I've been scanning a group of faded 35mm slides - some were so washed out that they seemed destined to be future Snoozles. But thanks to Photoshop, many were restored to something approximating their former glory! Here are two of the nicer examples.
When I viewed this slide on my light table (so light that it wants to float away in a breeze), and didn't think much of it, but after a quick scan and the twiddling of a few knobs, we can now see that Black Bart is giving us the evil eye. He looks plum loco! I'm guessing that the fellow sitting next to him worked on the Mark Twain - he might be loco too.
I was especially happy with the way this slide looked after restoration - it's a wonderful shot of an ice cream vendor in the "dress whites" that you'd see in those early years, also worn by popcorn vendors and sweepers. I don't have my bearings, but if I had to guess, I'd say that the Castle is probably out of frame to our left, and the hilly area in the distance (behind the vendor) is roughly where Holiday Hill was. But I could be wrong. I wish I could figure out what that scaffolding was for in the background!
EXTRA! EXTRA!
The Mysterious Benefactor, friend of GDB (and all mankind) helped to ID the location of the Ice Cream Vendor photo, including photo evidence from Daveland (used with permission - see their origins HERE and HERE).
In my photo, you can just see a bit of a sign to the left of the vendor himself - it is not legible, but thanks to Dave's photo, we know it advertised the "Richfield Autopia of Fantasyland".
In this next photo, you can see the location of the Ice Cream Vendor to the left, and the Monsanto House of the Future is right about where the scaffolding is located in my own scan (though construction is much farther along in Dave's photo):
MANY THANKS to the Mysterious Benefactor and to Dave DeCaro for their help!
Major-
ReplyDeleteI was gonna confirm your guess as to where image #2 was...and indeed it's correct - as we can see it is.
As far as faded images are concerned - thanks to projecting millions of feet of 35mm film, going back to the silent era, I've seen it all. Probably the worst offenders came from the De Luxe Labs - with the "color" of their prints notorious for turning garish shades of pink. However, their single-worst offense was so bad, what was left of the remaining pink image was almost invisible - the raised layer from the dye coupler dyes providing greater clues to the original images thru 'touch' than what remained to the naked eyes-! Truly one for the books. (And no, I don't remember the title of the film - I think it was a 'war film' - but naturally it was from 2oth Century-Fox, and was used as a test for 4-track magnetic sound, the print being striped for such a sound format).
Thanks, Major.
Black Bart aside, this is clearly a definitive study of the green bench in the foreground. The photographer is planning on building one for his back yard. I thought Black Bart wore a regular cowboy-type stetson. Here, he is sporting a bowler, or derby. He looks like a river boat gambler, which would explain the Mark Twain CM next to him.
ReplyDeleteThe scaffolding seems to be supporting the tree. And it looks like there is a big root ball at the base of the tree. Maybe it is being moved? Or maybe that's the Matterhorn in its early stages of construction... it was originally going to be much smaller. :-p
And what is that red and white thing on the ground next to the vendor? It looks like a coral shrimp claw.
Awww, you mean the scaffolding is not the mini-Matterhorn being built? I'm crestfallen. But I might be correct about that tree being relocated (to make room for the HotF). Now my crest isn't as fallen as it was.
Thank you to M.B., Dave, and Major.
Ha, ha....before seeing the two black and white photos, I was going to suggest that the wood scaffolding was for the very FIRST version of the House of the Future. The all-wood version.
ReplyDeleteIn the first black and white pic, is that "Screaming Kidney Kid's" olive tree on the far left? It sure looks like it, and it IS in the correct location.
Thank you Major, for doing the extra work on these photos to elevate them out of the "Snoozle" category. And thank you M.B., for helping to identify the exact location!
What is that cloth item draped across the bench under the riverboat CM’s arm? A cape? Bunting? I am pleased to see photographic evidence of an African American cast member so early in Disneyland’s history. I don’t recall seeing pictures of any others besides Trinidad Gallego, the famous “White Wing” sweeper on Main Street, and Aylene Lewis, who played Aunt Jemima at the Pancake House.
ReplyDeleteNote the playing card in Black Bart’s hat, further reinforcing the riverboat gambler motif described by JB. Either that, or it says “In this style 10/6,” which would explain his mad look.
Nice group detective work on the location of the ice cream vendor, although I’m a little disappointed in those links. I thought they were going to be for the origin stories of the Mysterious Benefactor and Daveland Dave.
Thanks, Major, MB, and DDC!