nanook said...

Major-

This time it's Frontierland with elbow room to spare - even in August. WOW-! I guess these images were shot early in the day, as the attendance eventually hit the 28,209 mark. And just think, if we fast-forward 13 years and two days, we hit (the then) one-day record-breaking attendance of 82,516 guests.

I must say that group of adults in the second shot certainly look as if they have a beef to pick with someone. They don't seem to be wearing their happy Disneyland smiles.

Thanks, Major.

K. Martinez said...

Still my favorite version of the Golden Horseshoe; off white with hanging banners and horseshoe sign.

Steve DeGaetano said...

The water wheel in the first pic doesn't appear to be working.

TokyoMagic! said...

In that first pic, we can see Skyway buckets on either side of the Castle. I'm guessing that the big tree in the distance is hiding the central cable support on Holiday Hill....or would it be further to the right and out of frame?

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook, hey, yes, I forgot to do my favorite thing and look up the stats for a specific date with Jason’s Disneyland Almanac! The funny thing is that I think I have already composed another post with photos from this lot and DID look it up. Or it might have been another date. Who knows? Not me! I forgive those folks for not smiling… I’m sure that if you take random photos of most people, at Disneyland or not, they are probably not grinning.

K. Martinez, I like the fancy sign that was created for the Golden Horseshoe, but there is something charming about the painted banners.

Steve DeGaetano, then how did it generate power to run Tom Sawyer Island?!

TokyoMagic!, good eye! I didn’t notice the Skyway way back there. I’m not really sure where the support tower would be. Someone else, chime in!

Unknown said...

Nice pics, Major.

I did a little fooling around in Google Maps and after drawing some lines it looks like the support tower would be behind the tree. You all have some nice eyeballs, by the way, 'cause I never would have looked for the Skyway buckets.

And thanks for the mention of Jason's Disneyland Almanac. I didn't know this existed and now I'm off to buy myself a copy.