Two Nice Views From 1960
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, which sort of makes Wednesday an unofficial Friday. So I thought I'd look for a pair of nicer scans to start your holiday vacation off on a good note. Both of these are date-stamped "April, 1960".
This first one is a great view of the Monsanto House of the Future. Almost "Postcard Worthy", though perhaps it falls a little short of that impossible benchmark. I like the mother and daughter in the foreground, gazing at the all-plastic home and wondering what their lives will be like in the future, with flying cars and silver lamé jumpsuits and such.
On the opposite side of the Plaza, the same mother and daughter pose for a portrait while seated on the curb at the entrance to Adventureland, with the stockade entrance to Frontierland behind them. That gnarled tree to the right looks like it is about 1,000 years old.
I'm going to be out of town for a few days, but will check in when I can. I'm terrible about responding to comments on my phone, but look forward to reading what everyone has to say!
7 comments:
Major-
These 'vintage' images put me right in the mood for Thanksgiving. (I applaud Mom's 'sensible shoes'-!)
Thanks, Major.
This is sort of a rare view of the HotF. In most photos, we see only two nodules of the house. But here we see three.
Hey! Who stole the Matterhorn?!?! Shouldn't we be seeing a piece of it? I guess I'm turned around (again). It must be off to the left... or right... or behind us.
In the 2nd image, is that a light fixture amongst the flowers to the right of the mom & daughter? It's painted a not-very-go-away-green. Maybe this tree is a lot older than 1,000 years... Maybe Walt bought two petrified trees for his wife?! ;-)
Enjoy the holiday, Major. And thanks for the photos.
Oooh, there is a line to go inside the House of the Future!
JB, the Matterhorn would be to our extreme left. And kidney stone kid's tree would be just a little bit to the right of that wall:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJV-pBwJh-6xzFJedqSqTdR1tOt37Hqk42tYORMyGTZRjfQNp7TuxcEYueQEHk6b3R3POvQvjoliNQWqiocZZGEalUbNJEIDQjyiiIMM7apiIdJC9xzQYCMfz_7GRnQzJSrMsldpoTplV-qIL-x3Q_UxBcbmCHcq4pTu0wvJA0vx1PNwQcaQ/s1224/12-1965-_KidsA.jpg
If that lady's pants were a little more "blouse-y", I think we could call them hostess pants. I just bet she's thinking "I'd look better wearing a toaster, than I would these checkerboard britches."
She is checking the garden for Weeds of the Future.
And just a few steps and 100 years away, Frontier Weeds. Just kidding, the Disneyland flower beds are immaculate.
I think that light is another flavor by Stonco, Purveyors of Fine Lighting to Better Theme Parks Everywhere.
Seeing scenes like these, I am always amazed at the detail, design effort and forethought in the design of the original Park. We chuckle over things like that tree, but there is lighting, irrigation, audio, maybe gas for torches, all sorts of stuff to coordinate and keep out the way of that tree. Anyone who has ever managed a construction project will quail at the complexity of this place, and be amazed at how much they got right the first try, first time ever, and how quickly it was done.
Thanks Major, have a good time off. We appreciate the pictures.
JG
@ JG-
I couldn't decide if that was a Stonco fixture or [perhaps] a Hubbell. (Maybe it's a Kim Lighting EL220). Was that model available back then-?; I think so...
A most interesting perspective with the HOF. And note the line of folks ready to see just what the future looked like in 1960. It was a marvel of how we would all live. And the excitement was palpable. Tho the reality took longer than I expected, overall, we have more convenience now than what was even imaginable then. I remember walking through it around that time in childhood amazement. Happy Thanksgiving to all. KS
Thanks to you Major.
I’m glad Ginny’s Aunt Gloria is enjoying her visit.
Hey Walt, how about some benches?
MS
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