Tram and Posters, May 1961
Happy Friday, everybody; today I'm presenting two photos that feature some of my favorite Disneyland items: trams and attraction posters.
I admit it; this is not really the greatest tram photo. But I'll take it anyway. The guy is seated with his hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the vehicle at all times. We applaud you, citizen. Somebody's gonna ID that two-tone pink and cream car in the background, I just know it.
This next picture is the real star of the show, with Mr. Good Citizen posing in front of thousands of dollars worth of silkscreened masterpieces. Obviously he was especially fond of the Matterhorn poster, and I can't say that I blame him. The attraction was less than two years old at this point, I wonder if he'd been on it yet? There's that orange "Art of Animation" poster, an unusual one.
Zooming in, I was amazed to see that our friend is standing next to a variation of the Matterhorn poster that I'd only heard about and never seen before. If you look closely, there is only a single bobsled on that poster.
Imagine my surprise when I found that one of these rare "single bobsled" posters is up sale on eBay right now! It can be yours for only $15,000. You can see it on the left, compared to a photo of my poster on the right. I just love variations!
21 comments:
Major: how would you react to a Disneyland Parking Tram attraction poster!??
Over the years I’ve seen several of the single bobsled Matterhorn poster - but this is the first time I’ve seen a “ in action” shot!
There’s been speculation as to its origin , but most poster collectors agree it’s the result of a damaged stencil screen during production. It was probably decided to black out the damage and continue the production run. Despite its rarity, it does not draw as much demand as a 2 bobsled poster .... sometimes less is NOT more in art.
Someday I hope a slide or photo will surface showing the very very rare DOUGLAS screened Rocket to the Moon poster ..... with the Douglas Vertical lettering on the Rocket body. It’s out there!!!!
Major-
That's a 1955 Chevrolet... as if you didn't know.
Thanks, Major.
It looks like someone reached up and slashed that awning over the tram, but I'm sure it wasn't Mr. Good Citizen who did it.
It's interesting that there are two Nature's Wonderland posters so close together, just 5 posters apart. You'd think that they could have stuck a different poster in one of those frames so there wouldn't be any repeats.
I like Mr. Good Citizen's shirt. And his argyle socks!
When stencils were damaged, those fearless silkscreeners just valiantly pushed forward. I get that the "missing bobsled" poster is rare, but even more mythical is the poster that left out the mountain itself. The greatest white whale is the Dumbo poster with no Dumbo.
TokyoMagic!, I dunno... with Nature's Wonderland getting the update in 1960, maybe they were still promoting it in this first half of '61. It is weird though, with how many other attractions they could have put there.
Where do you find socks in Disneyland-tram-warning-stripe-orange pattern?!?! How cool!
1955 Chevy Bel Air convertable in Coral/ India White. Current prices for this particular car hover in the 50k-60k range, although over 100k isn't that unusual. Original purchase price was about 2300.00.
Dapper Dan may be skinny, but he has a certain swagger about him. I actually have a repop of the Submarine Voyage poster, I would literally sell a body part for an original. Come on Dan, nobody is looking. Thanks Major.
I learned to drive in a 55 Chevy! It was some kind of green, and not a convertible.
That missing bobsled is on the mountain as we speak. It's in the yeti midden pile.
There was a time when I wanted to collect attraction posters but I never had the money. I still don't.
Since I have minor color blindness I figured Good Citizen couldn't have socks that match the tram stripes. Thanks, Sue, for confirming that.
Thanks Major and Happy Friday to you too. And to the rest of you.
Zach
I must say, nice Fridays pics, Major.
Lou & Sue & Tokyo, argyles for sure, with a black diamond on the back. Tram-warning-stripe-orange pattern. Or Halloween maybe?
Guys, what's the make on that yellow number in front of the Bel Air?
Thought at first it was a Cab or something. Can't quite make it out.
Hope you all have a good weekend. It's already 105 degrees by noon here, so things to do are limited to inside mostly. Or a drive with AC.
Thanks Major. learned something new about the posters too.
The woman on the left is holding what appears to a be a printout of a PowerPoint slide. Help - I'm seeing 21st-Century work in a 1961 Disneyland photo! Is it Friday yet?
I hope Ted Striker didn't leave a fare on the clock in the parking lot like he did at LAX in 1980.
@ Dr. Goat-
How's about a 1961 Dodge Dart Phoenix-?
Mike Cozart, I would be very surprised to see a Parking Tram attraction poster, but thrilled to see one! I remember a fellow blogger (“Vintage Disneyland Goodies”) first told me about the Matterhorn variant, and I’ve been looking for one ever since. I’m not surprised that you have seen a few examples, since you are pretty hard core about posters! The damaged screen is as good an explanation as any - I thought that perhaps the “one bobsled” version was the earliest, and someone decided it was lacking something. I’ve seen a very poor xerox image of the Douglas “Rocket to the Moon” poster from someone you probably know (initials are B.T.), and like you, hope like crazy that an actual poster (or at least a nice clear image) will show up someday!
Nanook, I didn’t know!
TokyoMagic!, I was trying to decide if somebody slashed that awning, or if it just split due to age and weather (it does look kind of faded). Whenever I see two of the same poster placed close to each other, I think it’s odd, they had at least 30 other posters to choose from. Argyle socks… my grandparents had a friend who’s name was “Argyle”, for real.
Andrew, those silkscreeners are some of the bravest people I have ever heard of (wipes a tear from my eye)! Your joke about the missing Dumbo and missing Matterhorn reminds me of the gag version of the Peoplemover poster, somebody removed the Peoplemover itself so it just shows and empty track. Just like you see at the park.
Lou and Sue, he probably made them himself (“I finally found the right red-orange thread!”) and is thrilled that somebody finally noticed.
stu29573, I assume those high prices are for fully-restored versions? Gosh, I wish I had Jay Leno money so I could have a whole fleet of beautiful vintage cars so that I could drive one according to my mood. “I’ll take the Bugatti to 7-11”.
Jonathan, maybe by 1961 standards, Dapper Dan wasn’t so dapper. But he looks pretty sharp today! I like your term “repop” for repros, they should use that instead. I’ll bet they just trashed the display posters when they were worn out, look how wrinkled the “Art of Animation” example is.
zach, I learned to drive a manual transmission in my dad’s old VW bug - I’ve forgotten the year, but “early 60s” I believe. I loved that car in spite of its flaws. The gas gauge didn’t work so we had a wooden dowel that we’d use like a dipstick. If I knew the level was getting low and had a long way to go with no gas stations, I would get very nervous! My dad eventually gave it to my sister when she went to college, and it was stolen, never to be seen again. Happy Friday to you too!
DrGoat, I thought the yellow car looked like a cab as well, it even appears to have a shield device on the side. It was 95 degrees here the other day - nine degrees hotter than Death Valley. But today it is cooling off, I think we will be blessed with some June Gloom. I’m glad you learned some new poster trivia!
Chuck, hm, now that you point that lady out, she is holding what appears to be a souvenir guidebook that should be no later than 1957 - they switched to a horizontal format after ’57. Were they selling nearly four year-old guidebooks in 1961? Or did she bring one from home so that she wouldn’t get hopelessly lost in the park? I must be slow today, I’m not getting the Ted Stryker joke (I know that is the character from “Airplane!”, but otherwise… nothin’).
Nanook, I will accept that answer, even though I have never heard of those before!
Nice vintage Yellow Cab. I would expect to see Peter Falk and or Eddie "Rochester" Anderson running around with shovels looking for a big "W" (It's a mad mad mad mad world). Musta made a wrong turn boys, you're nowhere near Santa Rosita State Park.
One vote for a parking tram poster.
Dan is styling that day. @Tokyo, I had a shirt just like that, right around that time too.
Great shot of the power lines. I bet having that easement across the property made it cheaper to buy, back in the day. I still can't imagine the expense involved in moving it for DCA.
I think the tram roof was ripped by "something", that tear doesn't look like attrition. Someone needs to do a spoof poster of the tram and the parking lot. Was there a poster for the DL Hotel?
So many wonderful cars, Major I agree, how fun it would be to have a collection like that. I've worked on several homes with "collector garages", one had the whole "man cave" with bar, TV lounge, fireplace etc. all in the garage with the cars, it was the owner's 12th house. So. Much. Money. out in the world now, and so many with nothing.
The attraction posters are definitely an art form. I do like the Nature's Wonderland 4x4 design. I have made that one the "album cover" for some of my Frontierland sound track files, it pops up in my iTunes now and then.
I had no idea of all the nuances of the different poster designs. Seems like people will collect anything and spend enormous sums doing so. I would be perfectly happy with a "repop" (great term). I haven't bought one since I can't decide which to get. My favorite attraction, Storybook Land, has a yellow background that doesn't go with anything else I own, and so I am content with electronic versions as screensavers and backdrops, courtesy of Major P and Daveland. They don't take up any space.
Cooler here today. I wish everyone well, and that you all have a good weekend. I probably won't check in till Monday.
Best regards.
JG
Oh, Major-
And speaking of "Argyle" - you made an I Love Lucy reference [presumably] without knowing it-! Argyle Nelson was the Production Manager for most of the series. Once again... you just can't escape it.
Alonzo P Hawk, this is not the first time the “big W” has been mentioned on this blog! Even nowadays I will sometimes see other palm trees in the form of a W, and I can’t help thinking of “It’s a Mad Mad (etc) World”.
JG, I know that at least some power lines were routed underground, though I’m not sure when that was. I thought that Walt had something to do with it - did the Disney company pay for it? Or did they convince Anaheim that it was in the city’s best interests? I know somebody who works for Richard Carpenter, who is another big car collector. For one brief moment I thought I was going to get an invite to go see all the amazing cars, but… no such luck. There is a poster for the Disneyland Hotel, check it out PHERE . I’m sure it will look familiar when you see it again. And yes, thank goodness for June Gloom, yesterday I had to cut my walk short because it was so darn hot, and today is lovely and overcast and cool.
Nanook, I don’t know nothin’ ‘bout no “I Love Lucy”, but I do know that the limo driver in “Die Hard” was named “Argyle”.
Argh, "PHERE", so much for my typing skills.
I have to wonder if sideways-facing trams are easier to load and unload that regular forward-facing trams. On one hand, people can easily step on and off. On the other hand, you can't fit too many people on it, which is probably why they changed it to forward facing. That and probably safety reasons, as, since I mentioned it, anyone can easily get on and off, and thus can easily fall off.
Nanook, you got it. Don't see many of those around. I had a '64 Dart. The fish-eye special. It was a fun car. It had the automatic transmission buttons on the dash with a lever you pulled down to put it into park.
Thanks all.
Major, that is a terrific Hotel poster. I don't recall that post, it was a long time ago, 2011. Maybe that was before I was checking every day.
Re the power lines. I'm pretty sure that the utility pays to put up main distribution lines like those for initial construction, but if anyone wants them moved, they would have to pay.
Same with secondary lines. If you had a big parcel of land, and wanted your house built miles inside and far from the utility local line, you would have to pay the utility to build the secondary branch to your home site, as well as any step-down transformers or other switchgear. But you would not own the line you paid for, the utility would own it. This can be a big expense of development, and takes a long time due to bureaucratic delay.
Commercial accounts like Disneyland have to do the same thing, so moving the line for DCA was part of the cost of that park.
Too bad you never got the car tour, neither did I.
JG
Magic Ears Dudebro, I smiled when I read your comment today, and thought about how it's a good thing leisure suits weren't around during the sideways-facing tram days. My 5/21/20 GDB comment, in part, stated:
I do recall reading about all the benefits of the 1970's polyester leisure suits, but only recall the following:
1. Food slips right off.
2. Unfortunately, YOU slip right off chairs and couches.
As a kid, I do remember hanging onto my parents as the sideways-facing tram rounded the corners. It did "fling you outwards." It was a fun (but slightly scary feeling). :)
Sue
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