New Orleans Square, July 1968
I only have one photo for you today, along with a couple of zooms, but I think you will like it. Check out this beautiful look at New Orleans Square, from July, 1968! The street signs tell us that we're looking toward the corner of Esplanade and Royal Streets. The "One Of a Kind" shop is in front of us. I think the Royal Street Veranda is on the corner, and we might be able to see just a sliver of the Pirates Arcade Museum to the extreme right.
A large part of the appeal of this image is the people in their 1968 duds! I wish I had 100 photos like this, that are more people-centric. I love the colors on the clothing, like that turquoise dress with the lime-green trim, or the lady who is almost out of frame to the left, wearing orange, purple and yellow! It's also fun to observe the guests as they enjoy their snacks, head toward their next destination, or rest their weary feet.
Considering that this is 1968, I'm a little surprised how few women are wearing pants. The lady in the bright blue dress is looking intently at her INA souvenir guidebook. It looks like the fellow with the white shirt (next to the young lady with the red minidress) has one of those pink "Two Wonderful Ways to Enjoy Disneyland" flyers in his shirt pocket.
How many of you wish you could step into this scene? I know I do!
18 comments:
Major-
Let's not forget our lady friend sitting next to the lady "... wearing orange, purple and yellow!" - the one with the two-layer cake beehive hairdo-! What a beauty.
Thanks, Major.
I love the glow of the late afternoon sun in this pic. We can see Roy Disney's "R" in the ironwork of the balcony, above the Royal Street Veranda. However, Walt's "W" is hidden behind that magnolia tree.
Yes, Major, I also wish I could step into this pic. Maybe if we all wish really hard together......
Not only are there so many dresses, all of the men are wearing slacks. I see two pairs of shorts in the whole photo - the woman in the tank top sitting on the brick wall in the lower left and the boy to the right of the tall woman in the yellow dress. I wonder if perhaps this was taken on a Sunday afternoon, with people coming after church.
The other remarkable thing is how relatively few men are in this photo.
Let's synchronize our watches so we can all wish together.
Let's take the jump back in time!
I'm surprised this throng of people is not all shoving to enter the One-of-a-Kind Shop. Were large-size antiques sold there? I hope so; I like to imagine someone gingerly carrying a stained-glass lamp through the park.
I am of Scotch-Irish decent (my mother's maiden name is Stewart, hence, my given name). Being such, I think the most comfortable attire on a hot summer's day at Disneyland would be a kilt. However, I would probably leave the pipes at home, since they would take up an extra seat on the attractions. You're welcome.
Nanook, I can’t tell if that lady’s beehive is a “wiglet”, or if it’s her real hair. I used to have a teacher who wore little wigs on top of her head, they never matched her actual color.
TokyoMagic!, I see the “R”! We can’t see the “M” for “Major Pepperidge” though - too bad.
Chuck, it’s interesting to think that this was taken a year after the “Summer of Love”, and yet hippie fashions, facial hair and other counter-culture signifiers don’t show up at all. Granted it’s still early in that movement. Interesting thought that this might be a Sunday, maybe that explains why people look so “neat and pretty”.
Penna. Andrew, I’ve always wondered how many antiques the One of a Kind Shop actually sold. Supposedly it was something Lillian Disney was directly involved with, at least for a while. I’m sure they offered shipping!
stu29573, I suppose a kilt might be comfortable, but it would take some getting used to! I think you should always bring your bagpipes everywhere; restaurants, airplanes, church… you’ll be the center of attention.
Wow, you can almost hear Sunshine Of Your Love playing in the distance. Count me in for the pop in. I'll wear my love beads and my tie dyed bandanna. If you look real hard, you can see the P for Pepperidge. Thanks Major, I mean peace brother.
Somehow I feel right at home with these pics. Oh that's right, I was there at the time. KS
There's a lot of goodness in these pictures. Thanks Major.
The flywheel of fashion turns slowly, most of the extreme fashions we think of as '60's probably didn't hit the mainstream until almost the '70's, unless you lived in Carnaby Street, while in my world, the '70's ruined most of the '80's.
The Disney attention to detail, along with the courage to create your own personal New Orleans is a never-ending source of fascination to me.
@Andrew, the One-of-a-Kind shop did sell large pieces of furniture, and probably lamps too. I remember seeing the price tags, but can't remember what they said. I suppose there was a way to have the items shipped or held for pickup. The Crystal Palace and Cristal d'Orleans have enormous cut-glass lamps and vases for sale (with proportionally enormous price tags), even today. It wouldn't be practical to carry those out either, so there must be ways to get them shipped.
And, I would gladly step through into this picture with my friends, but it would still be good to come back to today, I think.
JG
Major, this picture is sooo packed with interesting folks that it almost looks photoshopped - like one of your fun April 1st posts - too good to be true for us people-watchers. Thanks for posting this!
Recently, while looking through my dad's photos, I did see a couple pictures of a NOS shop with fun and crazy curiosities (like large ceramic sheepdogs) sitting in front of the shop. When I find them, again, I'll get them to the Major to maybe post, in the near future. They have to be from that shop!
Being from out of state, I would have any large bulky purchases (like large ceramic sheepdogs) shipped home directly from the shop, so that I didn't have to take them on the attractions (like Stu and his bagpipes). There were no sales taxes charged for purchases that went directly out-of-state - and those tax savings then covered the shipping costs. (Were we supposed to pay the state taxes separately, to our home state, at a later date? If yes, then my real name is Jane Smith.)
Sue
no strollers !
Andrew, there was an older lady who worked in the Disney Gallery (when it was in NOS) back in the nineties. She told me the story of how she sold Barbra Streisand some big ticket item, but now I can't remember what that item was (maybe a crystal chandelier?).
Sue, I remember the shop carrying large ceramic dogs/animals. I wonder if those were reproductions or if the shop only sold true antiques? The reason I ask that is because I seem to remember that shop always having large figures like. Maybe it was the same ones and they just never sold. I also seem to remember an article in Disney News Magazine, that showed a photo of a ceramic dog sitting out on the patio of the Royal Courtyard (which was adjacent to the shop) with other items from the shop.
JG, I just thought of something. What if we all stepped into the picture (and back in time to 1968) and we couldn't get back out? That almost sounds like an episode Twilight Zone!
Andrew, I meant to also say that that lady who worked in the Disney Gallery, had previously worked in the One of a Kind shop and that is where she sold the big ticket item to what's her name!
It's a clothestravaganza!
At first glance, I thought the lady in the bright blue dress and the lady with the double-decker hairdo looked like Ruth Buzzi and Joanne Worley.
Just like the Find Waldo pictures, find Cher.
See the little boy in the blue shirt, next to the lady in the orange/purple/yellow dress? That lady in green is sitting on him.
Major, when you mentioned that Stu would be the center of attention, with his bagpipes - it reminded me of the time I was walking near a city neighborhood alley and this young boy was out on the back porch in the summertime, practicing his bagpipes. I felt so sorry for the entire neighborhood.
Melissa - where are you? We're waiting to hear from you. You always see things that we miss.
Sue
A few years ago, my wife asked me where I wanted to go on vacation. I responded "California."
Then she asked "When do you want to go?"
I said "1968."
We still haven't taken that trip.
Melissa - I just saw your comment, after I posted. I'm slow today
Sue
What's wrong with bagpipes?
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