In Memorium

 I was saddened to learn that our friend Irene passed away on September 29th (thanks to Sue B. for letting me know). While this was not unexpected, losing someone so dear to us is never easy. My heart goes out Irene's family, and I wish them peace and comfort during this difficult time.

I met Irene in person only once, when she kindly contacted me about some Disneyland photos that had been taken by her beloved brother Bruce (some were by his friend James as well). Bruce was being moved into a care facility, and Irene was trying to deal with his belongings, and she decided that I might be a worthy recipient for the photos. So we came up with a meeting place in the Valley, and there she was, in a bright red Mickey sweatshirt! This was in January of 2016.

Imagine my surprise when Irene showed me four LARGE, very full binders of photo prints, as well as other items in boxes. I'd expected maybe a small shoebox. What an amazing gift! I am honored that she chose me as the custodian of these photos, and I know that she was thrilled that the Junior Gorillas were going to see them. She said that she didn't think that most of them would be worth sharing, but so far I've posted over 200 of them. Here is a selection of some of my favorites.

First up is this picture of Fess Parker signing autographs at Disneyland's 40th Anniversary celebration. It's so  cool to see this legend at the park, since he'd been there for Press Preview on July 17, 1955.

Many of the pictures in the binders are from the 1990s, which is actually kind of cool, since I have very few other examples from this era. And, being up to 30-ish years old, they qualify as "history". This shot shows a banner above Main Street for a show in the Fantasyland Theater, "The Spirit of Pocahontas", which debuted in 1995.

Over at the Big Thunder Ranch you'd find the Big Thunder BBQ, which originally opened in 1986 (closing in 1996, and then reopening in 2004 thru 2016). Based on all the other photos in these binders, I'd assume that this nice image is from closer to 1996. It looks like a very pleasant place to relax.

There were a number of images from the Disneyland Hotel, but one of my favorites is this shot of a temporary ice skating rink, with a mini-Zamboni (Zambonette?) dressing the surface for skaters. Sunshine, yucca plants, and ice skating!

Here's an interesting photo taken from the old parking lot, looking toward the giant show building that holds the Indiana Jones Adventure? It's not exactly "go-away green", but hey, it's trying. It appears that there is some sort of stone texture being applied in strips (why?). This is probably from around 1995.

Keeping with the Indy theme, here's a look at the entrance to the queue, obviously from before the attraction had debuted. But it looks almost ready. The top of that temple through the jungle is very intriguing. I wonder if there are any fearsome idols in there? I'd love to look 'em right in the eye and give 'em what fer.

There is a series of neat panorama photo prints which generally were of a better quality than the other prints. I guess those disposable cameras had better lenses? Anyway, it's neat to get a good look at the "Tropical Imports" souvenir stand, right next to the Jungle Cruise. "Give me all of your finest rubber snakes, my good man". 

Here's another undated photo (they are all undated)  from the old parking lot looking toward Main Street Station. Memories....! Besides seeing the old Mark V Monorail passing, you can see the ticket booths, and if you look really closely, the Disneyland RR, full of passengers.

On November 18th, 1993, the "Partners" statue was unveiled at Disneyland, and Walt's nephew Roy E. Disney was there for the dedication ceremonies. It's pretty cool to have this great photo of Roy with Mickey and the statue of his uncle.

There was a whole series of photos from around the Plaza, featuring some scenes inspired by Walt's 1937 masterpiece, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". I've never been able to determine what exactly was going on in these photos, but assume that the scenes were there to coincide with the VHS and LaserDisc release of the movie on October 28, 1994.

There was another series of photos showing various Tomorrowland ride vehicles on display; An Astro Orbiter rocket, an old Autopia car, a Peoplemover car, a Skyway gondola, and... this Rocket Rods vehicle. The Rocket Rods are infamous for replacing the beloved Peoplemover, not to mention for breaking down often, causing great wear and tear on a track that wasn't designed for a ride of that style, and for being very short-lived (from May of 1998 through September 25, 2001).

And finally, the Dream Team had a wonderful series of photos from what I believe was around 1977 (perhaps a year or two later); see PART 1, PART 2, PART 3, and PART 4. And as fun as the actual parade was, my favorite of the bunch is this picture taken after the merriment, when the crowds swarmed onto Main Street.

Back in May, when Knott's Berry Farm's "Ghost Town Alive" event was underway, Irene briefly showed up in a YouTube video! You'll see her as "Miss Amethyst" at 14:41. Irene LOVED Knott's (and especially the "Ghost Town Alive" event), and it's sweet to see her so happy.

I should mention that there are at least 50 photos from Irene that have not yet been shared on GDB, so look for those in the months to come.

Farewell to our dear Irene, rest in peace.