Two Nice Randos
Here are two "leftuggies" for you, two random slides that are not part of larger batches.
I particularly like this first one, a rare night photo (undated) with a nice lady posing next to one of the famous Adventureland tikis - this one carved from the trunk of a palm tree. The tiki looks very serious, but he's actually a ham. The woman is armed with a camera. Now that's a flash attachment! The woman is clearly posing for somebody off to the left, so maybe our photographer just liked the tiki. There's a kid with a Keppy Kap to the right.
Next is this photo (date-stamped "August, 1969") of two adorable girls posing in the Carnation delivery truck. I'd say it's a safe bet that the photo was actually taken months earlier, since sweaters are generally not a necessity in SoCal in August. You never know, though!
24 comments:
Major-
A nighttime shot by the Jungle Cruise... very nice-! Jason's Almanac tells us the 'coolest' daytime temperature @ DL in August, 1969 was 78°. Your guess is most-likely correct. (Or... those gals are merely trying to "look their best").
Thanks, Major.
In the first pic, I'm stumped as to what year, or even what decade this is. The guy on the right has a mustache, which suggests the 1970s or late '60s. But peoples' clothing styles seem to suggest 1950s or early '60s. If I was forced to guess, I would say 1962, and that guy with the mustache is an outlier.
Oh, and the photographer out of frame to the left is taking a photo of that stroller.
And what the heck is that jet-black thing in the stroller?! Not a toddler, surely. There are no legs! I think it's an alien.
In the second pic, that's Jodie Foster on the left and Sandra Bullock is on the right. Ok, ok, so the year doesn't quite match up with their relative ages here, but it's them. They're taking the Carnation Wagon out for a joyride. The movie "Thelma and Louise" was based on this incident; little known fact! And you'll only hear it here on GDB! (Guaranteed!)
- Jelly filled Bonbons
MAJOR:
Regarding yesterday’s question as the the “track” or center guide rail - re-alignment: you can clearly see a stain on the concrete surface as to where the center guide was one located . For sone reason it was .
JB, that black thing in the stroller is not an alien, but an alien pod. That lady has nothing to worry about right now, but after she goes back to her hotel room and falls asleep, watch out! And be prepared for a lot of soap suds.
As for the second pic....how on earth, could Disney have ever made the decision to get rid of that gem of a Gurr-mobile! Unbelievable.
I think our photographer was actually taking a picture of the flash attachment.
It just occurred to me that there’s a Flower Market on the west side of Main Street and Flour Market on the east side. It’s the subtle, symmetrical design details like this that made us serious fans fall in love with Disneyland in the first place.
Mike, I think that stain on the concrete in yesterday’s photos is actually tire marks from caterpillars being switched off the storage siding onto the main line. There are no holes or patches from removed tie-down bolts that would have held the old alignment track in place, and the marks segue perfectly into the tire marks on the current alignment. I think that rust stain to the right of the switch rail is from that switch rail itself.
TM!, based on it’s blanked-out, unphotographable nature, I think that may be you in the stroller.
Chuck, uh....thanks for giving away my secret. I had asked Major to put a "white oval" over me, but he wanted to be more creative, so he used a "black blob."
That black thing in the stroller appears to be tied in with a red neck tie, or is that its umbilical cord?? What IS that thing?!
I see the bottom of the stroller has dropped down and appears to be dragging. Love that tiki.
Fun pictures today, thank you, Major.
That tiki looks like it was carved out of a tree that grew right in that spot. I don’t recall ever seeing this one before. I’m going to date the photo as post-1957 on the evidence of the bamboo trash can since there’s a photo of Walt talking to some boys taken only a few away in 1957 and the can in that pic is the plain green look.
Those are cute kids in photo 2, I’m pretty sure I did the same pose once, but no pics remain.
Thanks Major!
JG
Re in the Case of Alice and the Mystery Tire Marks, I’m with Chuck on this, in photo 2, we can see the tire tracks of vehicles on the main run and another two curved marks coming in at a tangent, this is the tire tracks of vehicles merging into the main run from the siding.
We can see the main track is held down by pairs of bolts spaced closely together, and no sign of any old holes from a relocated track.
Also, none of this means that the track problem requiring realignment might not have existed elsewhere in the ride.
JG
The girl with the headband sitting in the Carnation Wagon reminds me very much of actress Barbara Garrick if she was a little girl.
Thanks for the "leftuggies", Major.
In the first picture, The lady has one of those nifty fold out flash units. What people don't usually realize is that it went with a nifty fold out camera, which went in a fold out carrying case held in a fold out purse. That thing got TINY!
The "Thing" is the stroller is obviously the Crimson Peanut's arch enemy, The Lightless Legume! BEWARE!!!
Stu, are you old enough to remember the crinkling sound of a flashbulb ‘sort of’ melting after it flashed? Or remember touching a hot one? Ouch!
Lightless Legume. LOL
Nanook, I need to get my copy of Jason’s almanac from my mom’s house! Those are some useful tidbits.
JB, I should have said (d’oh) that the first slide is very likely from the late 1950s, or possibly the early 1960s.I know what you mean about the guy with the mustache, but the slide mounts don’t lie. ’62 is not a bad guess. I assumed that the black thing in the stroller was a pair of mouse ears, though I admit that it doesn’t really make sense. Maybe it IS an alien. Jodie and Sandi go way back, speaking French to each other and driving runaway buses. Only a few more days until you can stop thinking up names for Valentine’s Day!
Mike Cozart, some folks were thinking that the stain on the concrete was where the other wheels on the vehicle ran. That seems to make sense, but I am always ready to be corrected!
TokyoMagic!, pods are so much more convenient. You can carry them around in a stroller, and then place them next to a suitable host. Soap suds, how many people are going to get that reference? None of them whippersnappers, that’s for sure. I agree with you, it seems beyond belief that Disney would want to get rid of that beautiful truck.
Chuck, the first photo was taken by Scott Weegee, Arthur’s younger brother. He knew that Arthur would appreciate that cool flash! I wonder if the Flour on Main Street was ground at the mill in Frontierland? I’d like to think so. I agree with you about the marks on the concrete from yesterday’s photo, in large part due to the lack of bolt holes or other mechanical means of holding a track down.
TokyoMagic!, my computer was out of white ovals, I need to order some more!
Lou and Sue, I now love that black thing, it’s like the little odd armless featureless black doll (or whatever it is) that sometimes shows up in Edward Gorey drawings. My friend had one made for him by a young lady with sewing skills!
JG, you might be right about the tiki… along with the famous Dominguez Palm, there were two other notable palm trees in Adventureland in the early days. It’s not my place to write about them (since someone else did all the research), but I do believe that one of those two palms was probably carved into the tiki we see in that first photo. That photo of Walt that you mentioned is one of the references that my friend used for his research!
JG, obviously I had thoughts that were along the lines of Mike Cozart’s thinking, but I am pretty sure you and Chuck are right about the marks on the concrete being from the rear wheels of the caterpillars.
K. Martinez, I had to look up Barbara Garrick… I do see a resemblance!
Stu29573, that camera and flash could keep folding in on itself until it was invisible. There are probably lots of them in antiques stores today, but you can’t even see them. I thought that the Crimson Peanut was his own worst enemy, but I guess there is plenty of evil to go around.
Lou and Sue, I only remember flash cubes, which could be triggered (at least for a while) by sticking a knife into a slot into the bottom of them. We discovered that when we were kids. My poor mom never had any working flash bulbs in the house!
Major, hahahaha re the flash cubes!
Maybe it’s a good thing my parents didn’t have a boy— or we may not have had any photos for this blog.
Major-
I should've mentioned, I think the lady in the first photo is holding a Polaroid Land Camera Model 95A, with the flash attachment.
Major-
OH... And for a better look at that tiki, look HERE and HERE
Sue, Yes I remember those bulbs blistering up and going all cloudy after they fired! I have my grandfather's old Argus camera that uses those type. I'm not sure you can even find them any more. If you can, they're probably REAL expensive!
Nanook, I was going to say that looked like a Polaroid. The bellows kind of give it away, don't they? My dad had a 103, and we thought that was about the coolest thing ever!
By the way, in the second pic, the driver girl just whispered to the other girl "Have you ever pulled a wheelie?" The next instant was terrifying and wonderful!
Oh man .... Because if covid I've put off new contact and eyeglass prescriptions : those are totally tire wear marks on the concrete!! In yesterday’s Alice images . I looked at some drawings and there changes done to the slice track a few times and a big red-do in 1968 with the enlargement of the “Alice” restrooms behind Alice and Toad. that “kick” switch Is called a “DEAD FROG“ on the drawings of the 50’s and 60’s. A friend told me a FROG is a railroad track switch term for the shaped moving piece of a RR track switch. He thought DEAD would imply it doesn’t (move) but here might mean it isn’t ( powered) but suggested whoever helped develop these attraction ride systems had real Railroad experience or knowledge .
As many of you vintage Disneyland fans have heard OCEANIC ARTS is closing its doors ( they actually have closed already and are just completing some final projects and Tying up loose business ends) Oceanic Arts has supplied Disney and it’s hotels , resorts and all its theme parks with tiki totems, tiki masks , bamboo , tiki lighting fixtures And all sorts or tropical decor and supplies since Disneyland’s opening.
Sad nobody is continuing the business but it’s owner and founders are retiring after 60+ years.
Another supplier of some tiki and topical supplies was Benson imports , and they are still in business but really have moved away from tiki and tropical decor supplies to Mexican cabana roof thatching and some bamboo stock.
It’s sad to see places like this - long fixtures of california business close especially in the height of the mid-century tiki revival
Also be sure to see The Chanted Tiki Room as soon as you can! Current management changes have its leaders VERY uncomfortable with Tikis and other tropical “ cultural appropriations”..... some friends at WDI who had been put on the WDW 50th Tiki Room /Tropical Serenade project were told NOTHING WITH TIKIS !! Before the project was canceled. For WDW’s 50th many of you have seen the display of all the retro attraction posters being used for attractions still in the park .... EXCEPT Tiki Room/ Tropical Serenade : it has tikis in the designs.
Even the Disney studios new Mickey film being done featured Mickey in the tiki room with the singing tiki totems - that has been changed to faceless carved poles.
At Disneyland skulls , native shields and masks have been purged from the Jungle Cruise including The NATIVES Themselves!! And management is now looking at Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room!
Mike, so all we’ll be left with are princesses for the wealthy. *sigh*
DrGoat carved that one awesome tiki...I think we need to start a new business with him!
Lou and Sue, like I said, my poor mom! I don’t know how she dealt with four kids - three of them boys. However, my sister turned out to be the one with the wild teen years; it’s just that my mom had no idea.
Nanook, I am impressed!
Nanook, hey, I have good photos of that tiki too…
Stu29573, the bulbs had some sort of metal “wool” inside them, I don’t know if it was magnesium or what. But it always interested me. With the advent of electric flashes, I’m sure you’re right, those old bulbs are probably long-extinct. Polaroids were OK with black and white film (although even those sometimes had weird streaks and brown areas), but color Polaroids - consumer grade film, anyway - was pretty crummy. Instead of a wheelie, how about driving up a ramp so that the car is only driving on two wheels? I think the Dukes of Hazzard did that a few times.
Mike Cozart, it’s OK, I thought the same thing, which is why I asked the question about it in the first place! So I can’t throw stones. I’m not sure I knew that there was a big redo to Alice in 1968. A “Dead Frog”, so funny. I think calling it “dead” because it wasn’t powered makes sense. Do you think that was an Arrow Development term? Those guys built a LOT of dark rides. And yes, I have heard that Oceanic Arts is closing - I never managed to make it all the way down there, but always wanted to. Huell Howser did a show where he visited it. I agree, sad that it is going away after so many decades. I do love the idea of at least one tiki themed room if not a whole tiki themed home! Yes, you’d think with the reignited love of all things tiki, that Oceanic Arts would have had plenty of business. But I know the owners were getting up there, and as you said, it seems like nobody wanted to pick up the torch (see what I did there?). Oh boy, it would kill me if they got rid of the Enchanted Tiki Room, but at this point nothing would surprise me. Was it on this blog that I heard that people had complained about he hanging body at the top of the stretching room, and that it might be removed? ARGH. “Faceless carved poles”, cripes. THEY RUIN EVERYTHING. I’m glad I saw it when I did.
Lou and Sue, let’s remove one of the most beloved original Walt Disney attractions ever, and replace it with something that I’m sure will be bland and boring.
Lou and Sue, ha ha, DrGoat, are you reading this???
@ MIKE-
"A friend told me a FROG is a railroad track switch term for the shaped moving piece of a RR track switch. He thought DEAD would imply it doesn’t (move) but here might mean it isn’t (powered) but suggested whoever helped develop these attraction ride systems had real Railroad experience or knowledge". From what I can glean, 'Alice' had both Bob Gurr and Roger Broggie as designers. And who knows how much input from Arrow Development, too.
Tokyo, POD PEOPLE!
Sue, I think that "red neck tie" might be part of a strap to keep a toddler from falling out of the stroller? But I like umbilical cord better!
Stu, " The Lightless Legume". Ha! It's a black hole!! Maybe that explains where the toddler went.
Sue again, I answer yes to both of your flashbulb questions.
Major, "mouse ears", hmm. It does have that satiny black look to it.
I also discovered that flash cube trick. I think I only ruined a couple of 'em though.
Sue, are you saying that little girls are "sugar and spice and everything nice"? And that only little boys are flash cube ruiners? You'd probably be correct.
Major, there are 5 of us kids, with 4 boys! (and no flash cubes... actually, we might still have 1 or 2 in the hall closet!)
@Mike Cozart, don't feel bad about those tire tracks. I'm sure the close work of modelmaking takes a toll. I think it's so cool that you have a business in modelmaking, especially now that 3D CAD has taken over architectural visualizations. I envy you a little, to be honest. I enjoyed doing models, but never did one after college, we always used consultants like yourself due to the specialized nature of the work. Nothing like a model to entice people into a design.
My close vision has suffered over years of squinting at drawings, but working with PDFs where I can zoom everything helps a lot. I still miss models.
JG
Post a Comment