Beautiful Town Square, 1956
Today I have two very nice photos of Town Square from 1956 (you'll see why I landed on that date in a minute). They remind me of the 1955 Town Square scans that I shared last August, though there are obvious differences of course.
There it is, looking vibrant and impeccably tidy, and just plain great. The crowds are just right, not too busy, but there are enough people to give the place life. The Horse Drawn Streetcar is a popular draw!
The Kern County Bankamerica Club gets a special welcome. Note the sailor taking a photo looking up Main Street, and the twin girls at the drinking fountain (before the "marble pillar"-style fountains were added).
At first I assumed that the photographer pivoted to the right for this next view, but the shadows show that it was later in the day. The Wurlitzer building looks great in its green and yellow paint scheme. Next door to it (behind a tree) is the Maxwell House restaurant.
Zooming in, we can just see the sign for Liberty Street, now slated for a Grand Opening in 1957 (pushed back from the original 1956 date). It's sort of fun to see the Moonliner poking up to the left, and we can see a little bit of the kinetic-sculptured Skyway tower. The red brick building is where guests could rent strollers and wheelchairs.
It's kind of fun to observe the guests, including kids with mouse ears and Keppy Kaps. That man near the center is carrying three boxes, but I have no idea what was in them. THREE banana cream pies? We can also see the plaque at the base of the flagpole with Walt's opening day dedication.
And one final oddball closeup, with a woman carrying her iPad on a lanyard. I mostly enjoyed the scrunched-up expression of the little girl (who is very itchy).
16 comments:
Major-
I think today's fashion award goes to the young gent towards the far left edge of the 1st image, with his upturned cuffs, revealing a patterned lining [perhaps] flannel. As for those boxes, it's not too late to buy a pair (or three) of Blue Bird Shoes. It's The official Disneyland children's shoe, after all-! (Probably not with that logo, tho).
Thanks, Major.
1) This photo reminds me of a turn-of-the-century Grandma Moses painting. Which would also make an excellent jigsaw puzzle; something about the soft diffused lighting.
1a) There's a story going on in the bottom right corner of this close-up: Two empty strollers; where are the rugrats? Oh, there they are sitting in the grass behind the bench. Both moms are watching them play.
2) Where was the photographer in this photo? Somewhere up high; maybe the Omnibus? I don't think so because people would be looking at the Bus if it was this close to them, right? Nobody's looking our way; it's like we're invisible!
And of course, the Moonliner steals the show.
2a) Yes, it's fun to see the Moonliner, but very striking as well! It looks like a scene from Ray Bradbury's "The Martian Chronicles", where the Earth astronauts land on Mars and find quaint old farmhouses and a town very much like Main Street.... it doesn't end well.
2b) In addition to all the things you pointed out, there's that dad and his son, both carrying identical shopping bags. Except, Junior's bag is larger than Dad's. To the left of the guy with the three banana cream pies, is TM!'s great grandmother smuggling her fried chicken into the Park in that huge shopping bag.
2c) Ha! At first I thought that "iPad" was a piece of black paper on the ground. But no! She's actually carrying it! We can see it in the shadow. It looks like itchy-girl's sister has already conked out for the day and is being carried by Dad.
Nanook, flannel-cuffed kid is also carrying a pennant of some sort. Probably a "Disneyland" flag, but the colors don't seem right?
Nice views, and close-ups, of Main Street, Major. Thanks.
These really are nice! Great color and lots of good people watching. I love all the pretty summer dresses, especially the lady with her full skirt hanging out of the streetcar in number one, the one in blue and white horizontal stripes in number two, and the little girl in red shoes and mouse ears in number 3.
It looks like that sign is actually for International Street. All of those various plans for that land back there behind Main Street, and nothing ever got built with the exception of a Main Street "bypass" walkway. Maybe we can count Space Mountain as sitting on part of the land originally slated for Liberty Street, International Street, and Edison Square. I forget, were "China Town" and "Hollywoodland" also planned to be built back there?
JB, yes....that is the size of the bag my great-grandmother carried, containing her home-cooked fried chicken and other accoutrements.
I think those boxes contained boysenberry pies. Disney was attempting very early on, to steal Cordelia's thunder.
The first photo brought back my first visit; exciting even before boarding a ride; you knew you had arrived at a very special place.
And Mabel Normand is slapsticking with Charlie Chaplin or Fatty Arbuckle at the Main Street Cinema.
Plus Walt himself may be mingling with guests today, getting positive and negative feedback, then actually working to improve on the latter. Can't see many corporate CEOs doing that today.
Why is it called Town Square if it's shaped like a triangle?
Things that make you go "Hmmmm..."
Nanook, ha ha, I kind of love that old-fashioned flannel-lined cuff look! I can’t think of Blue Bird Shoes without also thinking of a rare Disneyland paper item that I have never managed to acquire. SOMEDAY!
JB, wow, it’s been a while since I’ve heard a reference to Grandma Moses! You win an award, I just can’t decide which one. I have a few extra Academy Awards laying around, you can have one of those. I’m wondering if the little girls at the drinking fountain are the kids who would be in the strollers? For both photos, the photographer was on the steps of the train station. Did you know that “The Martian Chronicles” was originally going to be called “The Oxnard Chronicles”? Man, I wish MY grandma smuggled three large boxes of fried chicken into Disneyland. Is there anything better than fried chicken? On my recent trip to the park, I saw plenty of zonked-out kids, there was nothing left in the tank, they were out of gas. It does look like the flannel kid is carrying a pennant, and there were many varieties, but that one rings no bells.
Melissa, yeah, these are definitely “people-watching” pictures - it’s at least 70% of the fun (according to 4 out of 5 dentists)!
TokyoMagic!, you’re right, I must have been drunk again. You know me. It does say “International Street”. I had heard that there was some sort of China Town concept (artwork even made it into one of the souvenir guidebooks), but I did not know about “Hollywoodland”. Would I have been able to meet an E.J. Peaker walk-around character? “Accoutrements”? I believe you mean “fixin’s”!! “Cordelia’s Thunder” was a drink sold briefly at KBF, made of fermented boysenberries and shoe polish.
Stefano, I’m sure that many folks would not think these photos are particularly interesting, but to me, they represent so much of what I love about “vintage Disneyland”! It is fascinating to think about the idea that Walt might be just strolling around the park on any given day back then.
Steve DeGaetano, the Illuminati insisted that Town Square be shaped like a triangle. Be sure to read my self-published book all about it!
Wow, photo 1 has something I have never seen before!
Not only do we see no less than seven trash cans, for the first time we see the green & yellow “fancy cans” interspersed with the plain green cans. And this is, for me at least, the earliest definitely dated appearance of the Main Street fancy cans. At least I don’t recall seeing any appearing definitely before 1957.
I think Keith’s early photos showed some Frontierland and fantasyland fancy cans in 1957 (?).
And I think we may have spotted some MS fancy cans in early pics of the front of the Opera House but (I think) those pics were not certainly dated.
A momentous day for trash can geeks, Thank You Major!
I see the equine sketch artists are out today, drawing streetcars. I love these pics.
JG
JG, I appreciate your deep knowledge of Disneyland trashcans! I thought we’d seen the “fancy” cans before 1957, but I am usually wrong, and I sure can’t point to a specific photo. Sadly. I’m glad you liked these!
The first image with the Bank of America banner is great, but there's a lot going on in that second photo! While I'm sure it was always visible, the Moonliner definitely stands out from Main Street in this photo, along with the signage for the Skyway. Plus, as noted, it's a great early look at the stroller rental location.
Major, yeah, I thought of the train station for the photog's position, right after I hit the "publish" button. Oh well.
A day without an Oxnard joke is like a day without California sunshine. Although right now, California is awash in liquid sunshine.
Those KEPPY KAPS sure must have been popular . A friend of mine started collecting them and it’s amazing at how many variations she comes across ( Disneyland ) but them seem like they were terribly uncomfortable and “clunky” to wear because of their top weight . Oh well nobody ever said fads or fashions were sensible!
Besides International Street , Liberty Street , China Town , Edison Square , Gay 90’s Square ( sans GE) there were plans for CHERRY TREE LANE ( marry Poppins ) , LIBERTY SQUARE 1972, LIBERTY SQUARE 1985 , LIBERTY SQUARE 1991, and two early concepts for TOONTOWN , and HOLLYWOODLAND …. However the different with that proposal is that its main entry was behind the opera house and it jutted south into the parking lot. Kinda like the opposite of Main Street USA . It was going to feature a street car line , and the space for a CHINESE THEATER that was a facade for a circle vision film called LETS GO THRU THE MOVIES and later HOLLYWOOD- HURRAY!! ( or something like that ) it was felt GREAT MOVIE RIDE was too big - the film would be enhanced with audio animatronics ..kinds like VISIONARIUM . Tower of terror had a future space as well as a giant outdoor theater ( to clear the removal of the current fantasyland theater) and the SCI FI DINER.
When the “soaring” attraction was first developed it was studied to see possible locations it could be inserted into and also between Main Street and Tomorrowland was HOLLYWOOD HEIGHTS . A small Theme land set in a posh 1930’s theater district . Thus would also be a second entrance into TOMORROWLAND.. today it’s known as “NEVER GONNA HAPPEN LAND”
^ Seems like "Nevergonnahappenland" can now be found throughout the Park, in one way or another.
^ Yep, along with "Nevergonnahappenagainland." *sigh*
Great images, today, Major. Thank you.
Don't knock flannel-lined jeans (though I think you can call them "dungarees" in that case). I have a pair I wear while shoveling snow - highly recommended in places with real winters.
Would I have been able to meet an E.J. Peaker walk-around character?
Major, that is genius! I don't know why someone hasn't thought of that before. They should have such a character riding on the Mark Twain all day long. And singing.
Post a Comment