Views From June, 1962

I'm using up a few of the remaining scans from a batch from June, 1962. We'll start with this photo looking east down what I believe was called Plaza Street (though I could be mistaken). There's the INA Carefree Corner to the right, and the Red Wagon Inn (by this point called "The Red Wagon Restaurant" for some reason) is to the left. I don't ever recall seeing all of that outdoor seating placed there, but there's the picture to prove it existed. In the background, we can just see part of the striped tent that held the Art Festival.

Well, we're tired, and ready to go home. Sure, it's only 4:00, but we also don't want to miss the big wrestling match on TV. Folks sit on benches, probably waiting for Dad to pull the station wagon up (what, don't they like riding parking lot trams??). I noticed that the very hop-able chain link fence (remember, bring a carpet remnant to protect yourself from the barbed wire) goes from about 5 feet high (to the right) to a less hop-able 8 or 9 feet high.

Each kid has a souvenir; we can see a pair of Cavalry hats, a hat with a golden ostrich plume, and two balloons (I guess the boy to the right got two souvenirs, because his parents loved him more).

Snoozles™

Here are more Sunday Snoozles™, submitted for your approval. These are both undated, but almost certainly from the 1950s. First up is this shot of the nuclear-powered Omnibus (in only a few years, one of these would travel beneath the polar ice cap) as it rumbled down Main Street. The focus is a bit off, though the Omnibus itself is mostly in focus. Due to the nucularity! To the left is the Coca-Cola Refreshment Corner. "Hello, may I please have a Coke?". "What makes you think you deserve one? You make me ill. Get out!". I was "let go" shortly afterwards. 

Swans, they often sleep on the job. I guess "Big Swan" is so powerful that nobody would dare to say anything for fear of getting their fingers bitten. Most people don't know that the rock had a hidden door to one of Walt's other apartments. (It never gets old, folks!).

Vintage Amusement Park Pix

I'm pretty fond of vintage photos featuring vintage amusement parks, from the big classic examples to smaller parking lot affairs. I picked out some random scans, not the most exciting things, but they'll do.

It's June, 1961 and two small children are flying in an exciting rocket ride - their rocket has been painted to resemble a snarling tiger! It reminds me of my airbrushed van in the 1970s (with the burnt orange shag carpeting inside). I've read that some carnival-style rides like this used surplus fuel tanks left over from WWII (or maybe the Korean conflict), could these be made from those? Meanwhile, I love the unusual color combo on that station wagon in the background.

Too fast! Too fast! They are graying out! I guess three year-olds can't handle 4.5 Gs. Who knew?

Next are two photos from a mystery park, circa August 1971. You can't have a kiddie park without rides that mostly go around and around in circles. It's the law! Rocket ships? Biplanes? Little firetrucks? Sure, those are all real fun, but these speedboats are the best. Just look a the smile on that kid's face! Also, Justin Bieber stole his hairdo! Apparently this park was right near a lake, seen in the background. Not that this helps us ID the location. By my calculations there are over 20 lakes in the U.S. alone.

Here's a classic Tilt-a-Whirl, which (I learned) was invented in 1927. More than a thousand rides were eventually built. Some of the rides produced in the 1940s and 1950s are still in operation. I also learned that the earliest Tilt-A-Whirls were constructed of wood, powered by gas motors, and featured nine cars. Modern rides are constructed of steel, aluminum and fiberglass, and are powered by seven small electric motors, and has seven cars. Notice the sign on the wall Jet Boat ride, could that be the ride in the previous picture? Or was it something much more noisy and exciting?

Little Pigs, January 1960

Disneyland has associated itself with the concept of "DREAMS" for quite a while - probably a lot more in the last few decades than during the "Walt years". It's a great marketing hook! But sometimes those dreams are nightmares. There are bipedal pigs walking around, silently grinning. Look out, one is heading our direction! 

I have to admit that those two nice ladies are taking the whole situation a lot more poise than I would have. They don't appear to be disturbed at all! In fact, the one on the right looks like she's playfully flirting with the Fifer Pig (?). She and her friend are in their Sunday best, bundled up for a chilly day (notice that the Monsanto House of the Future is be-ribboned for Christmas), while the man in the background wants to share his latest mathematical calculations with his son. 

Whoa, there's all three of them! Suddenly, traffic to cross the bridge into Fantasyland has dwindled, and guests are funneling into Tomorrowland and Frontierland. The girl in the red sweater is looking to somebody off-camera, "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?". If I'd designed those pig costumes, I would have been sure to make the eyes light up with little red bulbs. 

Knott's Berry Farm Trains in Black and White

Today I have a nice scan from a large-format black and white negative featuring one of the Knott’s Berry Farm locomotives - old #41. It was originally built in 1881 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works (in Philadelphia) for the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, where it was locomotive #409. In 1916, it was sold to the Rio Grande Southern and changed to #41. 

This photo must have been taken shortly after the Knott’s trains made their debut in 1952. It appears to have a different paint scheme here, it might be “Rio Grande Gold”, used by the Denver and Rio Grande at the 1949 Chicago Railroad Fair. It was later painted in Chuck’s favorite color combination of black, brown, vermillion, and gold. Wikipedia says The engine was fitted with a diamond stack (that was the wrong shaped diamond) and an overly gaudy paint scheme. I’m not really sure what that structure just behind the train is supposed to be; It almost seems to be positioned to help fuel or water the locomotive, but… ??

It should also be noted that at this time, the Calico Mine Train had not yet been built, so the tall lights that can just be seen were used to illuminate the Arena, used for displays of horse-riding skills and acrobatics.

I like the little device added saying "Ghost Town Express - California". It looks like the tender is heaped with large chunks of coal; it was soon converted to an oil-burner.

Here's a contemporary photo of what is now the Walter K, restored to its 1940s appearance (though apparently not accurate to the 1880s version for some reason). In 2016, it... underwent a major overhaul at the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (D&SNG) in Durango, CO. Following the completion of the overhaul, it underwent some test runs to and from Durango and Silverton, CO and was later moved back to the Knott's Berry Farm amusement park on December 6, 2023 to return to service on the Ghost Town & Calico Railroad.

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!