A Nice Pair From January, 1960

Here are two good photos from January, 1960. Happy New Year! You know what we should do now that it's "THE SIXTIES"? Go to Disneyland, that's what. 

It's a little before 10:00; on weekends and holidays the park often opened at 9:00, but it's possible that these folks are just waiting to get in - I'm not even sure anybody has passed the turnstiles yet. All traces of Christmas decor are gone, it's "back to normal" so to speak. 

Auntie Alice is having a swell time, she's yucking it up with her friend, who probably told a saucy joke. "Match Game '77" saucy (probably involving the word "whoopee"), not truly naughty. To the right, some folks are lingering near the pay phones, they need to call their bookies. It's happened to all of us. 

Next is this nice view presumably taken from a speeding Monorail as it passed above what I believe is part of the Motorboat Cruise waterways, as well as the Fantasyland Autopia (starring Screechy!). What a great day to be at Disneyland!

FYI, I'm going to be away from my computer for the next two days, because I'll be at Disneyland! Yes, the authorities have been notified. Maybe I'll even write a trip report. 

Main Street Views, July 1958

Here's a pair of nice Main Street views from the summer of 1958. We'll start with this shot in Town Square, with the train station (covered in Fourth of July bunting). The lamp posts on either side of the steps appear to have signs advertising the new Alice in Wonderland dark ride and the Columbia sailing ship. A Horseless Carriage is completely full, those two ladies walking toward it are just going to have to wait for the next vehicle. A teen tries to imagine what mayhem he could create if only he could fire that cannon, while a father and son enjoy popcorn and talk about what they will do next.

Further up the street, a Surrey rides past; sometimes you'll see it pulled by white horses, or black horses, but these are brown. I know my colors! JEALOUS? There's a sign to the right of the entrance to the INA Carefree Corner indicating that "First Aid", "Lost Children", and the "Baby Station" could be found nearby. 

Two From February, 1965

Sometimes I acquire slides one at a time, sometimes I get lucky and get 20 or 30 at a time. But today's lot consisted of only two slides. They're pretty good though! 

First up is this view that I assume is from the Disneyland Hotel, up on the Monorail platform. Or was this somehow taken from the Monorail itself, with no motion-blur in the foreground? We're looking across West Street (named after James West) toward the vast parking lot. Yes, that's it, even though it's hard to see through the smog. If you look real hard you can see Wilbur Clark's Crest Hotel, and to the right of that, Melodyland. Main Street Station is also barely visible.

This one is extra-fun, with the Tomorrowland Space Girl (I've actually never known if she had an official moniker), posing with a cute little girl who hopes that she will someday live on the Moon. They are near the entrance to Tomorrowland (the Plaza is behind us) and the America the Beautiful attraction. 

Meeting Mickey

Here are two photos from different batches, each showing guests as they got to meet their favorite tuxedo-wearing mouse! 

This first one is from sometime in the 1960s; a young boy is taking Mickey's pulse ("You might have hypertension and should go on a low-salt diet"), while Mickey wears a top hat as a tribute to Fred Astaire, who'd gone to the dentist that morning. So respectful! Meanwhile, the area in front of the floral portrait is undergoing some sort of mysterious construction, I think this is from the brief period when a stage with go-go dancers was out front. It was Joe Fowler's idea. Where are all the other guests??

Next, from "sometime in the 1970s" comes this photo with a group of people crowding around Mickey, just in front of the Hills Bros. Coffee Garden. Is the lady with the hat a teacher? Maybe the lady with the burnt-orange shirt too? There are a lot of kids, including the smallest girl who escaped from Ringling Bros. in an attempt to live a normal life. You'll often find Mickey or Minnie in more or less this same location today.

 

Cast Member Extravaganza

I'm always happy to be able to share more Frontierland scans, generously contributed by the Mysterious Benefactor! These are undated, but I'm guessing that they could be from the 1980s (?). I wonder if any of the Cast Members seen here will be familiar to some of the Junior Gorillas? 

This first one looks like it could be in a souvenir guidebook; a CM interacts with a pair of adorable kids as smiling parents look on. "Hey kid, I like strained carrots too!". I'm assuming that the little girl is wearing the CM's hat? 

Would you buy a used car from these two? Of course not, they aren't selling cars, they're herding guests on (and off) of the rafts! They are holding cudgels, but they're hidden. "Mike" looks like he's guilty of something, though. Maybe he has a still on Tom Sawer Island.

"Oh Robin, Robin, run away with me to Par-ee! We'll stroll on the Bois de Boulogne, visit the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, and drink absinthe at a sidewalk cafe on the Left Bank". "You sure talk pretty, mister, but I like it here in the U. S. of A!". Heart broken.

Not many people know that, on the old Frontier, the gifting of hats was commonplace. "Now you are responsible for me for the rest of my life". "Wait, what? I don't even like this hat! Plus I'm two years old!". "Too late!". Happened all the time. 

It actually does get chilly at Disneyland occasionally, as can be observed here - a scarf and a comfy plaid coat (from the Pendleton store?) help to protect this woman from the harsh elements. That raft is absolutely packed with guests who want to explore Tom Sawyer Island!  

A Cavalry officer drops some hot gossip on that kid. "See that guy over there? He once ate so much popcorn that he barfed". "Gee, really, mister?". "I said it, didn't I??".

THANK YOU, Mysterious Benefactor!

Snoozles™ and Father’s Day

Did you know that it's JG's birthday today? Well it is! And as usual, Sue B. has gone above and beyond, providing a set of vintage scans to help celebrate. In this first one, the presumed birthday boy sits enthroned at the head of the table, beneath balloons, streamers, and the words HAPPY BIRTHDAY. See that little girl in the hallway? It's so strange, when mom took this picture, there was nobody there!

Whoa, the supply of crepe streamers in the US dropped to alarming levels after mom decorated this house. I enjoy the deflated balloons. Darn things! Why when I was a kid, balloons lasted forever! Instead of one big cake, it appears that each party attendant would get his/her own cupcake, complete with candle.

Those look like some massive cupcakes. But I could handle one! Some folks are licking the frosting off of their candles, while others are ready to tackle the main event.

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Guess what? It's not only JG's birthday, but it is also Father's Day! I have some personal photos from some Junior Gorillas to share, just for fun. Let's start with this great picture of Steve Stuart, aka "Nanook", with is dad. Such a sweet photo! Steve's dad looks like a proud papa, for sure.

Next is a picture of me and my dad. This might have been at our house in Evanston, Illinois. My dad is looking on as I consider sharing my beer with him. Sorry, pops, I love my suds! Actually, I do remember that he would, on occasion, let me (or my brother) have the last drops of beer when we desperately wanted to have what he was having. The funny thing is that I grew up not especially liking beer, though I like it fine now.

And one more Father's Day pic... here's a photo of Sue B's dad, Lou Perry (you know Lou!), taken just days ago; Lou took so many wonderful photos of Disneyland, going back to the early days of the park. Sue has shared a lot of them here on GDB, and that got the attention of author Chris Merritt. He was working on his massive book, "The Happiest Place on Earth: The Incredible Story of Walt Disney's Disneyland". From what I understand, five of Lou's photos wound up in the finished volume! The photo shows Lou, at age 96, holding a copy of Chris's book (which, by all reports, is stunning) - SO COOL! Thank you for everything, Lou (and Sue)! 

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And now (talk about an anticlimax)... it's Snoozle Time! First up is this look toward the Plaza's central hub, a green circle divided into quadrants. What a pleasant place to sit and relax in the shade. There's no "Partners" statue yet - not for another 35 years or so. I still think the statue should have had Walt and Mickey on motorcycles, but some ideas are too ahead of their time.

Next is this too-soft look (circa August, 1968) from the Peoplemover, gazing down on the entry to Tomorrowland, and the swirling purple and yellow flowers (designed by Rolly Crump). To the left, there are plenty of available tables at the Plaza Inn. An Omnibus is coming in for a landing, my dream is to hijack it and head onto the nearby freeway.

1964 New York World's Fair, October 1964

I woke up in a cold sweat and knew that I had to share some photos from the 1964/65 New York World's Fair! 

From the undulating roof of the Eastman Kodak pavilion comes this look toward the Pepsi/UNICEF pavilion, featuring Walt Disney's "it's a small world". And there's the Tower of the Four winds! We know that Rolly Crump was disappointed with the bulked-up Tower, but from here it looks very graceful, in my opinion. Cheer up, Rolly! You did good! Near the middle of the photo is the Better Living Center, and to the left of that (the low round roofs) was the Schaefer Center, where you could enjoy a crisp cold glass of Schaefer beer. 

The Solar Fountain was a surprisingly popular photo subject. 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.

You know it, you love it, it's the Unisphere! Symbol of the New York World's Fair 1964/1965 is this 12-story-high stainless steel model of the earth designed, built and presented to the Fair by United States Steel. Dedicated to "Peace through Understanding," the Unisphere will remain on its site when the Fair is over, as a permanent gift to the City of New York for the improved Flushing Meadow Park that will be created on the fairgrounds. It is located at the Fountain of the Continents, near the center of the Fair. Seen from the edge of the pool, it shows the world as it appears from 6,000 miles in space. I don't know, it looks more like 5,000 miles to me.

Whoa, the gloom overtook the Fair! As you can see from that sign, this is the Lowenbrau Gardens. The brewers of Lowenbrau, a Bavarian beer, have reconstructed an open-air Bavarian-style restaurant set in a village square. The square is surrounded by five buildings, including a bell tower and gate. Three of the buildings are service areas for the restaurant. Every now and again Lowenbrau's brewery wagon, drawn by four massive horses, can be seen in the street outside, or traveling about the fairgrounds.

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

Mine Train, December 12, 1969

Hey hey! No, we're not the Monkees, it's JBs birthday. Now he is officially old enough to operate a forklift under the sea. I'm very proud. Sue B. has found some fun vintage birthday pix to share on this important occasion.

Let's start with this teenager's party pic; there might be 16 candles on that mysterious green cake (obviously a delicious spinach cake). The girl in dark blue is very fond of the lad, is she a nice sister? Cigarettes, matches, and an ashtray are on the table, there's plenty for everyone. The girl in the Colts sweatshirt can't fool me, she's an elf visiting from Lothlórien. 

Next... well, this is an odd one. the people in the window are smiling at us as if we are on exhibit in a zoo. One of the women handed me a book titled "To Serve Man", I can't wait to read it. Why is there a box of "Scotkins" in the bird bath? And who is Scotkins?

There are certain Disneyland subjects that I never get tired of. The Autopia! The Tomorrowland Spaceman! Trashcans! Holiday Hill! Etcetera. The old Mine Train (Through Nature's Wonderland) is another. And so, my homies, I am happy to present you with this first scan, circa 1969. There's the load area for the Pack Mules, and beyond that, a Mine Train passing the little town of Rainbow Ridge as it begins its journey through the wilderness. 

This is an unusual angle, and I was pretty puzzled as to where the photographer was standing, but, to nobody's surprise, they were aboard the Mark Twain (well, OK, it could have been the Columbia), returning to the dock; this scene would have been visible off to the east. I'm kind of surprised that I don't have any other similar views in all of my thousands of slides.

Let's zoom in a little bit, just because. Seeing pictures like this make me miss the old Mine Train more than ever. Hey look, a trashcan in the lower left corner! For mule... stuff?

Next is this nice "you are there" photo taken from a Mine Train car as the train returned to the load area. 

New Orleans Square, August 1970

New Orleans Square officially opened on June 24th, 1966, to much acclaim, even though its first major attraction, "Pirates of the Caribbean", would not open until nine months later (on March 18th, 1967). Nevertheless, visitors were delighted by the winding streets and architectural details, and the charming shops.

Here are some neat pictures of New Orleans Square from the summer of 1970. It's astonishing to see it looking so devoid of people, especially at the height of the vacation season. In the distance is the Rivers of America. I believe the shop to the left (with the oval sign) is Mlle. Antoinette's Parfumerie,  and to the right, Cristal d'Orleans (the sign is mostly obscured), and beyond that, Lafitte's Silver Shop. Notice the sign for Royal Street, which angles off to the right.

Next, this is Royal Street, I believe - again, nearly empty! You can see the famous etched-glass sign for Club 33, and beyond that, the Blue Bayou; there's also the gold-leafed sign for "Le Gourmet" to the right.

And finally, here's a photo of the "One of a Kind" shop. Wouldn't you love to be able to walk in and see what stuff they had for sale??

Two From July 1961

I have a couple of good scans for you today, starting with this nice portrait of a brother and sister in Tomorrowland. Walt's personal Autopia car can just be seen to the left, while wondrous souvenirs we sold beneath those conical shades. Perhaps the girls ribboned hat was purchased mere moments earlier at the table to the right of the boy! 

Next is this fairly-standard view from a Skyway gondola. It might be a standard view, but we can't get anything like it today, so I appreciate photos like this!

ADDENDUM: I received an email from Rob, and he had a question regarding a restaurant that used to be near the park:

I have fond memories of a breakfast restaurant in Anaheim that served huge portions. I remember a pound of bacon to a side order, a dozen eggs to an order and a quart of tomato juice in a huge glass. This was back in the '80s when we would go to Disneyland and I remember looking forward to going to this restaurant several times through the '80s. 

I don't think it's around anymore but since I saw your email associated with motels in the area during the same time. I thought perhaps you'd remember the name of the restaurant.

As I told Rob, I never stayed in any of the motels or ate at any of the nearby restaurants, so perhaps one of you knows the place that he is thinking of.

Stuff From the Box

It's time for more STUFF FROM THE BOX! While I have shared photos of other stuff, my last SFTB post was around six months ago. I'm delving into a "new" box, though I've actually shared some of the items inside it before (some rejiggering was done)  and there's only about 15 items that were not photographed.  So we won't spend much time with the Richmond Club Mixture (pipe tobacco?) collection. 

Most (but not all) of those 15 items are souvenir rings - a popular premium from around the 1930s up to the 1950s or 60s. This first ring seems to be a generic (but nice) cowboy item, with a fellow on a rearing bronc. The design is very similar to a ring given away in conjunction with the Billy West Club - Billy West was a 1940s comic character. However, that ring, while almost identical, has the words "Billy West Club" under the horse's front hooves. So this one remains something of a mystery.

Not a ring! Instead, this tiny pin advertising the Sealtest Safety Club. Sealtest was a producer of dairy products. Cheese! Cottage cheese! Cream cheese! Other cheeses! Sorry, I'm choking under pressure. I'm sure I bought this on a whim at some collector show, I found myself picking up oddball items like this for a while.

Next is this little stamped-tin badge from Gorton's Seafoods. I tend to like these little badges, though I have to wonder who wore these. Little boys who loved fish sticks, I guess. Maybe Mickey Mantle wore one. You can't prove that he didn't!

Back to rings! Ranger Rick's Nature Club. No, it's not a "clothing optional" resort, Ranger Rick was a character made popular by the National Wildlife Federation in a magazine started in 1967 called Ranger Rick's Nature Magazine. Ranger Rick is a raccoon that serves as the park ranger and leader of Deep Green Wood. He was first portrayed extinguishing a forest fire in the first issue. He and his friends have many adventures together... and always look for new ways to help preserve the environment. We love you, Ranger Rick!

And finally, here's a Tom Mix Sterling Silver signature ring, given out by Ralston in 1942. Famous for their pet chows, Ralston also manufactured breakfast cereals, especially of the whole-grain variety. It's hard to tell here, but the panel with the signature is in fact a shiny silver color, supposedly plated in the precious metal (call me skeptical). Of course, Tom Hezekiah (really!) Mix was one of the biggest cowboy stars of early cinema.

Stay tuned for more STUFF FROM THE BOX! I'll try not to wait another six months.

A Pair From June, 1969

Here's a pair of pretty OK pictures from the summer of 1969. Soon I was to stow away on Apollo 11, but you won't find that in any of the history books. 

Wouldn't it be cool if elephants really could fly? There are obvious drawbacks, but the "pros" outweigh the "cons". It appears to have been a busy (and June-gloomy) day, there are sweaters aplenty. Of course the pictures could have been taken months earlier, but I'm afraid that I am offering no refunds. The man in the foreground is disappointed to discover that all he has left is two "A" coupons and one "B" coupon. "But I really wanted to go on the Jungle Cruise!" (tears in his eyes).

Over in Frontierland, somebody took this photo of the entry to Aunt Jemima's Kitchen. I confess that I would have never thought to take such a photo. I'd take boring pictures of the Matterhorn and Mark Twain! A mom and her two sons leave the restaurant, full of pancakes and syrup, refreshed and ready to go!

Blurzles

Just when I think I've used up all of my Blurzles, I manage to find a few more. Life is funny that way. This first example is from July 1958, with a nice-but-standard view from the Skyway, looking down on Fantasyland and all of the familiar attractions. The Skyway Chalet looks surprisingly big, but it would seem to shrink as the trees around it grew bigger and bigger. Speaking of big, that hill to the left always impresses me, it's an in-the-park berm (50 feet high?) that separates Fantasyland and Frontierland. On the other side, the Rainbow Caverns Mine Train chugged along through alkali deserts and cactus forests. 

Just three months later (October 1958), another blurry photo shows crowds in the Plaza migrating toward the castle. It almost looks like the Omnibus isn't operating, but it's possible that the people to the left are just about to board. In less than a year, the Matterhorn would stand where that low hillside is (visible above that man's straw hat).

Vintage Amusements

I love photos of vintage amusements! This can include anything from beach boardwalks, carnivals, World's Fairs, you name it. I have two examples for you today, starting with this July 1964 photo of two young girls in an exciting (needs verification) speedboat ride at some unknown fair (everything looks very temporary). The boat is barely making a ripple, but it does appear to be in motion. Luckily, going around and around in a circle is enough for most children. At what age do they outgrow such inanities? That being said, I still enjoy the occasional ride on a carousel, which is as cycloidal as you can get.

Here's a photo of a classic "Shoot the Chutes" ride, from a slide that was unlabeled (though dated "August, 1958"). Looking up "Shoot the Chutes", I discovered that this is a photo from Riverview Park in Chicago, which existed from 1904 (my birth year) until 1967. So... after going down the chute, did the boats somehow coast all the way back to a load area? Were trained carp used to tow them back? Enquiring minds want to know.

Here's a photo that I scrounged from the Internet, I haven't found another Shoot the Chutes ride with those distinctive decorative scrolls (or whatever you might call them), so I'm pretty confident that about the Riverview Park ID. It's cool to find photos from extinct amusement parks, but I'd prefer that the park was still around. Apparently the land was sold and used for a number of purposes, including a shopping center, a high school, and dental equipment manufacturer. Spit, please!