Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Some Rescans!

It's time for a few more rescanned slides!

I'll start with this one (hand dated "August 14, 1956"), with a view of the suspension bridge on Tom Sawyer Island as seen from the Mark Twain. It was originally posted in 2007, and man does it look terrible.


The rescan shows a huge improvement. The sickly yellow/orange cast is gone (hey, the plants are green!) and things just look crisper and nicer overall. I was really pleased with the results.


This next one has a date of "August 13, 1955" and was also originally posted in 2007. Most of it has a sepia tone, though the sky is a poisonous cyan.


This rescan looks more natural, I think you'll agree. Must be early in the morning, since the Horse Drawn Streetcar appears to be coming out from backstage.

As I mentioned in my original post 9 years ago, you can see that two of the windows above the firehouse are open - which makes me wonder if Walt was up there, after possibly spending the night! In all of my many Disneyland slides, I believe I only have one other that shows a firehouse window open.


13 comments:

Nanook said...

Major-

Yes, the new and improved versions really do shine. Although I must admit remembering 'sickly yellow' and 'poisonous cyan' from the original colors offered in the Crayola "64 Different Brilliant Colors" set of crayons.

Thanks, Major.

Chuck said...

Both rescans are a great improvement. I wonder...could you share your new scan settings? I'd love to see the effects on my bathroom mirror.

Both views have interesting details. As you mention, the Firehouse windows are open in the second, no doubt to ameliorate the effects of one of Walt's chili lunches. Also interesting to note that one of the streetcars is just coming in service on the spur line to backstage. Which makes me wonder something I've never thought of or (consciously) seen before - how do they get a steeetcar offstage? Does the horse back it down the spur?

The first image also has some cool details. Note the guest on the suspension bridge consulting what appears to be one of the TSI maps they used to hand out. She's probably doing the same thing I am - trying to figure out where the barrel bridge is.

Over on the Mark Twain, we have Tallulah Bankhead on the right and a boy who will grow up to enjoy an extremely short career as an extra on Star Trek. And over on the left, we see photographic evidence that topless sunbathing was allowed for a short time on the bow of the Twain. It was discontinued because it caused serious stability problems for the boat as it tended to encourage all young male passengers to congregate either in the bow or aft, depending on who was sunbathing.

Alonzo P Hawk said...

Very nice rescans major. The lady with the Civil war wound wrap on her head has been downgraded from critical to stable condition. The babe showing all the flesh looks human now as opposed to having just visited an A bomb test at White Sands in the original.

The second one is great all around. I always picture Walt with a grit burning in his mouth stumbling down main street (before the park opens) in his pj's and slippers to get a fresh cup of coffee.

Cyan is no longer poison as they switched to soy based inks many years ago. Not that I would like to sit down with a spoon and a can of cyan (or yellow, magenta, black)ink to snack on.

Once again your rescanning efforts are greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Nancy said...

How cool to know that Walt could possibly have been there when the photo was taken! Its like having a really good secret from everyone. :-D

On the original image of the bridge, you can barely see the netting...looks like they are walking across just a wooden pole! :-O

Tom said...

It's almost a little eerie how you're able to coax color out of slides that are clearly beyond hope. Perhaps we should start addressing you as Colonel, and preface our comments with "Sir!"

These recans are amazing. Your photo restoration skills are insurmountable.

Stovk said...

Very nice indeed. I too would like to know your technique to recapture the true "look" of your slides. I have many pictures of Knott's and Disneyland of the late 60's and early 70's. Perhaps you can create a Post on color correction techniques sometime.

Melissa said...

The rare Reverse Babushka variant, popularized by Rosie the Riveter. Or, should I say COMRADE ROSISHKA KLEPALSHCHIK, hmmm?

Love to see clear skies over the Fire Department.

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook… my favorite was “booger green”.

Chuck, maybe Walt just liked the sound of Main Street “waking up”??!! I always assumed that they unhitched the horses and pushed the streetcars into the storage area, but who knows. Somebody out there! I wonder if the pontoon bridge was added later… don’t really know. It doesn’t appear on the very first Tom Sawyer Island souvenir map. Re; your comment about the boy in the red shirt, I made a very similar comment in an upcoming post. Prepare for deja vu (if possible).

Alonzo, ha ha, I had to go back and see the “babe showing all the flesh”. Disappointed! I’ve never heard a cigarette referred to as a “grit” before, sounds very Raymond Chandler.

Nancy, it’s just a theory of course, but I am going to go on believing that Walt was there.

Tom, I give 50% credit to the new scanner, and 50% credit to my improved Photoshop abilities!

Kurt Stovall, I like your idea, though it would be a lengthy post for some particularly bad slides. However, the next time I do a bunch of restoring, maybe I will try to do some “step by step” screen caps!

Melissa, she was doing recon for Khruschev’s upcoming visit! I don’t think those are clear skies over the Fire Dept… it looks overcast to me.

Chuck said...

Major, the sounds of Main Street "waking up" were probably pretty sweet. I'm sure it was nice to enjoy a cup of coffee (and, in Walt's case, a morning "grit") sitting on the second-story patio behind the apartment, listening to the birds in the eucalyptus trees while the Jungle Cruise animals were clocking in and warming up for their shifts.

My one time in the MK before opening was every bit as atmospherically wonderful as I had imagined - freshly-washed streets, no crowds, long shadows reaching west, with that morning crispness in the air that tells you it's going to be a great day...until the crowds hit.

Steve DeGaetano said...

There is a hitch on the back of the horsecars, as I recall. You simply unhitch from the front, walk the horse to the rear, and re-hitch.

Chuck said...

That seems like cheating, Steve - no runaround track or extra turnouts. Too bad you can't do that with locomotives... ;-)

Major Pepperidge said...

Chuck, I met a woman (was buying a vintage Disneyland map from her) who worked at the Hills Bros. Coffee House around 1960, and she said that Walt regularly came in for a pastry and coffee. She also said he didn’t tip. How many people leave a tip for counter service at Disneyland?! Not me! I am jealous of your single early morning experience at the Magic Kingdom.

Steve De Gaetano, ah, that makes sense. I’m a little disappointed that they aren’t pushed by cast members for some reason.

Chuck, it would have been cooler if they had built a rotating turntable, like the kind seen in San Francisco for the cable cars. Needlessly elaborate and expensive, however.

Melissa said...

Speaking of bridges, we used to love jumping up and down on the barrel bridge at the Tom Sawyer Island in Florida. It was as good as an actual ride for being jostled around as far as we were concerned