It's always a bit of a disappointment to scan some early Disneyland slides that appear (to the naked eye) to be very nice, but they turn out to be just a little bit out of focus. Today's examples are from a lot from March, 1957, and while they have their flaws, they are still worth a gander.
It's a beautiful, sunny day, though perhaps cooler than you might think (notice a number of coats and sweaters). Looks perfect to me. The entrance to Frontierland looks a bit sparse, but that's how life on the plains was. Trees were not plentiful, because they were all cut down to build log forts, stockades, cabins, and 6-11s (they change the name to "7-11" in the 1940s). You can still see some of the stumps of trees in the lower left, I don't think those remained there for much longer (tree stumps became a valuable resource during the Cold War).
This next one was a real heartbreaker, I always love a good view of the pre-Nature's Wonderland Mine Trains in their original dark green paint scheme. Lucky guests ride up in the locomotive while a brave Redshirt keeps an eye out for mountain lions and vampire bats. The train is passing through the Saguaro Forest, and it looks like some California poppies have sprung up on that hillside. Our State flower! Just over that mini-berm is the tallest mast of the Pirate Ship.
Major-
ReplyDelete"... and it looks like some California poppies have sprung up on that hillside. Our State flower!"
I prefer Iceland poppies, with their large, colorful bowl-shaped flowers. But 'when in Rome', I must yield to the California poppy. Here's to the Rainbow Mountain Railroad.
Thanks, Major.
I bet those 6-11s had the exact same weenies rotating in the warmer that todays 7-11s have. Not just similar, the exact same ones! (Thank goodness for preservatives!)
ReplyDeleteThe focus is a little screwy on this first one. The left half is blurry, while the right half is mostly in focus. Obviously, the Park was sliding into a black hole, and the south (left) side of the Park was already in the early stages of 'spaghettification'; thus the blur. Evidently, the photographer is part of the group on the bridge, who are looking at us.
OK, in this photo, the lower half is (mostly) in focus while the upper half is not. Not sure if it's the black hole effect again. We can see that strange cactus that looks like one of those advertising "Tube Men" flippity-flopping from the air blower underneath. What does the little white sign say?
I suppose these would be considered 'average' Snoozles. Not bad, just a little flawed. Thanks, Major.
We can see that strange cactus that looks like one of those advertising "Tube Men" flippity-flopping from the air blower underneath. What does the little white sign say?
ReplyDeleteJB, that sign says, "GO SEE CAL!"
Thanks for this week's Snoozles, Major!
I’m out of town this weekend so I could not double check what the sign reads but I believe it says “BRAKE” a message to the engineer… I’m sure Ken Stack will recall for sure.
ReplyDeleteThe world of the serious Disney collector has always been a bit arcane to me. I know that sometimes trades are made in lieu of cash, but I had no idea that waterfowl was a medium of exchange.
ReplyDeleteIf the tallest mast of the Pirate Ship is just over that mini-berm, where do they keep the rest of the ship?
Nanook, you can love any flower, it’s OK! I have a fondness for California poppies ever since going to a poppy preserve out in the desert. Spectacular!
ReplyDeleteJB, I don’t go to 7-11 very often (sometimes I need a Slurpee on a hot day), but every time I see those hotdogs rotating on the cooker/warmer thingy, I wonder how long those things have been there. I can easily make hotdogs at home so I never want to buy them when I’m out. So many of the other photos in this batch were excellent, so I don’t know how these turned out to be blurry. I guess every photographer can get “the yips”. Yes, the cacti look like those tube-guys who flop around! I can’t read that little white sign, sadly, because I don’t know how to read.
TokyoMagic!, So weird, I was literally talking about Cal Worthington with a buddy a few days ago, after not thinking about Cal for years!
Mike Cozart, huh, interesting. You’d think the guys piloting the trains would learn to slow down at certain points along the way without the need for the sign. On the other hand, the guests probably never saw the sign!
Chuck, all I can say is that Disney collectors are weird and I want nothing to do with them! As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve gone all-in on Beanie Babies. The rest of the Pirate Ship is stored in Walt’s Apartment when he’s not there.
I love it when GDB pics have details I’ve never noticed before, even after decades of examining pictures of the Park. Examples today include the tree stumps at the fort entrance, which make complete sense, and the little sign imploring speed control. Those engineers might get carried away.
ReplyDeleteI like the view of the pirate masts too, a reminder of how compressed Disneyland is. That bit of leakage between the themes enforces the liminal space and takes us away from the regular world.
Hearing about Cal Worthington, of whom I became aware only from TV ads while staying in Anaheim motels, makes me want a roller dog…
In photo one, we see more adults than kids, heading for Hard Facts Land, maybe because it’s still alive in their memories. Today, people that age are wearing pink glitter mouse ears and fighting over popcorn buckets.
Thanks Major, I enjoyed this trip to Blurryland.
JG
The church ladies on the right are eyeing the stumps. And I wonder why the various ungulates choose to die on that roof.
ReplyDeleteThat one cactus is glad to see us.
I loved this ride as a kid and still would if they didn't ruin everything.
The sign says 'Burma Shave.
Thanks Major!
Zach
Major-
ReplyDeleteI believe THIS will help answer 'the question of the day'.
Oh, the reminders of not taking that extra moment to make sure everything is in focus before snapping that shutter! Otherwise, these are very nice photos. Now, one can simply run the images through A.I. and you get the quality of what's there today.
ReplyDeleteLore has it that not too many of those "redshirt" guys would return from these expeditions into the wilderness, (usually ones named "Guy"). I'll bet my pink glitter mouse ears on that story. ;)
Zach, I think that Golden Eagles would often carry the entire carcass of their ungulate prey up onto the rooftops of buildings to devour. Or it could be the killer Swans I keep reading about on this site.
Oh! One can see the top of a Skyway pylon in the second photo! :)
Thanks Major!
Was that picture from a few weeks ago of the parking lot tram that was partly in focus and partly in "motion blur" from the same batch of either of these? Maybe there was a problem with the camera - bad optics, film not aligned correctly on the sprockets...
ReplyDeleteThe moment I saw the second shot, my right thumb started to shake in anticipation of feathering the speed with the air brakes on that downhill run toward the paint pots and Old Unfaithful! You could derail around that corner if you went too fast! KS
ReplyDeleteThank you, KS (and MIKE) for knowing exactly what the sign was - and the possible consequences for disobeying its message...
ReplyDeleteCAL WORTHINGTON!! …. Growing up in San Diego we got lots of tv stations from L.A …. And remember those gimmicky CAL commercials…. Not long ago some friends and I reminisced about how as kids we thought as CAL rode a hippopotamus around his car lot his jingle was “pussy cow! ,Pussy cow! , Pussy cow!!” But was it was really ; “go see cal!!” Lol. But otherwise still remember the song. Like :
ReplyDelete“Pete Ellis Dodge , Long Beach Freeway , Firestone exit , South Gate!! “ ( or was it South Bay??)
JG, at this point, little details are some one of the things that I most enjoy finding. I just looked at a photo of the old Dumbo ride, and noticed a crescent moon painted on the door into the ticket booth, something I’ve never seen before. I’ve never been to any other Disney park, but I agree with you, the compression, and what they managed to do with what turned out to be relatively-little space, is really amazing. It is something to think that in 1959, there were guests who might have had grandparents who experienced the real Old West.
ReplyDeletezach, church ladies hate tree stumps! Nobody knows why, but it’s true. “Ungulates” is a great word! I had to see which cactus you were talking about. And now I do. I would absolutely love the Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland if it was around today, but wonder if the young ‘uns would too?
Nanook, there it is, nice and clear!
Omnispace, I’m so used to “dumb” camera that required no manual settings for exposure or manual focusing. I feel like I would be overwhelmed by a “real” camera! In fact I bought a super nice Nikon in the 80s, and used it a bit in school, only to have digital start to creep in. I still have the camera, gathering dust for decades. I wish I could somehow convert it to digital. Maybe there’s a way? Red shirts are just a bad idea altogether, most folks know it. Isn’t there some cryptid in the Southwest that is supposed to be a giant eagle or buzzard? I’d look it up, but am too lazy.
Dean Finder, that tram photo appeared on New Year’s Day, and it is from a different batch! Taken almost exactly one year earlier than today’s scans.
KS, ha ha, old habits die hard! I sort of love that you still have the ride in your blood after all these years. I wonder if derailments happened, since they saw fit to add that sign?
Nanook, yes, very cool that we have such knowledgeable folks.
Mike Cozart, ha ha, well “Pussy cow!” is a new one! Soon to be a major motion picture. Yes, Pete Ellis Dodge was in South Gate. Talk about a successful jingle.
If you need a car or truck go see Cal. I didn’t see Cal, nor did I want to. Even as a kid looking at a black and white TV with an antenna on Channel 13…generally for second rate shows…I thought he was a shyster…with one finger on the dial ready to call PETA. I’m sure he sold zillions of cars: those ads played non stop. I’m enjoying the green Mine Train locomotives! I like them better. They are subtle and sophisticated…but I suppose the red clad employees look better with the “new” color. Poppies are wonderful in any context, and during California poppy season…the places where they grow enmasse are spectacular. Look. Don’t pick. Picking them is naughty in the wild. The grow like weeds though in that neck of the woods. I drove 19th St in SF for years, and they pop up in the median during the season. They are so very sweet, and of course they thrive in their native environment. Such beautiful flowers from the teeniest and tiniest of seeds. Cactus should also grow like weeds in that Anaheim sand. I have a tiny expression of cacti indoors from Moorten’s garden in Palm Springs. An awesome place that I’ve mentioned before, and has its Disneyland connections as they supplied many cacti for “a park I’m building” said Walt who lived a few blocks away and knew Mr. Moorten- a supplier to Walt’s Smoke Tree ranch house. And it’s all still there. Take a look. Thanks Major.
ReplyDelete