Two Beauties From September, 1964
Happy Friday everybody! I have a pair of beauties for you as a way to kick-start your weekend - get it going on a positive note. You're welcome.
Let's start right out front, a small child is all alone, probably smoking a cigarette. Don't worry, it's only a little cigarette! She is drawn to those posters, which demonstrates the power of good graphics. I covet that Flying Saucer poster so much, it's not even funny. Well, it might be a little funny. In front of Main Street Station is the venerable E.P. Ripley. Sure, it was only built nine years earlier, but it was still venerable. And don't those yellow passenger cars look great? Who cares if you couldn't see out of those tiny windows very well? It looks like it was a beautiful September afternoon (nearly four o'clock, if you can believe the chronometer on the station).
Next is an exciting view of Tomorrowland as our Skyway gondola is launched into the pristine Anaheim sky. The guy right in the center of the picture is all by himself because he spits a lot when he talks. Sort of like Sylvester the cat. The red three-car Monorail ("Li'l Stubby") charms us as it zooms by in the distance. Let's take a closer look at what's going on below, shall we?
A sailor appears to be with his Best Gal. He is relieved that he was tall enough to ride the Submarine Voyage (that's what those two arched metal dealies helped ascertain). Screechy the Eagle ignores us, but he's always grouchy. I love the wonderful mid-century vibe of 1960s Tomorrowland!
13 comments:
Major-
WOW... look at that clean concrete wall beneath the attraction posters - there's nary a rust stain in sight-!
"The guy right in the center of the picture is all by himself because he spits a lot when he talks". A friend of my grandparents - Eddie Schmidt (we don't have to make thhis stuff up...) had an issue with his mouth/teeth/something, that caused him to generate a ton of saliva, and he needed a handkerchief at the ready to prevent him from assailing nearby folks with "a spray", as it were. No fun for him - but an awfully nice [and funny] guy-!
"He is relieved that he was tall enough to ride the Submarine Voyage (that's what those two arched metal dealies helped ascertain)". Do you not mean The Senior Autopia-? And as for his 'gal pal', her hairdo height permitted her to 'cheat', thus allowing her to pilot her own Autopia vehicle-!
Thanks, Major.
Hello, sailor! I can't tell if the guy in Skyway bucket #12 is also wearing some kind of military uniform, or if he's just got his own sense of style going on. Looking at the two little girls with long ponytails, it looks like the taller one is about to pull the ponytail of the shorter one.
From just the right angle, the triangular yellow signs kind of look like cheesehead hats.
Little miss cigarette smoker's shirt is open in the back; which seems odd. Was that a thing back then? I'm pretty sure she couldn't unfasten it herself.
Yep, there's a mighty sailin' man in the middle of the crowd. Not sure if there's a skipper around, but we know that he would be brave and sure. Screechy looks kinda small here, maybe it's because of its apparent closeness to the Skyway bucket. I just noticed that Screechy is flying toward the Matterhorn. I'm sure that's where its nest is. There are a lot of our favorite things in this photo!
Nice sunny pictures, Major. Thanks.
Major: look carefully : that’s a 4-car red MARK 2 Monorail…..
The 3-car red Monorail was actually nicknamed “POKEY” - not because it was slow …. But because several monorail pilots had eyes gouged out in accidents ….
This early 60’s Tomorrowland was pretty nice … but 1967 is going to kick theming up LIGHTYEARS AHEAD!
JB, yeah, there was a fashion for toddlers' shirts that were basically aprons. I have a vintage sewing pattern for one somewhere. They were usually worn with matching shorts or little bloomers
The guy in Bucket 12 is not in uniform. No branch of the military authorizes (or authorized) sleeves rolled up in that fashion, at least in public.
Note the woman in the second Skyway bucket on the Tomorrowland-bound side of the cable is also looking intently into Tomorrowland. Seeing her posture, I can’t help but hear Leonardo DiCaprio yelling “I’m king of the world!” Yes, I am seeking help for this condition.
The sailor is wearing the Summer White Service uniform (which may have been known as the “Tropical White Long” at this period in time). It consists of a white shirt and white pants. The “Dixie cup” hat indicates he is a junior enlisted sailor, which is why no rank is visible since it is only worn on the left sleeve for those ranks.
Thanks, Major!
Call me Screechy...I am also always grumpy. Not sure if it's old age, or I've just been grumpy my entire life: will have to explore that. When I go to Disneyland with the kids, they don't need clothes: just a diaper and hospital gown: all set. No sun screen needed, just them them cook in the Summer sun and turn every 20 minutes. This Main Entrance is the best ever, with concrete, old school Mickey, and posters. Bring this back! Every year there was a Summer photo taken of a representative selection of employees in different costumes all standing in the Mickey grass. It was a volunteer thing, but they gave you a copy of the photo. I wish I still had those photos! I did quite a few of those 7am photo sessions. They used to be shown in the "Time Tunnel" under the Administration building: which was a way to go from the main lobby outside the berm where "Libby" was...yes...Libby worked in the Lobby: you can't make this up...anyway...down stairs...into the Time tunnel, under the train tracks...past the men's lockers...and part of security...or was it the name tag factory (?) and then back upstairs to behind the Opera House. That tunnel smelled of the linoleum flooring and Men's Locker Room. Those lockers were coveted, as they were close to wardrobe which was right above it: you didn't have to walk down to the backside of the Grand Canyon: which is where I had my locker. I never changed lockers in my career even when I could get down to the Ad Bldg. lockers: apparently, you had to have some sort of seniority to get one (?) I honestly think it was just who was working that day in Wardrobe assigning lockers. I VERY often have dreams about getting to that locker and not remembering the combination: and having incredible anxiety about not being able to get my costume. I wake up in cold sweats. This is FORTY years later mind you...No wonder why I'm grumpy...(!) I digress. Autopia: I can smell ride that through the photo. The Autopia sign is epic. There is a lot of epic in these photos. Thanks Major!
Man, I just love that first photo! The E.P. Ripley, resplendent in bright brass trim, looks amazing, as do the passenger cars. That particular engine, with its brass cap stack, always mesmerized me, even as a child, for some reason.
Major, I will concede you the Flying Saucers poster if I can have the Tiki Room poster.
Yes that wall is pretty well cleaned up, even the back wall drainage weep holes have been wiped.
Two trash cans only in that vibrant Tomorrowland scene. I’m a little confused at the elevated vantage point of the photo. Can’t be the Skyway as we are not aligned with either row of buckets. No CoP or PeopleMover yet… Maybe taken from the stairs up to the station?
Those odd black blocks on Autopia canopy must be the sides of the block letter signs? A man right at the bottom of the photo, in front of Carol Burnett, is wearing a straw hat just like my Dad had. I just found a picture of Dad wearing it taken in 1964. Talk about the vibe!
Thanks Major, good start to the weekend run-up.
JG
@ JG-
After hemming and hawing for awhile, I'm in agreement the Skyway/Autopia image (capturing the "backside of Autopia signage"), was taken from the landing of the stairway to the Skyway. You're correct, the alignment is just too far to the south, and depending on the locations of the (2) seats in the bucket, the photographer would need to be 'oddly-jointed' to capture such an image - something I must aspire to...
This is the first time I noticed the display gas pump in the middle of the picture. Not sure I've ever seen a pic of someone standing next to it. Will have to dig into the GDB archives.
Found one: https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v470/bananaphone5000/GorillaGrowl/7-58-Nb-18A.jpg
Nanook, I wonder if that concrete wall has been painted? I feel as if we’ve seen stains on it way before 1964. Jeez, no fun “generating tons of saliva”, poor guy! We had an uncle named Leonard who constantly licked his lips, my cousins called him “Leonard the Lizard”. Kids! And yes, the Senior Autopia, you are right.
Melissa, I can barely tell that the guy in the nearest Skyway gondola is in a military uniform. I mean… maybe? The first cheesehead had was worn by King Louis the XIV.
JB, maybe the little girl is wearing a tiny hospital gown? The sailin’ man probably eats his spinach, and that’s a good thing. If I had to build a nest, I’d build it on the Matterhorn too!
Mike Cozart, oh duh, you are right - the Mark I was done by 1959 (or was it 1960?), I just wasn’t thinking. And those trees threw me off! “Pokey”…. why??
Melissa, maybe that style of garment helped to facilitate diaper changes?
Chuck, that guy breaks all the rules, but as we know from “Top Gun: Maverick”, those are the guys who ultimately save your life. You’re right, that woman in the Gondola really seems to be taking in the full Skyway experience. I think the Summer White Service uniform should be white shirt, and red pants. But that’s just me.
Bu, it feels as if kids are treated as if they are fragile teacups nowadays, while in the past they could ride in a tiny metal stroller if they were lucky. I’m not crazy about the redesigned Mickey on the flower portrait, but most people probably don’t even know what I’m talking about. The 7 AM photo sessions sound fun, except for the 7 AM part. But it would be nice to see all the happy people posing in front of The Mouse. Not sure I’ve heard about the “Time Tunnel” before, I assume it is still there, sending people back to 1968 day after day. Funny about the lockers, I guess things never change, even at a “real job” a locker becomes an extension of one’s identity. You have dreams about forgetting your locker combo, I have dreams about showing up for the big test and I forgot to wear pants.
Steve DeGaetano, I’m glad you like that first picture, it’s right up your alley!
JG, well shoot, I would like a Tiki Room poster too, but if I could only have one, I think I would opt for the Flying Saucers poster. I’ve just always loved it. I had a chance to buy one for $5,000, which was not a bad price at the time (believe it or not), but I could not justify spending that amount of money. I’ve regretted it ever since. I think the “black blocks” are actually a deep blue, but they look black in this photo. I wish that WAS your dad in the straw hat!!
Nanook, I can’t think of any other place where a guest could have taken a photo from an elevated vantage point (not counting the Monorail platform across the way).
Sunday Night, Richfield wanted every guest to go home dreaming of quality Richfield gasoline!
Sunday Night, that’s one of my favorite photos from my collection.
Post a Comment