Frontierland Views
It's time for more photos from The Mysterious Benefactor! Frontierland-style, as usual.
First up, we are aboard the Columbia, and gazing at a helmsman who clearly eats his spinach. Everyone knows that the wheels on those old sailing ships didn't really do anything, it just looked cool to spin it around and around while yelling, "Shiver me timbers!". You can just see that this fellow is wearing one of the familiar oval name tags, very similar to what cast members wear to this day.
Remember, most of the photos from the MB were taken for potential publicity purposes, so it isn't much of a surprise to see a POSTCARD WORTHY™ picture like the one below. The warm afternoon sunlight really adds a lot to this beautiful image. Notice that the guide in front is wearing his coonskin cap, while the fellow at the stern is cap-less.
Here's another grade-A photo, with those puffy white clouds that make me think that the shot could have been taken in February or March. Who knows!
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And lastly, yet another gorgeous view. You'd think that by now I'd be accustomed to the idea that this whole scene was carved out of orchards in Anaheim, but just look at it! If this picture doesn't make you want to be at Disneyland, nothing will.
A big THANK YOU to the Mysterious Benefactor!
16 comments:
Major-
These images are real beauties. And yes, the 'helmsman' does appear the perfect stand-in for Popeye - only absent his corncob pipe and twin anchor tattoos.
Definite thanks to the M. B., and a happy 2024 to all.
Yep, that helmsman does look like he is strong to the finich.
Thank you, Major and MB. And once again, happy New Year to all!
All I can think of when looking at this photo is "Arrrrrh!". Well, that and "I yam what I yam 'cuz I eats me spinachk!" (as you alluded to in your commentary). I wonder if this guy was ever a model for one of the PotC pirates? If not, he shoulda been.
I wonder what is being covered by that tarp and fishing net? This photo is equal parts funny and excellent!
Wow, postcard worthy is right! And for the reason you gave; the lighting! Beautiful saturated colors, shadows, and highlights. I'm keepin' this one!
The two guides are certainly... beefy. They must be college football players, like KS has told us about.
Oooh! This one is even more postcard worthy than the last one. Another keeper, for sure! Love those silhouetted foreground plants. Every speck of this photo is essential to its goodness; one of the best GDB photos we've seen!
Yep, another one added to my Disney Stuff folder. It's got it all! Foreground interest, with the barrels and the tree branches hanging down from above; beautiful sky; glassy water with nice reflections; and the rustic scene with the Mark Twain.
Yes, an extra big thank you to the Mysterious B for providing these photos! A very nice way to start the year; thanks, Major.
Actually that Federal period style sailor costume of the Columbia remained very similar in style until the PIRATIZATION of Frontierland and the Rivers of America when the Columbia costume became a bit more arm chair “pirate” it’s now a open collar shirt - sometimes with a open lace …and a open flair waist vest. The pants are a flared ankle length “pantaloon”. The cloth cap was long replaced with a cliche privateer hat that is optional for cast members to wear. The waist sash was used on the current costume at one point but seems to have been retired. The purpose of the waist sash on sailor uniforms was supposedly so they could tie themselves to parts of the ship in case of rough waters … but this might be a tall tale.
Happy New Year!
Never noticed the exhaust ducting at the stern of the Columbia before. It looks completely out of place (and out of period) here. I’m going to assume that it’s camouflaged today with crates or tarps or nets or great big piles of (hopefully fresh) fish.
”…this whole scene was carved out of orchards in Anaheim…” Amazing what a dedicated master carver can do with a quality piece of timber and his (or her) trusty pocketknife.
JB, the tarp and net cover the data display for the Columbia’s Combat Information Center (CIC). 18th century electronics were notoriously unreliable and could not withstand exposure to moisture, sunlight, air, or gravity.
Thanks again, MB and MP!
Major, these pics are why we never tire of Mark Twain and Columbia pics.
Extra fine shots today.
It’s a good thing Disneyland was carved out of orchards because carving it from soap would have been difficult.
Thank you and Happy New Year!
JG
Nanook, I can only assume that the photographer asked the helmsman to do something funny? Or else he secretly wanted to be a Jungle Cruise skipper.
TokyoMagic!, Happy New Year to all!
JB, I don’t know if any actual people were used as models for the pirates, but it would be interesting to know. Their features are pretty exaggerated, if you saw anyone who looked like that in real life you’d think they had acromegaly. The tarp and net are covering boxes of Zingers! There’s just something about really pretty photos of Disneyland, I still have a book from the early 1970s that is just full-page, beautiful color photos of the park, and I like to look at it every once in a while.
Mike Cozart, I’m sure that much of what we think of as the look of a “classic pirate” comes from Howard Pyle and N.C. Wyeth; both were brilliant painters who apparently did historical research, but I have no idea how accurate their depictions actually were.
Chuck, do you really think that those things are exhaust ducting? It seems like they could duct any exhaust down near the water, instead of up on the deck. Also, the park was not carved with just any knife, it was a Swiss Army Knife. It even has a little pair of tweezers! You make a good point about 18th century electronics, and should write a book about the subject, or maybe several large leather bound tomes!
JG, you should have seen my Liberty Bell, carved from a bar of Ivory soap. It was so beautiful!
I love seeing CMs really getting into the part.
Yes...Popeye is mugging for the camera, and this guy "in real life" looked nothing like this photo. I did not know him other than his locker was near mine, and as a ODV guy: I don't think we were allowed to talk to ride operators: much less West Side ones. As ODV was located behind America Sings in the "Garage" (the unofficial official name of the ODV HQ.) We had interactions with those on the East side mostly. The West side guys were their own thing. Not like the P-lot people, who were their own thing inside of their own thing...but in a different way. Now that I've straightened that all out, I concur that these photos have to be around 80-81-82..I have a picture of this employee in some employee magazine somewhere: in a Mark Twain costume, and honestly, I don't think anyone would recognize him from this photo at the helm. If memory serves me right in my interactions in the Frontierland break room: this guy was pretty quiet: unlike the Canoe guys or JC guys who were generally pretty extroverted. I'm pretty sure his name was Tom: and it looks like that's what his name tag is implying. The Canoe guys in the other pic are very typical of my time as well, with unlaced shirts to the waist and sleeves rolled up as high as possible. The rear steerer looks familiar: but all those guys generally looked like these guys. Very strangely, the first two ladies in the canoes I swear are Tour Guides: not on tour, but perhaps "getting in shape" for Canoe Races: they were both on the same team as I was. They don't look very engaged here: I'm thinking they should have practiced harder to get us to the finals!! No wonder we didn't make it! The last photo is postcard perfect. What a nice start to 2024. Happy New Year to all.
Happy New Year, Jr. Gorillas.
I hope Bluto doesn't get into a fight with our CM friend in the first picture. The Columbia will wind up as a pile of matchsticks.
Did anyone else catch sight of a World Showcase Omnibus in the Rose Bowl Parade today? It was on the RFD coverage, not sure they showed it on the network TV cpverage.
Melissa, if only the guy had scurvy!
Bu, interesting that you knew that CM (sort of), my impression was that many of these photos were taken in the 1970s, which was before your time, but of course there are some that are from later. Funny that ODV people and ride operators did not mix. I guess it’s just human nature to separate into cliques, but still. Parking lot people, you don’t want anything to do with them. They are deranged! So now I see that you are guessing that these are from the early 80s, which is of course very possible. This guy was quiet because he seen things. Things you can’t even imagine. He used to be happy-go-lucky! But no longer. Canoe guys, they might be even worse that parking lot people! (Joking of course). I’m amazed if you can actually recognize off-duty Tour Guides in that canoe, I guess those races were taken seriously enough that training was in order. You don’t want to be the weak link.
Dean Finder, Happy New Year to you! Bluto usually starts out OK, but then he loses steam, eventually flying through the air, perhaps to hit a wall, so that a picture frame with the Mona Lisa falls on his head, which tears through the “canvas”. I’m afraid I missed the Rose Parade entirely this year, but I’ll look up the World Showcase Ominbus!
Happy New Year! These pictures are gorgeous, and yes, I totally want to be there Right Now... but when the photos were taken. I guess I was on the naughty list, alas, cuz Santa failed to bring me a time machine.
I can vouch that the Canoe guys were quite the fraternity of which that type of camaraderie has been lost with both sexes now working it. But I don't think we were that high on ourselves. We just knew we had a good thing going working it. But so did the others who worked the rafts, keelboats, MT and Columbia. KS
BTW..I reached out into my Disney universe and found those who know, or knew, Tom the Popeye Man. KS
It's fun knowing about these folks in today's pictures - thanks, KS & Bu! And the costume details are 'icing on the cake' - thanks, Mike!
Great images, MB & MP - thank you!
BTW...that shot of Tom was taken from the stern of the Columbia, looking forward. Tom is standing in front of the control console...or should I say "binnacle". KS
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