More From Keith
It's time for more scans from Keith Schad - these are from the 1971 batch! As I've mentioned before, the photos were taken by Keith's father in-law Ed at the very end of '71.
We'll start with this classic look at the Mark Twain - familiar and postcard worthy. It looks like it was a beautiful day to be at the park.
Next is my favorite of today's trio, this wonderful view, possibly taken from a Peoplemover (?), looking down on the Autopia with its elaborately intertwining freeways and cheerful cars in yellow, blue and red. Way up at the top edge of the picture is what appears to be some sort of construction, but I have no idea what it would have been for.
And finally (for today), a swell look at Rainbow Ridge (the "home base" of the Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland). I strained my eyes to see if there were any guests on pack mules up on the ridge, but I don't see any.
THANK YOU, Keith!
20 comments:
It may be a familiar view, but it's still an excellent photo. The water looks especially nice here, with all the fine rippling. Must have been a breeze blowing that day. Was (is) there a Picture Spot located where Ed was standing? That would explain all the similar shots we've seen over the years. That, and just because it's such a photogenic scene.
At first I thought all the cars were red, yellow, and blue; like Major said. But there's one green car comin' round the corner, near the top behind the blue car. That construction looks like it's smack dab in the middle of the Sub Lagoon! We can see a bit of a red PeopleMover in the upper left corner.
New from Gerber, "Strained Eyes". They don't tell you what kind of eyes... then again, I don't suppose it matters. The town looks really faded out here. Is that just because of the camera setting, lighting, and Father Time taking its toll on the film?
Very nice photos. Thanks, Keith! And thank you, Major.
"But there's one green car comin' round the corner"
She'll be comin' 'round the corner when she comes,
She'll be comin' 'round the corner when she comes,
She'll be racin' to the finish
In a car as green as spinach,
She'll be comin' 'round the corner when she comes.
A lovely trio of pictures today; big thanks to Keith and Ed. That shot of Rainbow Ridge looks like a stage set, just waiting for the actors to make their entrance
My favorite of the day (because I know you are all waiting with baited breath) is...Number 2! Why? Because I love the way it looks like a huge slot car track.
Disneyland would eventually get a real huge slot car track (or at least California Adventure would), but it doesn't look as cool as this, IMHO.
You may now return to your day. Thank you.
A familiar Mark Twain shot, but a historic one sans Big Thunder. Who knew this giant forest would come up from the sandy soil just 16 years prior. Which asks the question: how much topsoil did they need to bring in so that all this plant life would live? Seems like a fact that Marty Sklar would recount in a book or two: "8 Zillion cubic feet of top soil was brought in from Fresno, delivered to the Anaheim train station for the building of Walt's Magic Kingdom..." Someone knows. I like the chain on the front of Mark Twain as depicted...the current railing is for sissies. For some relavance: 16 years ago, was 2007...seems like 5 minutes ago, and a memorable time before the "kaboom" of the economic world and the year Britney Spears shaved her head. I digress....I agree that the tiny town is a tiny washed out...I know it's not in real life. I'd rather have washed out than zany cartoon colors but I digress....there is a tiny outhouse up there on the hill. I"m wondering if it's a storage shed...or perhaps a rogue break room. These things happen: https://www.inverse.com/input/culture/mta-staff-built-a-secret-break-room-under-grand-central-terminal Autopia: well there it is. I can smell it through my computer screen: for real. It's a strong sense memory...and reminds me of popcorn and carefree summers. Thanks Keith for the memories!
It’s a popular spot for a photo of the soon-to-be Bayou Belle because it’s a beautiful view.
That formwork seems like it’s in the sub lagoon, but the waterfall is running. Must be the construction of the rogue break room.
Back then, I always wanted to live in Rainbow Ridge, now I’m not so sure.
Thanks Keith and Major!
JG
@ Melissa-
"That shot of Rainbow Ridge looks like a stage set, just waiting for the actors to make their entrance."
I certainly hope the actors are 'short in stature'-!
Thanks Keith.
JB, I would assume that visiting Disneyland on a winter day in late 1971 would find the park with low crowds and beautiful weather - I do like going to Disneyland in the winter! Except for the fact that the Haunted Mansion is not its usual self. There were definitely green cars, I saw one that had been converted to work with a modified golf cart chassis, it was pretty cool. I’m not sure about why Rainbow Ridge looks faded, though it seems appropriate for an Old West town that has seen years of intense sun.
Melissa, I prefer to say “spinach” the way Popeye says it - in other words, with a “k” added to the end.
Stu29573, there is at least one other photo from Keith’s batch where we get the advantage of an elevated scene, without all of the tree’s leaves in the way (because it was winter). California Adventure has a huge slot car track? Oh yeah, as I was writing that I remembered “Radiator Springs Racers”. Finally rode that last year, it’s pretty fun!
Bu, having collected vintage Disneyland photos for so long, most of my Frontierland pix are “sans Big Thunder”. Does Anaheim have sandy soil? It was mostly citrus and walnut orchards for years, which always made me assume that it had good soil. No idea, though! I wonder if they managed to get some topsoil that was being removed as nearby freeways were being built? Articles have said that they got some good mature trees that way. Rainbow Ridge does look washed out here, but I’ve seen old photos in which Pat Casey’s Last Chance Saloon looks like it is almost “Madonna Inn Pink”. Which always seemed weird. Photos lie, though. I vote “storage shed” for the “outhouse”, I’m sure it was a handy place for maintenance tools.
JG, “Bayou Belle”, barf-o-rama. It seems hard to believe that even today’s Imagineers would be so crass as to change the classic Mark Twain, and yet… I can’t say I’d be that surprised, ultimately. A break room in the lagoon, love it. How long can you hold your breath?? I never thought about living in Rainbow Ridge, but I did look at those upper stories on Main Street (and Adventureland) and think how much fun it would be to spend the night there.
Nanook, are you saying that you want Ewoks to be in Rainbow Ridge?
Major-
"are you saying that you want Ewoks to be in Rainbow Ridge?"
NO-! Only the Singer Midgets-!
RAINBOW RIDGE is a “ghost town with a lot of life left in it” ….. and is extremely well maintained and painted …. But by 1971 there’s already plans and concepts to gut the attraction and replace it…. In fact if will only exist for about another 5 years . I have a feeling by 1971 Disneyland has removed it from Any expensive paint rehabs.
Rainbow Ridge mining town like Disneyland’s 1890-1910 Main Street USA is a product of the 1950’s …. And despite its historical theme both are painted with very popular architectural ( mostly residential ) paint colors . The light tans, whites, pastel blues , mint greens , and yellow buffs were the colors of Southern California neighbors during the late 1940’s and into the 1960’s. Pink two was a popular color. Pink appears as saloon colors in several 1940’s and 1950’s Hollywood western musicals …. There are some historical examples of gaming halls and saloons in the bigger wealthier mining towns being painted wild colors …. But I think Pat Casey’s is more Hollywood Venacular than Historical 19th Century. However pink was a very popular color during this time especially for men’s waistcoats. Pink before WW 2 is often a men’s color and light blue was considered a female color.
Nanook, maybe a few of the Singer Midgets are also Ewoks.
Mike Cozart, up to a point, I don’t mind the little minin’ town of Rainbow Ridge looking a little sun-faded. I draw the line at peeling paint and rotten woodwork, not that Disney cares what I think. I also understand that Disneyland is not trying to replicate historical reality - many people have pointed out that it is a “movie version” of the West (or Main Street or New Orleans). Somehow it seems as if the folks who decided on the colors for the park (John Hench and others?) were much more tasteful and subtle in their approach. I just saw a video of progress on Tiana’s Palace, and surprise surprise, it’s a saturated yellow ochre. They must have gotten a deal on that color, it’s all over Disneyland. No attempt at making the place look like it’s been there for 100 years. I’d imagine that men who wore pink waistcoats back in the old days were “dandys”!
Major, my sister and I used to try to crack each other up by singing songs from The Phantom of the Opera in a Popeye accent.
Melissa : my friend Cheri would bust us up doing popular tv show themes as a hen or chicken ….
Major : since New Orleans Square no longer represents the 1840s -1850’s during its height /heyday -now represents New Orleans of the 1920’s ….. much of this area would be very run down … but Tiana’s has been opened in a warehouse district and is now brand spanking new …. As in the film she had completely renovated the building into a popular high end jazz club restaurant….
Also a common trick to hide a bad design is to detract with over saturated colors ….often the use of heavy saturated colors IS bad design …
Now I'm hearing the Gilligan's Island theme as performed by a clucking chicken.
Major-
"...maybe a few of the Singer Midgets are also Ewoks".
No sir: Ewoks = 2oth-Century Fox. Singer Midgets = MGM.
That construction...for whatever reason is the entrance to the Submarine building. I think they had to bulk up the structure to support the vegetation above the building during an extensive rehab. KS
"Now I'm hearing the Gilligan's Island theme as performed by a clucking chicken."
Just sit right bok and you'll hear a tale ..
The Annapolis song "Navy Blue and Gold" can be sung to the tune of the Gilligan's Island theme. But don't do sing it like that to an actual USNA grad :-)
Pretty reflections in the water, in Image #1.
#2 looks like a couple different vintage LA freeway postcards I've seen. But the cars are cooler in today's picture.
#3 is a nice shot of Rainbow Ridge.
Boy, JB, you have eagle eyes. I would have never seen that green car, if you hadn't mentioned it. So it wasn't drive-your-primary-color car to work day, after all.
Major, the Tiana's Palace images, that I've seen, make it look like something that belongs in Toon Town. I hope it doesn't end up looking that bad, in real life. One could only wish.
"The Annapolis song "Navy Blue and Gold" can be sung to the tune of the Gilligan's Island theme."
Dean....in chicken-cluck.
Keith and Major, thank you for more fun photos!
Love these.
When I was growing up, non-brick buildings on Air Force bases were light tans, whites, pastel blues, mint greens, yellow buffs, light pinks, and occasionally light gray. The colors were considered easy on the eye and psychologically soothing. Plus, as Mike notes, they were popular house colors and easily obtainable at a reasonable price. Buildings started being painted shades of tan and light brown in the mid-to-late '80s. The last remnant pale pastel Air Force building I ever saw was a dilapidated, condemned structure on Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base south of Columbus, OH, in 1993.
Thanks, Keith!
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