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!
Great fun photos, but yeah...ice cream cart, or horse poop can?...frightfully similar.
ReplyDeleteMS
...see GDB from TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2009
ReplyDeleteBlack Bart looks suitably deranged, but his companion isn’t noticing. These days, if kids were so close to someone that crazy, we would worry. The lady on the boardwalk across the way is making sure her hair is right to be in the picture.
ReplyDeleteI would second the group conclusion about the vendor location, but the proof from Daveland is really something. The HOTF looks like a big soap dish being assembled.
Tokyo, I think you are right about Screaming Kid Tree, but I’m more disoriented by the first B&W photo, so I’m not sure.
I guess Bu never wore the Dress Whites, it is certainly quite a rig.
Thanks Major, MB, and Dave for an informative post!
JG
Ah the House of the Future in the Past when it actually was in the Future, but before it was actually in the Past, when it was still in the Future in the Past (although now all of that has passed).
ReplyDeleteI have a headache.
Anonymous, thanks for finding that photo of Trinidad. I knew there were some on GDB but just didn’t have time this morning to find any. To save everyone some time, a link to that page is HERE. Scroll to the BTM of the page for the photo.
ReplyDeleteAlso - THIS GDB PAGE from May 5th, 2008, shows a nice photo of Aylene Lewis as Aunt Jemima.
Nanook, I’m surprised that the faded film you mentioned has a layer of dye that you can actually feel with your fingers. Reminds me of early Kodachrome, if you look at it at an angle in the light you can see the layers in very shallow relief. Was 20th Century Fox famous for using the cheapest color system? Zanuck needed the money for military uniforms!
ReplyDeleteJB, that first pic feels like a spur-of-the-moment pic, though I was wondering if the kids sitting on the distant bench might have been the children of the photographer. I think Black Bart is wearing his standard top hat, though it’s hard to see well. I’m sure that moving or planting trees was all part of the House of the Future construction project, after all they wanted their plastic house to look nice. And you are right, that IS a coral shrimp claw, for a while there were shrimp vendors at Disneyland. I wish they built a mini-Matterhorn for kids, with a baby Yeti. I gots ideas.
TokyoMagic!, I can just see Walt. “A house of WOOD? Sensational! Make it happen *cough*!” It’s nice to see Screaming Kidney Kid’s tree in the early days, before it was famous. It was fun restoring these scans!
Chuck, I couldn’t figure out what that cloth thing is either. I hope it’s a cape, because I am planning to wear capes in my older years (and carry a cane or walking stick). You make a good point about the CM, I remember those costume photos of the cast members, and it seemed that a person “of color” was pretty much going to be assigned to Adventureland or possibly Frontierland if they could pass for Native American. Black Bart needs to be a little more secretive about his “hidden aces”, I can give him some tips. I’m sorry the links were not what you’d hoped, but maybe someday I can reveal all of Daveland’s secrets (plus his pin number and SSN!).
MS, well now I can’t un-think “horse poop can”!
Anonymous, you mean the picture of Trinidad on that March 17th, 2009 post? I have other photos of him too! How in the world did you remember that old blog post?
JG, Black Bart loved to give the evil eye! It’s kind of amazing to see a character pointing very realistic guns at people all the time. Bart isn’t crazy, he’s just misunderstood, and probably needs a hug. Ha, the HOF really does look like a weird soap dish. I’m definitely relying on TokyoMagic’s memory, I would have never even though about Kidney Kid’s tree. I’m not sure when the did away with the “dress whites”, but it was pretty early-on.
Stu29573, now we ALL have headaches!
Chuck, thank you for finding and making those convenient links! I hope Aylene Lewis was happy at her job, I would assume that people were nice to her and wanted her photo.
It looks like the gambler is brandishing a gun so not someone I would want to play cards with. And I'm sure the man in white just got off his camel, out of picture to the left, and is a customer.
ReplyDeleteGreat job on the background, with photos!
Thanks MB, Daveland, Major and the Gorilla Sleuths.
Zach