Saturday, July 30, 2016

How about them Viewmasters?

I didn't know what to post for today's "Anything Goes Saturday", so I decided to delve into my folder of vintage Viewmaster scans. Hopefully you'll find it at least a little interesting!

We'll begin a neat shot of the cutest li'l firetruck that ever sailed the Spanish Main. That thing will go zero to sixty in 3.5 seconds, and won Le Mans in 1967. C'est magnifique!


Uh oh, the cops! Just sit there and look innocent. They've launched into the complete Ring Cycle by Wagner, so we're going to be here for a while. 16 hours, by some estimates.


This one's from a different Main Street reel, and shows the Saxomophone Quartet in front of the Mad Hatter shop. In my brain I can only hear "Minnie's Yoo Hoo", the version that has appeared on many "Music of Disney Parks" albums. You've probably heard it. 

What are the odds that, just before this scene was set up, the photographer ran into the shop and got one hat for each child? Of course that one girls mouse ears are personalized, so maybe that cancels my theory.


And just because, here's a nice look at Main Street Station, complete with train, posters, the Mickey flower portrait, and even a few ticket booths.


I hope you've enjoyed today's Vintage Viewmaster scans!

15 comments:

Nanook said...

Major-

I wonder if anyone has ever published a book of photos 'featuring' derrieres-?? There're a couple of good candidates to be had here. Nice angle on the final shot.

Thanks, Major.

Unknown said...

Main Street always did remind me of Siegfried's Funeral March from Götterdämmerung; well that and Minnie's Yoo-hoo, of course.

Scott Lane said...

Oh how I long for the days when all you had to do was whip out a saxomophone and kids would drop to the ground and sit still. Nowadays if you want kids to sit still you have to whip out a cellomophone.

K. Martinez said...

I really like the very early Main Street, USA" ViewMaster reels because they show some of the original and early shops that existed along Main Street.

I wonder if there have ever been any other songs the Sax Quartet recorded besides "Minnie's Yoo Hoo". And that's another thing! I've seen Dapper Dans and Pearly Bands and several other entertainers performing along Main Street, but never have I seen the Sax Quartet in actin.

And I always appreciate a shot of the Main Gate entrance. This is a good one! Thanks Major.

Anonymous said...

Kind of a "view from the monorail" but before the monorail.

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook, now that you mention it I recall seeing a Taschen book called something like “The Big Book of Butts”. So there!

Patrick Devlin, going to the DMV makes me thing of Seigfried’s Funeral March.

Scott Lane, hey, that was pretty good!

K. Martinez, I’ve seen plenty of photos of a saxophone quartet, but like you I’ve never actually seen them at the park. Of course I have no idea if one exists in 2106, but they were around for quite a long time. I’m trying to imagine hearing “Let It Go” performed on four saxophones and can’t quite do it. Or I can, but it sounds horrible!

Anonymous, I can see a Submarine Voyage poster way in the distance, so picture #4 was almost certainly taken from a Monorail. Or a low-flying blimp.

Nanook said...

Major-

Undoubtedly Taschen would be the publisher to tackle that challenge. Was it entitled The Rumpus Room, or something along those lines-?

I figured that last image was gleaned from the Monorail, but neither a Submarine poster nor what appears to be the Matterhorn poking up in the distance alone, would guarantee that.

Unknown said...

It's funny how I came home from work, late, and never even saw that last picture. I was going to make some remark about a Monorail and Submarine poster indicating that the date is at least 1959. Then I noticed the Matterhorn... Face palm! Apply directly to the forehead!

K. Martinez said...

Patrick Devlin, I actually thought the image was pre-1959 because I didn't even notice the Matterhorn in the distance. It just blended into the sky like a cloud. Now see it. Duh!

Monkey Cage Kurt said...

If I recall, Viewnaster scans are conducive to wiggle vision. So, what ever happened to wiggle vision?! I know they are a bit of work Major, but aren’t your beloved children worth it? I remember the good OL’ days when GDB had a light peppering of wiggle vision. Not a ton, just enough to keep it novel. I have a vague memory of there being a shot of the Nautilus somewhere that you got from a Viewnaster (???). I seem to remember suggesting wiggle vision. So what do you say Major, do you still love us that much, or are you just waiting for us to get jobs and move out of the house?

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook, “The Rumpus Room” is still available as a book title - what are you waiting for?? Meanwhile, I looked up the book that I was thinking of, and it is called “The Big Butt Book”. 2010, Taschen. When you see it in the book store, it’s kind of hard to miss. Buy your copy today.

Patrick Devlin, ha ha, I missed it too. I was so busy being clever looking at the posters, that I never noticed the Matterhorn.

K. Martinez, yes, a cloud, that’s it! It does get kind of lost in that blown-out horizon, but I still should have seen it.

Monkey Cage Kurt, here are the reasons I don’t do “wiggle vision” any more:
A) I don’t do many stereo views these days
B) The results were iffy at best
C) Sheer indolence (actually should have been reason “A”)!
Don’t take it personally!

TokyoMagic! said...

Are those the turrets of the Castle sticking up over the Wurlitzer Shop and if so, why are they over there? Shouldn't they be further to the left?

TokyoMagic! said...

Ooops, cancel that! I just realized what I thought was the Wurlitzer Shop is the Emporium and what I thought was the Emporium is City Hall. D'OH!

Nanook said...

@ TM!-

I was about to say your first thought was correct. But as we both realized, the (somewhat) forced perspective and angle of the shot combine to make for an odd-looking tableau. Those are, indeed, the spires of The Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Melissa said...

I love the deep, rich colors of the View-Master slides. Sometimes they were like nothing you could see in the real world.

And just because there's a name on the girl's hat doesn't mean it's not still a floor model. I remember when I used to usher at a fancy concert hall, the name tags were too expensive to get a new batch done every season to match the new ushers'names. A, you just picked one out of the box and that was your name for the night. I was usually lucky enough to find a Michelle or a Melanie.