Wednesday, June 20, 2018

More Frontierland Scans - 1967

Say, how about another selection of vintage Frontierland scans (from the Mysterious Donor)? 

As I think I have mentioned before, this large batch of donated scans has a ton of pictures of the Columbia. Which is OK by me. This first one is a neat angle as seen from the old fishing dock (on Tom Sawyer Island) looking back toward the shore. 


Some weirdo has decided that he prefers the view from what true sailors call "rope thingies". "Avast, ya salty baboon! Come down from the rope thingies at once, or it'll be no grog for ye!". Man, this stuff writes itself. (If one of you wants to form a punk band called "Salty Baboon", I won't stand in your way).


This lovely photo is from another unusual vantage point... the photographer was standing on Walt's balcony. Pretty sweet.


Isn't this an amazing shot? It was taken from the Disneyland & Santa Fe RR as it passed a rather large, grassy "meadow". You can see some of the buttes, mesas, and other rock formations from Nature's Wonderland. I'm kind of surprised that guests did not take similar photos from this angle - in my collection of thousands and thousands of images, I sure don't have anything like this.


Here's an aerial view showing the approximate line of sight (the giant yellow arrow) in the previous photo.


I threw in this final view for fun, even though it is a bit blurry. Most western-themed amusement parks had shootouts as part of the fun - Disneyland had them too. Here, Sheriff Lucky has gunned down a yellow-bellied, lily-livered, thievin' coyote. This scan is labeled as being from 1967, but I would wager that 1957 is more like it.


As always, many thanks to the Myserious Donor.

20 comments:

Nanook said...

Major-

That Columbia sure looks awfully crowded. Certainly glad I wasn't aboard that day. Grassy meadow - here I come. What a fine place to walk my dog-! And do I spy a Cub Scout at the shoot-out in Frontierland-?

Thanks, Major & '?'

Melissa said...

Okay, if I ever have a balcony I want ironwork on it like that to frame all my pictures. The color in these shots is so deep and rich.

They seek him here,
They seek him there,
Those bloggers seek him everywhere.
Is he is Fresno?
Is he in Pomona?
That demmed elusive Mysterious Donor.

TokyoMagic! said...

I love that aerial photo of the park (from the book, "Above Los Angeles.") That dirt path that we can see in both of the "grassy meadow" photos, was of course, the old right of way for the Disneyland R.R. before the train tracks were bumped out to the north for the addition of It's A Small World.

Chuck said...

Sharp eye, Nanook! That certainly does look like a Cub Scout behind Sherriff Lucky. Based on the design of the uniform alone and ignoring all other visual cues and what we know about what years the shootouts were staged, I would also place this photo in the latter half of the 1950s.

That guy up in the rope thingies may be a cast member. His clothes may be a dark winter uniform (look at the dress of the other guests, "bundled up" for a chilly SoCal day); he appears to be holding a matching cap in the hand that isn't giving us the "thumbs up."

TM!, I was going to comment on the road, too, which, according to Google Maps, was called "SF & DL Road." In the aerial photo, you can see that they left the tunnel portal in place to allow access. Does anyone know how long that lasted?

Steve DeGaetano said...

I'm not sure that's a Cub Scout - He should have a hat to be in uniform, and I don't see a neckerchief.

Jason Schultz said...

Major,

Using Daveland as a reference, the gunfight photo would have to be before October 1962, by which time a permanent sign had been erected over the entrance. Curiously, all of his photos of the exterior before that time include a large banner, which is not present in this photo.

Stefano said...

Thanks, Major and M.D., the meadow and balcony photos are beauties. There is a slight pang looking at the "Above Los Angeles" image; it must have been taken during the last full year of the Mine Train's operation. And the lush northern reaches of Tom Sawyer's Island , now amputated --- armchair Imagineers might have wished for an E-Ticket overhaul of the isle, using some of that space for new adventures.

Melissa, you are the Baroness of this Magic Kingdom.

JC Shannon said...

These magnificent scans have totally made my day. What a view Walt had. I love the aerial view, so sad that Star Wars ate a third of the river. Who doesn't love a gunfight? They still do them in Cody Wyoming to this day. Walt was ahead of his time. Frontierland has been so changed, no more Stagecoach; Pack Mules; Covered Wagon or Mine Train. At least they didn't totally obliterate Rainbow Ridge. Thank you Major, you have outdone yourself! And thanks to the Mysterious Donor as well.

Patrick Devlin said...

Say, Chuck I'm not finding the "tunnel portal" of which you speak: is it the mine train portal down by the geysers?

Great shots of by favorite 18th century sailing ship. Me wanna go!

And that aerial is to die for. Hardly a bit of the northern park that isn't well-covered.

Anonymous said...

Major, the Mysterious Donor deserves a digital brass plaque on your home page for advancement of the picking-apart of vintage Disneyland photos above and beyond the call of duty.

@Steve & Chuck, the youngster is definitely a Cub, as for the hat and neckerchief, his Mom has them in her purse since these items are usually ripped off immediately after recitation of the Oath and Law in formation. They are cubs, after all. We always insisted that our Scouts (older than cubs of course) wear their uniform hats at all times so adult leaders could pick them out in the crowd. Sadly, this discipline was lacking in most scout troops in our area. Made it easier to see our boys.

Fun pics, Major, thank you.

JG

Omnispace said...

A great set of photos today! I remember taking the train around Disneyland in those days and looking at all that open space at the rear of the park. The spiel described the possibility for new adventures to be created in that area. It was was an exciting proposition for a kid. The meadow was there for quite a long time, until after Big Thunder Mountain was built and the new pathway to Fantasyland opened up new access. In a way it was exciting to walk in the area of a former attraction, though the Mine Train is sorely missed. Fortunately, the Calico Mine Ride at Knott's still captures the essence of Disney's.

Chuck said...

Patrick, it's just to the left of the "mine" opening by the geysers. The mine train portal is in the "rock" wall, while the old SF&DLRR tunnel is framed by the trees. Follow the dirt road up through the yellow arrow and you can't miss it.

Steve, I have to concur with JG. That really looks like a den numeral patch on his right sleeve and a "Cub Scout B.S.A." patch over his right pocket, and the contour of the right pocket flap looks right for a uniform, too. While he "should" be wearing a hat and neckerchief to be fully uniformed, those items often disappear rather quickly. Today, you'd probably also find half of the boy's shirt untucked.

JG, I like that hat-wearing idea. I can see that being very effective with the pre-2008 hats with the red front panel. Unfortunately, BSA has gotten away from a standard hat - there are like 6 different styles in multiple colors and designs available at our local Scout Shop at any time - so I don't think that would work for our unit today.

We do have identical, neon-colored "Class-B" t-shirts though. We have a different color for every day of Summer Camp, which not only helps us in finding our boys, it also ensures that they change at least one article of clothing every day.

From about the time I was 10 until about 14, my family would wear red ball caps and identical t-shirts on vacation. It made it really easy to find each other in a crowd.

TokyoMagic! said...

Chuck, that old tunnel for the train lasted up until a couple years ago. I'm pretty sure it was torn down for Jar Jar Binks Land.

Stefano, that "Above Los Angeles" photo must have been taken in '75 or '76. The full uncropped photo shows floats from "America On Parade" parked behind the Main St. Buildings. Also, Space Mountain is under construction in the full photo.

Omnispace, that grassy meadow actually lasted longer than that. The pathway from Frontierland to Fantasyland did open with Big Thunder in 1979, but it cut across the middle of the old Nature's Wonderland desert, pretty much in line with where Dumbo sits. That left an even larger undeveloped area that now included where the geysers and paint pots had been. They left a few of those buttes and the rock arch that stood next to them, but sadly, those were also torn down recently for Ewok Land. The meadow and the additional land that was leftover after the geysers and paint pots were removed remained undeveloped until the construction of the Big Thunder Ranch and BBQ in 1986. Then in 1996, the Festival of Fools arena was built, taking up whatever little undeveloped space that the Ranch and BBQ had not used.

Stefano said...

TokyoMagic!, I guessed around the spring or summer of '76, by the stage of Space Mountain's development. In this overhead photo,behind the Haunted Mansion structure in a parking area, the Space Mountain cone spires are laid out, awaiting installation; I think most of the park's craft and repair shops were on that side then.

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook, maybe it was “Free Walt Disney Autograph” day? It’s the only logical explanation. Love that grassy meadow.

Melissa, be sure to download the “wrought iron” app, now available in the app store! All of your photos will look like they were taken in the antebellum South. Don’t waste your time looking for the mysterious donor in Fresno or Pomona - this should narrow it down for you.

TokyoMagic! I think I have a photo or two showing the DLRR passing very close to the Living Desert - if I wasn’t so lazy I’d look one of them up.

Chuck, yes, that is certainly a CM. Apparently those guys would sometimes climb pretty high into the rigging - I wonder if that would be allowed today? Thanks for pointing out the tunnel portal!

Steve DeGaetano, maybe this was one of those Cub Scouts that went bad? No hat, no neckerchief, but definitely a switchblade.

Progressland, thank you for doing the research that I didn’t do! I’ll have to see if the Slue Foot Sue sign remained after they finally put in that permanent sign.

Stefano, “Above Los Angeles” is a very cool book, I used to look at a copy in our school library. Of course I loved the aerial views of Disneyland, Knott’s, and Busch Gardens the most, but the rest was great too. Also, I believe Melissa is a Viscountess!

Jonathan, imagine waking up early and looking out over a peaceful (and mostly quiet) New Orleans Square and Rivers of America? I wonder whatever became of the Dream Suite. Presumably it is still there for VIPs to enjoy. I can’t take credit for these scans, as they were all ready to go, and I was merely the lucky recipient.

Patrick, I was going to help out, but I see that Chuck is way ahead of me. As usual.

JG, my older brother was a scout - not sure why I never got to be. I was mostly jealous of his neckerchief with that cool metal slide. If you need to see them in a crowd, make them all wear hats with giant dyed ostrich feathers on them. So easy!

Omnispace, I think I have heard that train spiel in which the narrator talked about having room for new adventures, or something to that effect. I agree with you, while it is a bummer to no longer have Disneyland’s Mine Train, the Knott’s Mine Train is pretty fantastic.

Chuck, I see the tunnel, I see the tunnel! What do I win? We’ve certainly seen a number of photos with herds of young scouts, what a great field trip that must have been for them! They even show up in some vintage Viewmaster images. 6 different hats? What kind of anarchy is this? Please see the hat idea I gave to JG for free, unless he wants to send me five bucks. Your mention of neon-colored shirts reminded me of the last time I went to the Los Angeles Science Center (our Museum of Science and Industry). Groups of kids crowded the museum, each one in a different eye-popping color. It was a simple way to know which kid belonged with a particular pack.

TokyoMagic!, I see that there are copies of “Above Los Angeles” from various years, but the earliest one I can find is 1977. So a photo from ’75 or ’76 sounds about right. It’s too bad that they didn’t take new photos for later editions! I love picking up on how excited you are for Star Wars Land, it is clear that you will be the first in line when it opens. You’ll be wearing your too-small Darth Vader helmet and carrying your red light saber. Take plenty of photos!

Stefano, oh, I need to go back and look at that full-sized view of that photo again. I never noticed the Space Mountain spires laid out and ready to install!

Anonymous said...

@Chuck, our troop had a custom hat, dark emerald green with a gold fleur-de-lis and the troop number on the back. This green matched our custom Class B shirts. Among other things we were "The Green Machine". Our hats were, and are, still widely copied in the area. This reduced the difficulty in getting the boys to wear them, when other scouts wanted to trade stuff for them.

Eagle Scouts are entitled to wear a black hat with an added blazon of Eagle Scout on the back. Those were coveted most of all. Formations were rows upon rows of little green heads, with the black hats up front or in the back, depending. Each scout bought their own, but the troop paid for the eagle hats.

I told the boys, "the green hats are mine..." which was comforting to little guys on their first year at camp. We had strong anti-hazing training, but lesser troops, not so much. Any kid in a green hat knew he had our whole troop behind him.

JG

JC Shannon said...

When I wore my uniform to school, I always wore my hat and scarf and my Cub Scout knife on my belt loop. Can you imagine that today?

Chuck said...

TM!, thanks for the info on the portal. I was hoping it had lasted as long as the original engine house.

Major, I'm guessing a climb into the rigging would only be allowed with a climbing harness and the CM clamped into the rope thingies (I seem to remember noticing that on my last viewing of Bombastic! 23 years ago). I'm positive it wouldn't be allowed with guests below them on deck. As for your prize for noticing the portal, you have my undying respect and admiration (finally!).

JG, custom hats are a great idea. I'll bring that up with the Committee Chairman. Not sure where we'll source the ostrich feathers, but we'll figure it out.

JC, no,I can't imagine that being permitted today. My sons' school has a strict "no hat" policy.

TokyoMagic! said...

Chuck, you are welcome! I forgot to mention that I was able to walk through that tunnel a few times. I had a friend who's father worked on the construction of Big Thunder and he took us back there several times while he was working. I'm sure they would not allow that today. In 1996, when the park was super crowded due to the "Farewell Performances" of the Main St. Electrical Parade, they opened up some of the backstage areas to move the crowds away from the gridlock condition of the parade route. That area behind Storybook Land was one of the areas that was open and we were led back there and through a tunnel that ran underneath the Skyway Chalet (right next to the train tunnel). I remember the train tunnel had been boarded up and had just a small door that was closed, and I assume locked. I wonder if the tunnel was dangerous at that point and had been "condemned" or if it was just being used for something else, like storage.

Major and Stefano, now I have to dig out my copy of "Above Los Angeles." I also never noticed the Space Mt. spires sitting behind the Haunted Mansion show building! Major, there is also a pretty cool aerial photo of a pre-1983 Fantasyland on the inside covers (front and back) of the book, "Los Angeles 200 - A Bicentennial Celebration."

Major, you posted a pic of the DL train and the Mine Train passing one another very recently: Mine Train and Saguaro Forest

Melissa said...

JC, no,I can't imagine that being permitted today. My sons' school has a strict "no hat" policy.

My school had a no hats rule, but only for boys. Because apparently it existed in some kind of time loop where it was still 1907.

My Blue Birds troop never bothered with uniforms. It was all nature walks, arts & crafts, and peanut brittle.