New Orleans Square, August 1970

I've previously shared a few images from this photographer, who was clearly impressed by New Orleans Square and its many charms. It's really no wonder when you look at today's pix, it really doesn't look like an amusement park.

I believe that the Rivers of America would be behind us (a ways) as we look into one of the curving streets lined with various shops. As you know, I loved to make my own custom scent at the Parfumerie. "I want it to be musky, but to have hints of WD-40, cedar, and beef jerky". Is the Blue Bayou to our left? I admit to not knowing this area the way you experts do!

"Maybe if I sit at this table, somebody will talk to me and be my friend!". It could happen. I don't ever recall seeing an outdoor dining area in New Orleans Square, certainly nothing like this, with those amber glass "kerosene" lamps on each table. In the dark doorway to the left, a cast member (I believe) can just be seen if you look hard enough.

Tom Corbett Rings

It's time for another look at some of my stuff. Fun vintage stuff, that is! I have some items relating to a TV series called "Tom Corbett, Space Cadet", a sci-fi adventure that ran from 1950 through to 1955. The stories followed the adventures of Corbett, Astro, and Roger Manning (originally; later, T.J. Thistle), cadets at the Space Academy as they train to become members of the Solar Guard. The action takes place at the Academy in classrooms and bunkrooms, aboard their training ship the rocket cruiser Polaris, and on alien worlds.

To the left is Frankie Thomas as Tom Corbett, and I believe the man in the center is Jan Merlin as Roger Manning. Looking at photos on IMDB wasn't much help, since they seemed to credit the same actor in different roles. Frank Sutton, who later gained fame as Sergeant Carter on "Gomer Pyle. U.S.M.C." was also on the show. "Tom Corbett" is one of only a few series to run on all four networks - CBS, NBC, ABC, and the Dumont Network.

Anyway, in 1951, Kellogg's PEP cereal issued a series of 12 rings - of course you'd get one ring per box, great incentive to keep buying Pep cereal so that you could get the whole set! The rings are of a simple design, injection-molded plastic in various colors, with a tiny plastic dome picturing an exciting feature of the TV show. Here are the first four. There's brave Tom himself, a "Girl Uniform", a "Dress Uniform", and a "Space Suit". 

The next four feature a "Sound Ray Gun", the magnificent "Space Academy" (designed by Mies van der Rohe?), a "Strato Telescope", and an example of a "Space Helmet", complete with doo-dads.

The last four show a "Rocket Scout" vehicle, a "Parallo-Ray Gun", the "Space Cadet Insignia", and a "Space Cruiser". 

Here's a better idea of what the rings look like - one size fits all!

Long ago I bought this page removed from a vintage comic book (probably a rare and valuable volume), with a wonderful ad. How could any red-blooded American boy (or girl) resist? 

And here's how they look all together - pretty much how I have them displayed.

I hope you have enjoyed these Tom Corbett rings!

Frontierland, 1956

I have two "nothing special, but still nice" photos of Vintage Frontierland for you today. For the zillionth time! I particularly like this first view - again, nothing that unusual or notable, other than the fact that it's just pretty. Guests are frolicking on Tom Sawyer Island, so we know that this is from after June 16, 1956. Based on some other photos in this batch, it's possible this one is from around Christmastime, though it sure looks pleasant. Nobody's wearing a heavy coat or sweater, and the sky is blue and clear. A Canoe heads off into the Unknown, I hope it returns. There's a little stack of posts or logs at the river's edge in front of the Old Mill, I wonder what they were for?

And, oh well, what do you know, it's another photo of the Mark Twain, loading new passengers (what there are of them, anyway). Some of the trees look scraggly in the Winter, but it's still a lovely sight.

 

Snoozles™

It's SNOOZLE TIME! Four out of five dentists recommend Snoozles for their patients who look at blogs on Sunday. This first one is from December, 1973, and is (of course) from the Enchanted Tiki Room. This is José, one of the four hosts of the attraction, and the first to "wake up". The photo isn't terrible, just a bit on the dark side, like Darth Vader (only with more feathers).

Next is this photo from July, 1961, taken through the porthole of a genuine new-kew-lar submarine. We're in a beautiful sunlit coral reef full of life. Sharks, octopi, sea stars (my niece would correct me if I called them "star fish"), various fish, and best of all, KELP. Nature's candy! 

Unknown Carnival, 1985

Today I'm going to share a series of pictures from 1985 (January, if you can believe the date stamp on the slides) featuring an anonymous fair or carnival, in Somewheresville USA. The heart of America! These are pretty fun images, showing lots and lots of typical attractions that you might see in traveling amusements, even to this day. With my minimal knowledge of such rides, I will rely on YOU, the true heroes. 

First up is this wacky funhouse with an American history theme - I guess it was called the Rocking White House? Somehow I'd expect a funhouse to be a bit larger - this one looks pretty small. Still, as long as there was real risk of injury, I would have been satisfied.

Oh boy, fly your own WWI airplane, just like Snoopy! I assume that the one closest to us is a Sopwith Camel, and he's right on the tail of the Red Baron, who survived to make delicious frozen pizzas.

Well. I do believe that this is yet another WWI airplane ride. You can't have too many. In the background, there is a small Ferris Wheel, along with booths where you can get hamburgers, beverages, and hopefully some sort of fried dough. Or soft serve ice cream, oh yeah!

SO MANY RIDES! To the left we can see a sign advertising "James E. Strates Shows". From Wikipedia:  Strates Shows, Inc. is a family operated traveling carnival midway company based in Orlando, Florida. It provides amusement rides, games and concessions for local, county and state fairs throughout the United States. Strates Shows [until 2019] was the only midway company left in the country that transported their personnel and equipment by train during its annual seven-month season.

Some of you might not be able to handle going around in circles in a WWI biplane, so maybe a whirlybird is more your speed. Or maybe even a flying saucer! There is something to satisfy the pickiest customer. Don't eat a corn dog until after you've done the spinning rides, OK?

Signs: they're helpful! I see that the attraction to the left is called the Yoyo, while that Ferris Wheel variant is called the Twister.

I hope you have enjoyed visiting this Unknown Carnival!

Mine Train Queue

Today's photos don't get us quite as far as the actual Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland ride, but we are approaching the queue, with views of The Little Mining Town of Rainbow Ridge, and that's something.

There is an actual line for the Mine Train, though, as usual, it is not that long. I suppose that the ride was a "people eater", but I've never seen a large crowd waiting to board. To the right we can just see one of the palm-frond (from a rare blue Tahitian palm) umbrellas from the outdoor dining area for Casa de Fritos, while colored lights are strung overhead, they must have looked lovely at night.

I believe that this is actually the line for the Pack Mules and not the Mine Train, so I owe each of you 25 cents in reparations. It's in the mail. Everyone wants to ride a mule! And can you blame them? When nobody's looking, you can lean forward and give your trusty mule some scritches between his ears.

 

Sleepy Baby Castle

That darn Sleeping Beauty, she's still snoozing. I have to do all the work around here! And before you ask, NO, those three fairies are no help at all. I don't need a cake or a blue/pink dress. I need somebody to wave their wand and write this blog for me! 

You know it, you love it, it's Sleeping Beauty Castle. Does it hold the record for the "most photographed castle"? This pic is nice, the angle is a bit unusual, and you get the added bonus of the Chemical Wagon, aka the Horse Drawn Firetruck. Sirens hadn't been invented yet, so one of the passengers was given the privilege of yelling "RrrrrrrrRRRRRRRrrrrrr! RrrrrrRRRRRrrrrr!" over and over. What a delight. Say, we can see the Jolly Roger waving in the distance.

Keeping with the Castle theme, here's a photo from a different batch altogether, not that you can really tell. It's late in the afternoon, but there's plenty of folks heading over the bridge. I told Walt that the portcullis should suddenly drop every few minutes. FAST! But he pretended he didn't hear me. I still think it's a good idea.

Knott's Berry Farm

I love vintage Knott's Berry Farm, and still have lots of slides to scan for you. But today's examples (from the 1950s) suffer from under-exposure, meaning that they are darker than we might wish for. Still, they are not a total loss!

Here's the Stagecoach, passing through part of the parking lot. Is the restaurant where you could get one of Cordelia's chicken dinners to the right? My favorite part of this picture is the boys on their bicycles, local kids out for a little adventure. I wouldn't be surprised if they visited Knott's regularly; it was free at the time, and heck, I would head over there all the time. Wouldn't you?

Next is the familiar pool with sea lions. From the looks of things, they weren't getting many free fish that day. Could that wooden shack be "Petland" (as mentioned in a previous blog post)? 

And finally, here's an unusual view of the Stagecoach load area, it looks like they've just taken on a full compliment of guests for an exciting ride through parts of KBF, with some even more-exciting view of Buena Park. It's wonderful that you can still enjoy this attraction at the park (as far as I am aware), though I have never done it because the line is so long. I feel like I'd better do it sooner rather than later.

 

The Columbia, September 1983

Here are three photos from Lou Perry, courtesy of his daughter, Sue B. These are all from September, 1983, a mere 42(ish) years ago. Lou captured a few pix of the Columbia as it rested in Fowler's Harbor (where it seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time). 

One can't help but be impressed by the complex rigging on the Columbia. Hey, it looks authentic to me! Based on my long years at sea whaling, you see. To this day I enjoy gnawing on a piece of of whale blubber for breakfast. But I digress. At the bottom of the frame is a rare photo of the "Zinger Box", where Dolly Madison Zingers and other snack cakes were stored. The roof of the shack in the lower left corner would eventually become Michael Eisner's apartment.

The elements are tough on a genuine 18th-century style sailing ship, especially when the builders declined getting the undercoating. Fools! I always get the undercoating on everything I buy. Extended warranties too. 

I sort of love the idea that Lou would sort of wander wherever his feet took him, and captured photos of any detail that interested him. If only I did that for my many visits in the past (I am notoriously forgetful about taking pictures). 

Many thanks to Lou and Sue!

Main Street, June 1960

I have one photo today, but there are some fun details to point out. First of all, take a look at this June, 1960 shot looking up Main Street, with that awesome banner overhead. Look at the new attractions: "America the Beautiful", "Nature's Wonderland", and the "Art of Animation" exhibit. Along the street, we can see lamppost signs with highlights from these new attractions - I sure wish I had some of these in my collection!

Even if I don't have any, I've saved good images of these signs when they show up (which isn't often). If you look to the left, near the front of the Penny Arcade, there is a beautiful sign for "America the Beautiful". I love the gold ink used in the sky, and the pink cherry blossoms - and the crowd of people at the bottom of the image, standing in the Circarama Theater.

To the right, on the lamppost with the American flags, you can see a sign for the Beaver Valley tableau in Nature's Wonderland. This example of the sign was very browned over the years, so I did a bit of Photoshoppin' to try to restore it a little bit.

Further north, and very hard to see, is this "Living Desert" sign. 

Another fun detail is the pink and white striped construction wall in front of the yet-to-open Hallmark shop (it opened on July 1, 1960). I don't recall ever seeing this before!

Easter Sunday

It's Easter! And you know what that means. Well, probably a "Twilight Zone" marathon on TV, but it also means Easter baskets, Easter egg hunts, perhaps a trip to church, and ham for dinner. 

GDB superstar Sue B. found some vintage slides from a vintage Easter - date unknown (maybe 1970s?). First up, two lucky kids have found baskets full of treats waiting for them in the den. They are wrapped in purple cellophane (the baskets, not the kids) to lock in freshness! I always enjoyed biting the ears off of the chocolate bunnies, though even as a child I was mildly outraged that those were hollow and not solid chocolate. The plastic eggs that contained jelly beans? Meh. It took me a moment to realize that the thing on the table is an ashtray. Meanwhile, I love details like the many magazines stored beneath the television. 

I'm not sure if this is from an entirely different home/family/day, but somebody went all out and made a special Easter cake, or should I say CAKES. A mama bunny and a baby bunny. Covered in shredded coconut, as per the instructions in "Good Housekeeping" magazine. The pink eyes and noses are jelly beans, I believe. You can have mine. The paper ears are artfully done. I guess lots of kids would be coming over later, look at all the fun stuff on the table. Favorite item: that furry red whatever-it-is in the upper left. 

I have my own vintage photo to add. If it wasn't for a hand-written note, this could be from any day, but I know that those three adorable girls are wearing their Easter finest. Two of them wear ribboned hats, one has an actual bonnet. I wonder if Mom made the dresses (perhaps from a pattern in McCall's)? The baby boy is unconcerned with holidays at this stage of his life.

AND LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST! Here is a photo contributed by our dear friend MELISSA! She sent this to Sue B. and gave permission to share it here. I can't believe we're going into chocolate egg season already! My mother scanned this picture for me and I thought I'd share it with you. Gwen and Judd lived next door to Grandma when she moved into town while Granpa was away during WWII, with the two kids she had at the time, my oldest uncles. She always had a knack for collecting extra kids. I love their little outfits (hello sailor) and the big, square baskets. I met Judd once as an older man, and maybe it's my terrible eyesight but I think he looked pretty much the same except for the sailor suit. Anyway, take care and have a great weekend! - Melissa

SO GREAT to hear from Melissa! Have a Happy Easter, everyone!

New York World's Fair, August 1964

It's a World's Fair extravaganza! Rather than dividing these seven scans into two posts (my usual M.O.), I decided to go nuts and share all of these remaining 120-format transparencies in one go.

First up is this view of the Solar Fountain, which was located to the east of the Unisphere, near the House of Japan (seen to the right). A central dome supports a 30-foot high column of water while a starburst circles around the dome. Wobbling jets of water surrounding the dome simulate the sun's gases. Gases, you say? In the distance (to the left) is the conical, wavy roof of "Sermons From Science", and the distant towers of the New York State pavilion.

Continuing eastward, you'd find the Tiparillo Band Pavilion. This is an outdoor dance floor and band shell jointly sponsored by the Fair, which provided the facilities, and the General Cigar Company, which provides music by Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians every night except Mondays. The pavilion is used in the daytime for special performances by visiting national and local groups. Man, those folks on the benches look like they have tired feet (and tired "everything else")!

In this view, the Fountain of the Continents (where the giant Unisphere loomed) is just behind us; we're facing northeast along the Promenade, with the Pool of Reflection in the middle distance, with the sculpture "Star Thrower" just visible at the end of that pool. Beyond that, the Bell System pavilion. Overhead, the wonderful Sky Ride (it's way up there!), and the Republic of China pavilion is mostly out of frame to the left.

Next we see the Tower of Light; The world's most powerful searchlight beam rises from the center of this unusual building, whose exterior walls consist of 600 aluminum prisms fitted together to form an eye-catching pattern. Sponsored by investor-owned electric utility companies throughout the nation, the building is entered by a moving ramp that carries visitors over a reflecting pool and deposits them on a giant turntable. The turntable revolves past seven chambers, stopping at each chamber for a new episode of a musical presentation on the benefits of electricity.

Hmmm, here's something I can't quite place - perhaps one of you can? In the distance is a tent covering a merry-go-round. But I can't figure out where it was! I was thinking that the body of water to the left might be the Fountain of the Planets, but am not really sure. There was a a fancy merry-go-round over in the Belgian Village, but that was very different from the one seen here. It would make sense if this was somewhere over in the Amusement Zone, but the area in the photo looks so sparse compared to that densely-packed land.

One of the Fair's attractions that I would have wanted to see is the General Electric "Progressland" pavilion, featuring Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress, among other delights. Under a huge, gleaming dome suspended from spiraling pipes, the GE exhibit, called "Progressland," depicts the history of electricity, from its beginning to the mighty bang of nuclear fusion. The multipart show, produced by Walt Disney, uses a unique theater. Here the seated audience is carried past a number of stages; there are reflecting mirrors, startling visual and sound projections, and in the climax, neutron counters and other instruments to document graphically the demonstration of controlled thermonuclear fusion.

OK, I know this next picture should have been placed before or after photo #3, but you have to understand that I am very drunk. Here's the Republic of China pavilion: The opulent red and gold pavilion is a reproduction of a tradtional imperial palace - the first of its kind which has ever been erected in the Western hemisphere. Within the structure are exhibits of ancient and modern Chinese culture, and many rare and beautiful art objects: bronzes, porcelains, jades, silks and carvings in ivory, wood and stone.

I hope you have enjoyed this visit to the New York World's Fair!

Nice Black and White Pix

A few years ago I acquired some especially-nice black and white photo prints, and it's about time I scanned them. 

First up is this scarce view taken inside the old "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" walk-thru attraction that was in Tomorrowland from August 3, 1955 through to August 28, 1966. Not a bad run for a "space filler" that Walt needed for his least-developed land. Using set pieces and props from his 1954 hit film was a pretty good idea! In this photo we have a couple standing in front of Captain Nemo's pipe organ, I believe that Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" was played from a speaker. I'm assuming that the man to the left is security, though he might also be a mime.

Just as an aside, I noticed that Photoshop had something in the "Filters" menu called Neural Filters. Huh? Within the Neural Filters are many options, such as "Skin Smoothing", "Colorize", "Super Zoom" (my rap name, btw), and most interesting to me, "Photo Restoration". What's that? It's in beta mode, but I tried it out, and it did smooth out the grain, and sharpen some details (while losing other details, to be honest).

Here's a closer look at the original scan on top, and the version with the "Photo Restoration" applied on the bottom. I feel like the faces were restored impressively, what do you think?

A second photo was taken inside the Penny Arcade, with a few fun details, including two attraction posters. One is for the Columbia, which debuted on June 14, 1958; but these photos have the hand-written date of "2-12-1957" on them. It is possible that the posters were ready before the attraction opened, but more than a full year before?? Something seems screwy. Thanks to "Jason's Disneyland Almanac", I can tell you that February 3rd was a Sunday, park hours were 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM, attendance was 14,705, and the high temperature was 71º (with a low of 37º).

Weirdly. I tried the Neural Filter on this photo more than once, and it made no discernible difference.