Nice Randos
Oh boy, randos! Some of my favorite images are randos. Like the box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get.
Rando #1: OK, OK, it's not the prettiest picture you've ever seen, but there's piles of dirt, and that should be good enough for anybody. Without a more precise date, it's hard to make a guess as to what's going on. Was the old "swimming pool" Pirate Ship lagoon about to be converted into the beautiful tropical lagoon with the addition of Skull Rock? I don't think so, it just feels a bit too early to me. I'm wondering about that (temporary?) wooden wall toward the bottom of the frame, though. And what's with the scaffolding near the ship? I wonder if they were painting the Chicken of the Sea bas-relief, transforming it from browns to the more familiar polychrome look?
Rando #2: Another from sometime in the 50s; our photographer was standing in Town Square; perhaps the beautiful C.K. Holliday caught his eye. No wonder! The kid to the left is carrying something - maybe it's a souvenir guidebook (I think it's in a shopping bag, so we'll never know). It's nice to see a Horseless Carriage and a Surrey.
Zooming in a bit, we get a better look at some of the guests, as well as the C.K. Holliday, and the souvenir booth. It's not very distinct, but I definitely can see piles of hats, and what might be postcards, as well as some classic felt pennants.
I hope you have enjoyed today's randos!
14 comments:
Major-
That scaffolding is for the installation of the high diving board at the lagoon-!
Thanks, Major.
Since some of the former swimming pool is visible, I'd say they are checking the PH and making sure that it's safe for Tuna, and also Marlin for the 'Sportsman'...
I have no idea what's going on in the first pic. But it's a construction photo, and that makes it rare and desirable. I suppose the Casey Jr. train was intended to be the focal point... but not to us!
#2 & close-up) What is that yellow thing in between the Dumbo poster and the Tom Sawyer Island poster? It looks sort of like a Skyway bucket, but the Skyway poster doesn't look dark like that, does it? Not even sure it IS a poster!
I agree, Major. Some of the best, most interesting photos we've seen on GDB have been randos. Thanks.
Nanook, ha, ha! That scaffolding actually does look like one of those multilevel high diving towers! "Diving Doggies" at Disneyland, anyone? Oh, wait. It was Knott's that had the "Diving Doggies" and "Dancing Dolphins" shows. Those poor animals.
While I would normally comment on the beautiful C.K. Holliday in the last two pics, I think it's more interesting to point out the electric streetlamps in Town Square. The rest of Main Street, of course, features gas lamps. But if you're a prosperous mid-western town in the 1890s, and you're starting to electrify, wouldn't you begin such a project near the civic center?
Sublime details.
I think the first photo was taken during the Skull Rock project. Compare with this photo. Now compare that with this photo from July 0f 1955, showing scaffolding up as they completed the ship but a finished shoreline and water in the pool.
JB, that yellow thing is the poster for Space Station X-1/Satellite View of America.
I hope you're having fun at Sea World, Major! Going to a different park is nothing to be a-Shamu-ed of.
The inexpensive wooden retaining wall at the Casey Jr. track is quite a discovery. A raw unfinished look more in keeping with Frontierland. Clearly many layers of improvement over time. I know this attraction took some time to “jell” after opening, but now it’s one of my favorites. I think Chuck has it figured out.
Photo 2 is just prime Disneyland. I can hear the announcer voice and the bell. Was that soundtrack used this early? I would tentatively date this photo to “1957 or earlier” based on the plain green trash can. I know we are uncertain exactly when the fancy cans came on the scene, but I don’t think any plain ones survived much past 1957. The green, red and yellow fancy cans did seem to begin outside the gate at the Ticket Plaza and extend up Main street to the Hub.
Thanks Major, have fun wherever you are!
JG
Oh, and in photos 2 & 3, what is that “box” on the ground by the planter? Is that a block of stone? If so, why? Is this to tie horses? Or to put your foot up while buttoning your high-button boots?
JG
I’ve got it. Zooming way in I can just make out one of the very plain original drinking fountains, the ones that are just a pipe attached to a post. The basin is white-on-white against the souvenir stand panel and hard to make out. The block is a “booster step” for kids to reach the faucet.
JG
Also--the C.K. Holliday doesn't have its cab roof ventilation hatch installed yet. I might be able to narrow the date down based on that...
Following up: I saw a photo of the Holliday still without a hatch on Daveland dated 1959, so this photo is somewhere in that range.
Oh Major...you really tickled my memory from why-back-when. You mentioned the felt Disneyland pendants. And darn if I didn't have one of those scotched-taped to my bedroom door for oh-so-many years. I so wish I had it today. Knowing it is a "classic", I suppose I should consider myself one too! Now I am going to see if I can find one one the Internet just to see how much they are. Hope you are having fun. KS
Chuck, thanks for the Space Station X-1 link. I don't remember seeing that one before. Although I must have, when I went back and started reading Major's blog from the beginning.
JG, the stone block is a fossilized bag of C&H sugar.
JB, YES!
JG
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