Settler's Cabin Mystery

I have a slide scan for you, one that almost wound up in the Snoozle™ file, until my spidey senses started tingling. As you can see, this is a not-great view of the burning settler's cabin, from "sometime in the 1950s" (probably no later than 1956, based on the spindly trees). But what is the deal with this strange angle? I've never seen another view like it, looking up the steep embankment toward the cabinaceous conflagration.

I chose a selection of more-typical views from my collection, such as this one from 1957. I initially thought that the previous photo could have been taken from an Indian War Canoe, but it seems as if it would have to have been right up in that little portage at the bottom of the photo. Unlikely, says I. But not impossible.

Here's a shot from January, 1961. Maybe the angle in the first photo is deceiving, and a longer lens could have made the cabin appear closer? 

By July 1964, Tom Sawyer Island's foliage was so lush that the cabin was probably only visible from a few specific angles. 

Have a cabinaceous day!

Disneyland at Dusk, July 1964

Say! Today is GDB pal MS's Birthday! And while he is probably relaxing on the white sandy beaches of Hawaii, we can enjoy this vintage photo, shared with us by Sue B., from her personal collection (but not taken by her father Lou). Five kids (Four boys and a girl? Hard to tell) pose next to a low-profile layer cake. The shape helps it to glide through the air with less friction, you see. Physics! The kid at the bottom of the frame has had more than enough sugar. Happy birthday, MS!

As you know, Sunday's are ordinarily the day for Snoozles™, those wretched photos that are too dark, or too blurry, or "not great" for other reasons. But I couldn't do that to MS, so instead I selected two scenes from Disneyland taken at dusk in July, 1964. 

Standing in the Plaza, we see the Castle as the sun sinks low into the West. There's a pretty decent crowd, but it was July after all. Soon the twinkle lights would come on (if they weren't on already), the temperature would drop, and the whole place would become even more wonderful.

A small crowd has gathered at the entrance to the Enchanted Tiki Room, at first I thought that they might be watching the Barker Bird (in his red plumage) overhead, but nobody seems to be paying him any attention. To the left is a woman wearing a "native" dress (sort of like a sarong that Dorothy Lamour might have worn in a movie) and a lei, I assume that this is a Cast Member. The warm sunlight really makes this a pretty picture.

A Room of Rompers, May 1967

I found a fun group of three vintage slides from a filming of an episode of the classic children's TV show, "Romper Room". I remember watching a version of this show when I was very young (15 or 16 at the latest), but the memories are vague. 

From Wikipedia: Romper Room is an American children's television series that was franchised and syndicated from 1953 to 1994. The program targeted preschoolers (children five years of age or younger), and was created and produced by Bert Claster and his presenter wife, Nancy.

Romper Room was a rare case of a series being both franchised and syndicated, and some local affiliates would produce their own versions of the show instead of airing the national telecast. For some time, local shows all over the world used the same script but with local children. These particular photos were taken at KTNT in Tacoma, Washington.

The hostesses were always addressed as "Miss." The show also had a mascot, Mr. Do-Bee. Mr. Do-Bee was an oversized bumblebee who came to teach the children proper deportment. He was noted for always starting his sentence with "Do Bee", as in the imperative "Do be"; for example, "Do Bee good boys and girls for your parents!" There was also a "Mr. Don't Bee" to show children exactly what they should not do.

At the end of each broadcast, the hostess would look through a "magic mirror"—actually an open frame with a handle, the size, and shape of a hand mirror—and recite the rhyme, "Romper, bomper, stomper boo. Tell me, tell me, tell me, do. Magic Mirror, tell me today, did all my friends have fun at play?" She would then name the children she saw in "television land", saying, for example, "I can see Melissa and Stu and Nanook and Ken and Lou and Sue and JG and Bu and Mike and Chris and JB and Dean and Steve and Kathy and Walter" and so forth.

Parking Lot, June 1962

Views of the old parking lot are always popular. There's just something about vast stretches of asphalt painted with parking stripes and "populated" with cars that evokes smiles and happiness among all peoples of the World. If only every place could be a parking lot!

The June Gloom has hit hard, but it still hasn't dampened my spirits (though my hair has lost its curl). We're out in Lot C, that's "C" for Clarabelle Cow. Or Cruella de Ville. Or Cinderella. You get the idea! Look at that Monorail, it's like a straightened banana on one rail (I know, my metaphor needs work).  

I'll zoom in a little for you fans of classic cars. The Corvette to the left is nice, but not practical for my purposes. I'll take a station wagon, and have my eye on that two-tone cream and coral baby. 

Next we'll head over to Fantasyland, just outside of the "Alice in Wonderland" attraction. Alice herself is peering at us from her attraction poster. A flock of sailors is to the left, they are about to break into song, as sailors do. I hope it is not too naughty (but it can be nautical).  The man with the bowtie to the right seems to be introducing his toddler to three people. "This is Lurleen, she can lift a calf over her head!". Impressive, you must admit.

Covered Wagons, Knott's Berry Farm - 1950s

I love early photos from Knott's Berry Farm, in glorious Buena Park, CA. "Early" usually means "the 1950s", at least when we're talking about color images. Otherwise we're probably looking at black and white photo prints.

This first one is especially nice, with a covered wagon, pulled by two beautiful white horses. There appears to be a row of bells on their backs - something I don't recall ever seeing on any horses, but I don't get out much. They sure would jingle! It looks like guests could probably ride in the wagon, I'm not sure where that dirt path was located. To the right we can see one of the huge wheels from one of the contraptions that once hauled logs (or so I'm told). Was this out near the parking lot? 

Next, we're over near the Wagon Camp - a "natural" amphitheater where visitors could sit and watch musicians (such as The Wagonmasters) as they performed, sometimes accompanied by a flickering campfire at night. A ring of covered wagons surrounded the amphitheater, turning them into VIP seating, sort of. Your whole family could claim one! Bring blankets for those cooler evenings. I assume that you had to get there early, or they'd all be taken. Notice all of the graffiti on the inside. I'm guessing more than one message was written in lipstick, how often do you bring a writing implement to an amusement park? Never, in my case.

 

Five From Frontierland

It's time for more scans from the Mysterious Benefactor, and what do you know, the Mark Twain does not make an appearance! Incredible. 

First up is this view of the Keelboat landing (and dock), with an out-of-commission Gullywhumper at rest. And because Keelboats are social creatures, it likes to rest near the Columbia. 

At first I thought that this one was taken moments before or after the previous photo, but I see no sign of the Bertha Mae in the first pic. Maybe it was just in the right position to be hidden. Or maybe it scooted next to the Gullywhumper sneakily. Notice that there are construction walls, presumably for Splash Mountain, which opened in 1989. Or am I wrong?

I would love to be able to claim impartiality when it comes to the two Keelboats, but I have a fondness for the folk art details found on the Bertha Mae; the gingerbread moldings, the turned wood railings, and even the louvered shutters. And that blue-green paint. The wooden structure that the mast is mounted to looks like it should hold an old quilt.

The Gullywhumper is a little less fancy, but don't get me wrong, I really do like it! Hey, it has a bow-mounted gun, which is rad. It is strictly for scaring away bears.

And finally, here's a view of Chief Wavy as seen from the speeding Disneyland Railroad. The foliage is lush and green!

THANK YOU, Mysterious Benefactor!

Adventureland & Frontierland, 1950s

Here's a pair of 1950s pix that are pleasing and colorful. Starting with this one, featuring a nice family posing on the bridge to Adventureland. "Be sure to get some skulls in the picture, honey! You can cut out the kids if you have to!". The mom has her perfect "50s red" coat on.

Over in Frontierland, we get a look at the queue for the Rainbow Caverns Mine Train, along with the charming ticket booth. The Mineral Hall, with displays from the Black Light Corp. of America, is also there.

 

Spring Fling Items

Oh boy, vintage Disneyland paper ephemera, or VDPE! Not the greatest acronym, I admit; just don't think about it too much. I love any items having to do with the Spring Fling events, which ran from 1962 until 1974. Why? I just do. My first Spring Fling-related post was way back on November 2nd, 2008; you'll see a rare 1967 flyer for that year's event. 

First up I have a flyer for the 1968 iteration, featuring a character wearing mouse ears who resembles Roy Williams - the Big Moosketeer himself. He's credited with coming up with the mouse ears, among other things!

Here's Roy, in case you didn't know what he looks like.

Spring Fling was largely about music all around the park, similar to the old Big Band and Dixieland at Disneyland events. Bobby Vee (with The Mustangs)! I'm mostly familiar with his song, "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes", but according to Wikipedia, he had 38 "Hot 100" chart hits, with 10 of those reaching the Top 20. You could see Disneyland stalwarts such as Bill Elliott, the Clara Ward Singers, The Royal Tahitians, and The Young Men From New Orleans. But you could also see The Moods, The Californians, and  the Levee Loungers.

Oh boy, that '68 Mercury Montego looks like a honey. For all I know it was a lemon, you car nuts can tell me whether it was any good. Lots of other prizes were available, including a trip for two to Rapid City, South Dakota. THE DREAM! (Just kidding, Rapid City, I love you). 

Next, I have two scans of a ticket from the 1963 Spring Fling event, courtesy of Lisa Sage, who kindly shared them with me, and gave me permission to share them with you. She saw my blog post featuring the flyer for that event, with those same silly rabbits. A $4 ticket is the equivalent of about $40 today - still a bargain with all of the goodies included.

Luckily, inclement weather was not an issue, the day had a high of 71º, with a low of 47º. I'll bet it was a fun time for all!

THANK YOU to Lisa Sage for sharing scans of her ticket!

Dark Scary Jungle

After one installment of "OKsles", we are right back to genuine, grade-A SNOOZLES™! It's all because I scanned 36 slides, and found that a number of them have the usual issues. A good blogger would just not post them at all, but I never claimed to be a good blogger. And so... you are stuck with them!

Both of these are from the Jungle Cruise, which is not a surprise - a large percentage of scans are from that attraction. There are so many bad photos! I'm assuming that these were taken late in the day, though it might just be a case of erroneous settings. This first one is from September, 1956, and hoo-boy, you can't see much other than the heads in the foreground, and some silhouetted trees. If there is a fearsome animal there, I sure can't spot it. To the right I see something that might be a headhunter's spear - but it might be something else.

Now it's November of '56, and we are looking at trio of hippos. It's a pretty crummy pic though - you don't have to tell me. These hippos don't even have their mouths open for a view of their disgusting teeth! What a ripoff! Any idea what those pieces of metal are, to the left? They are obviously part of the boat that our photographer was on, but I can't imagine what their purpose is.

Sorry about these terrible Snoozles!

 

Travel Town, Los Angeles, December 1970

Griffith Park is one of the jewels of Los Angeles - one of the largest urban parks in North America, though  much of it consists of steep hills and long hiking paths. Look out for mountain lions! But there are features such as the Art Deco Griffith Observatory, Travel Town, the merry-go-round where Walt Disney watched his girls while he dreamed of Disneyland , and "L.A. Live Steamers", which we will be visiting today. 

Want to ride a tiny train? Well you can! Over the years a number of different locomotives have been available for the public to enjoy; in the early years they actually were steam locos, but today they tend to be electric, or gasoline-powered, or chipmunk-driven. As many times as I've been to this general area, I've never been on one of the trains - partly because they operate only at specific times. Look at this kid! He has the whole outfit, even the hat! I'm assuming that he didn't actually get to drive the train, but you know kids. The old-timer might have had to chase after him, Buster Keaton style.

Dad (?) gets into the spirit of things. Personally, I'd want to sit behind a live-steam locomotive, but even a little "diesel" like this one would be fun. In the background - some of those steep brush-covered hills I mentioned earlier. Catch a rattlesnake for a free pet! It looks like the depot to the left was called "Switchville" (not to be confused with "Lidsville").

One last photo... Dad is having a blast! Maybe I need to make a point of visiting L.A. Live Steamers when the trains are running.

Two Beauties From July, 1964

I have two nice ones for you today, starting with this unusual interior from one of the Main Street shops. But which one? I think it might be from The Emporium, but am not certain. The tree with the face is pretty weird. Against the wall... hats galore! So... maybe this is from the Mad Hatter shop, which has been in at least two Main Street locations, and one Fantasyland location.

I never get tired of views looking into Tomorrowland - in this case from the edge of the Plaza. You've got posters, you've got flags from every State, you've got the Clock of the World, the Monsanto Hall of Chemistry, the Douglas Moonliner, a balloon bouquet, and even the Telstar satellite model above "America the Beautiful" to the left. Sorry, JG, only one trashcan.

 

Fresh Air! Town Square! July 1959

Here's a pair of July, 1959 views of Town Square. They turned blue, something that happens with some old slides. It's annoying! And for some reason (probably my own lack of skill) I find it much harder to restore the color of slides that have turned blue (as opposed to magenta). 

Anyway, here's a look at Main Street Station as seen from the front of City Hall (or near there at least). There's a Horseless Carriage, and a Surrey - perhaps the people standing at the curb are waiting for a ride. Maybe if they showed a little leg they'd get better service. I always assume that the patriotic bunting is related to the 4th of July, but look how uncrowded it is! 

Next is this view looking toward the Opera House, which, as far as I am aware, was not being used for anything in 1959 (it had served as a lumber mill early on, and I believe that silkscreened attraction posters were made there as well). the "Babes in Toyland" exhibit wouldn't be there until 1961, and the Opera House also served as the Mickey Mouse Club Headquarters in 1964/1964. Note that folding chairs are under the awning, presumably the Disneyland Band performed there.

Last Two Snapshots From 1965

Here are the final two scans from a lot of photo prints, circa 1965. It was a good bunch! 

We'll start with this view taken from a Monorail as it zoomed from the Disneyland Hotel back to Tomorrowland; we get a brief glimpse of this area near the west exit, with some empty bike racks. Imagine being able to ride your bike to Disneyland! THE DREAM (at least when I was a kid). A locomotive (the Fred Gurley?) waits at the station, pulling the old yellow passenger cars behind it. That fence looks very hoppable!

Here's a view taken from one of the big boats on the Rivers of America, looking toward the little mining town of Rainbow Ridge. It's nice to get a look at some of the buildings that are a bit more to the northwest than we usually see; meanwhile a line of Pack Mules has just started heading into Nature's Wonderland.

The Fred Gurley, October 1971

I'm sure that many of you, like me, are fans of the Disneyland Railroad locomotives. What's not to love? And thanks to books like "Welcome Aboard the Disneyland Railroad" by GDB friend Steve DeGaetano, my appreciation has only grown over the years.  Both of  today's scans are from October, 1971, and feature the "Fred Gurley". Ol' #3! Unlike the C.K. Holliday and the E.P. Ripley, the "Fred Gurley" is a genuine antique, built in 1894 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works. It went into service at Disneyland on March 28, 1958. 

The fellow in the cab is annoyed that a woman's foot is sticking out. Hasn't she heard the safety spiel? Doesn't she know that mountain lions could take that foot off in one chomp? Oh well, she was warned. I love seeing that Santa Fe was still the sponsor of the railroad - it would continue until September 30, 1974. Three more years after this photo was taken! 

Uggies. LEFTuggies, that is.

Leftuggies are so convenient, just heat and serve. They give hard-working (ha ha) bloggers a little break. 

This first one is from July, 1965, A speeding Firetruck almost flattened us, that driver will be hearing from my attorney (Lionel Hutz, esquire). Past the death truck we get a glimpse into Tomorrowland, including the Circarama Theatre, where "America the Beautiful" could be experienced. Atop the Circarama Theatre you can just see the folded-up arm that supported the Telstar satellite that could be seen around that time. Perhaps that was due to be removed soon? The Clock of the World can also just be seen beyond the Italian Cypresses.

Here's an old scan with a better look at the Telstar model.

Next is a photo from July, 1972, showing a very busy Frontierland. This is kind of how it looks and feels today! Still, it's nice to see the wooded shores, with the Mark Twain in the center, and Fowler's Harbor just visible to the left of it. 

OK-zles

What has the world come to? A world without Snoozles?? Alfred Einstein (Albert's third cousin) theorized about such a thing, but it only recently has been proven through scientific observation. In a folder of 140 scans, there are none that exhibit pronounced Snoozle characteristics. And so, Junior Gorillas, I must instead share scans that are totally OK. Not bad, not great - just OK.

This first one is dated August, 1969; it's a familiar view of the Matterhorn on an overcast day with a milky sky. IT'S TOTALLY OK! We've got a little Skyway action goin' on, and even a bobsled, sort of like a slice of jalapeño in some mac and cheese (yum). The lagoon's blue-green waters hide all kinds of sea life, including some bright orange critter that is probably covered in venomous spines. Notice the spire on top of the Matterhorn, a handy place to put a Christmas star.

Next is this photo dated "November 28, 1973", a perfectly OK look at the iconic Disneyland sign at night. How do I know it is nighttime? Just a hunch. Somebody needs to buy a few new fluorescent bulbs, passersby might not know where they are. Notice that the park was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, something hard to imagine now.

Union Station, Los Angeles - 1950s

By now, most of you know that I love me some Vintage L.A. Besides living in the general vicinity for much of my life, I used to enjoy listening to stories from my Grandmother, about all of the wonderful things that she and my Grandfather did when she moved out here in 1929. 1929, nothing interesting happened that year!

Anyhoo, I have some nice old shots (likely from about 1955) featuring wonderful Union Station on Alameda Street - L.A.'s main train station. It opened in 1939, and according to Wikipedia, is considered "the last of the great railway stations" in the U.S. This first picture is kind of amazing, showing the station before it was surrounded by any larger structures (not counting that large tank to the left, I have no idea what it was for, though I see a "Brew 102" sign on it - Brew 102 was a local brewery, with signage (and a huge factory near the Santa Ana freeway) familiar to Angelenos.

Here's a recent Google Maps screen grab. Those palm trees make for a nice entrance to the station, but... they also block our view. Dumb trees!

I personally love the clean deco lines and details. The structure combines Art Deco, Mission Revival, and Streamline Moderne style, with architectural details such as eight-pointed stars, and even elements of Dutch Colonial Revival architecture.

I always appreciate a good clock tower! 

You might see this nice lady again, since she shows up in a number of Vintage L.A. photos. It's a shame that there are no interior photos in this batch, because it is a beautiful place... go to the Wikipedia page to get an idea of what it's like.

I wondered if those tiles could be from Catalina Pottery, but that went defunct in 1937, so... I guess not. If you happen to ever go downtown to visit Olvera Street, or Chinatown, or Philippes (just up Alameda) for a French dip sandwich, it is worth the walk to visit Union Station!