Two Leftuggies
You saw the title of today's post: it's LEFTUGGIE TIME!
We'll start with this view from August, 1959. Our photographer seems to have been on the river - perhaps on a Keelboat? The vantage point is pretty low to the water... I guess we'll never know for sure. I rejected this picture due to the odd light leak blotches in the sky, but decided that, while noticeable, they were not a fatal flaw.
Let's zoom in for a better look at the Huck Finn raft that is heading from Tom Sawyer Island back to the mainland, where a crowd awaits their turn for the trip back. Of course we also get a pretty nice look at the old Plantation House, owned by chickens.
Next, a slide dated "August 1958", taken (I presume) from the Fantasyland Skyway Chalet looking eastward (or south-eastward, to be more accurate) along the cable, which seems to be particularly packed with gondolas. It's sort of a neat perspective, I'm not really sure why I skipped this one years ago.
9 comments:
Major-
Hey... who needs a Matterhorn-! Those Skyway gondolas move just fine without a cooldown moment passing thru a mountain.
Thanks, Major.
The light leaks are barely noticeable, Major. If you hadn't said anything I don't think I would have seen them. But now that you've brought it to our attention, we know we're getting damaged goods. I demand a discount! Say, 20% off the regular price.... Um, what is 20% of zero, anyway?
Be that as it may... Oooooh! I think there's a train hiding behind the trees in the first shot. It's yeller.
And there's at least one AED prowling in the vicinity, but I'm not going to mention it lest it become aware of us.
That's a nice colorful picture of Fantasyland. I guess the long line of Skyway buckets is meant to be the focus of our attention since everything else is sort of half in, and half out of frame: We have a nice view of the upper halves of guests bodies, a chunk of the pristine candy-striped Skyway tower, and half of he Pirate Ship. Which is in full sail. It must be getting ready for its departure to Neverland.
Fine examples of Leftuggies today, Major. Thanks.
I think that first photo was probably taken from the Fishing Pier on TSI. I love the natural banks of the river and the dirt path that led down to the raft landing.
Good eye on the train, JB. In addition to the 100-series passenger cars, I believe we are also getting a glimpse of #3 locomotive Ernest. S. Marsh, which entered service at Disneyland in June of 1959. The train must be in motion since the locomotive is past the water tower. Note that the Frontierland restrooms (the structure that most of us know as the Frontierland & New Orleans Square depot freight house after it was moved across the tracks in 1962) is not visible from this angle, primarily because it hadn't been built yet.
Speaking of things that hadn't been built yet, you can see the concrete sides of the pirate ship's swimming pool in the second photo. There is literally nothing between that bench and the water. I wonder how many people went wading before JG's Rocks were installed?
Thanks again, Major!
Something that perplexes me is that while guests could dine on the upper River facing veranda of the Chicken Plantation, you never seem to see photographs taken FROM that location looking at the river or other elevated views of Frontierland….. maybe everyone’s hands we’re greasy from fried chicken!!
Today's pics are a study in contrasts. Both shots are very nice, but if you had never been to Disneyland before (and had been living under a large moss covered rock somewhere) you might be forgiven for not thinking these are from the same place. I love both of them! Thanks, Major!
Oldies, but Uggies, Amirite?
Major, these are just fine, and as JB points out, do not disappoint at the price point. Thank you!
I don’t recall those pilings out in the river, were those a navigation aid like the (presumably later) floating cask? Were the canoes operating then?
I very much like the enfilade view of the Skyway, imagining the Mountain that is to come. Since the date is August 1958, the Mountain installers must have worked at an inspired pace to get it piled up for opening in 1959. Imagine the heap of rock stockpiled just out of frame.
The lady in pink in the lower right edge looks like my Mom might have looked at that time, undoubtedly waiting for Dad to come back with cold drinks. The picture lady might be holding a stroller handle…
JG
Nanook, I never thought of passing through the Matterhorn as a cooldown moment, but I like the idea! I’m such a hothead, after all.
JB, I did do a little Photoshoppin’ to try to mitigate the orange streaks that were leaking in trom the top of the image, so I’m glad that it helped to make the light leaks less noticeable. Looking at the Skyway photo, I am only just now wondering how they manage to space the gondolas out so evenly, and how do they “clamp” them to the cable? Somebody out there knows!
Chuck, I thought the fishing pier was more to the east (on TSI), but I’m frequently wrong, so let’s go with “fishing pier”! You must have supervision, because I can hardly see the locomotive, much less ID it. I guess you mostly used logic, like Mr. Spock. You and your green blood! It really IS pretty crazy that there was nothing between the guests and that shallow pool where the Pirate Ship rested - as you said, it looks like it would have been easy for folks to accidentally go for a swim. Hopefully no strollers rolled in!
Mike Cozart, it’s true, I have never seen a single photo (that I know of) that was taken from that upper level of the Chicken Plantation. Photo #2 is one of many examples that I have taken from the Skyway’s staircase, presumably taken because of the elevated vantage point. The Plantation House’s second level would have been even higher! I don’t get it.
Stu29573, I’m glad you liked these, and you make a good point; when you look at the two of these pictures, they do look like completely different places. A tribute to the Imagineers!
JG, we’ve seen those pilings in the river many times, but they are easy to ignore. I’ve never known if they served an actual function or if they were just a bit of set dressing. I do know that there are parts of the river that are deeper, could those pilings (or the floating cask) indicate where those areas are? The construction of the Matterhorn, the Sub Lagoon, and the Monorail, all in less than a year, is truly a wonder. Seeing the way the lady in pink (and everyone else) seems to be huddled in what little shade they can find, it must have been a very warm August day in photo #2.
Just noticed a major typo in my post. The Ernest S. Marsh is locomotive #4. I blame those crazy beatniks for my mistake.
It was the size and color of the tender that gave the locomotive away.
And yes, Major, I do have supervision. It’s called “Mrs. Chuck.” That’s why my socks match.
That skyway picture looks like one that would have text added over the right side in a guidebook or advertisement.
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