Here's a pair of goodies for you to start your weekend off in the right direction. Let's begin with this lovely photo of Tomorrowland, taken at the very end of 1969. Everyone was still giddy from the success of Zond-7, the Soviet Union's spacecraft that circled the moon and returned to Earth (in August). I dressed as Zond-7 for Halloween, as did many дети that year. Anyhoo, I always love a look at the classic New Tomorrowland, with the Peoplemover overhead. Not only would the Peoplemover transport you in comfort, it would keep your cans of soda ice cold. There are not many guests, even though it appears to have been a perfect day (keep a jacket in a locker for later, though).
I suppose I should have placed this one first, but that's what they would expect me to do. We've survived the parking lot, taken the tram to the gates, purchased our tickets, and now we're making our way toward the west tunnel beneath the railroad tracks. But first... let's go say hello to Goofy. The angle of the woman with the green pants makes me think she's running. She so durn excited! The color and lighting are so nice here, and it's always great to see the E.P. Ripley a-waiting at the station. In the tunnel, a Swiss Family Treehouse poster and a Jungle Cruise poster can be discerned.
Major-
ReplyDelete"In the tunnel, a Swiss Family Treehouse poster and a Jungle Cruise poster..."
Don't forget the Submarine poster - and I believe a lone Storybook Land poster appended to the fence.
Thanks, Major.
The Tomorrowland photo has that Kodachrome look to it; saturated, warm colors. Could just be the late afternoon sun though. There's a lone Sweeper on the right; dust pan and broom in hand. I wonder if the Rocket Jets were flying that day; I don't see anybody up there on the platform.
ReplyDelete"it would keep your cans of soda ice cold" Disney should've had Igloo sponsor the PeopleMover. The cars really do look like ice chests.
A lot of people are smiling at Goofy's antics. Or maybe they are smiling at the people going cra-cra at the sight of Goofy. I agree, the color is nice here, but not quite right? A bit of the 'uncanny valley' where something is 'off' just a bit, and it draws our attention. Not sure what it is. Maybe the colors are too colorful? (I'm in a picky mood apparently.)
Two bright and colorful pics! Thanks, Major.
This is taken after the 1968 PeopleMover retro fit … the PeopleMover bodies have been redone with fiberglass …. Replacing the summer sun warped ABS bodies the attraction opened with. Not visible are the new waffle textures push-platens that cause slippage and problems during the attraction’s first year. The rocket jets are closed today as a paint shop-possible sign shop employee in all white ( maintenance wears a blue work shirt) is standing on a step ladder working on the upper flight deck guest covering structure.
ReplyDelete1969 would be the last year Disneyland had new silkscreened attraction posters in the original 36”x 54” size . A lithographic Country Bear Jamboree poster featuring a silkscreened “Bear Country” would be created in 1972, but that would be the last original size posters created. At this point Disneyland was planning on discontinuing the use of attraction posters all together. A small group of WED graphic designers who had created beautiful silkscreened Main Street USA elevations as presentation displays to show potential sponsors what the facades could look like with their logos fought to keep attraction posters going and showed WED management what the newest Serigraph technology was capable of producing and created the beautiful and elaborate “Disneyland Railroad Bicentennial Special” attraction poster .. it won the Golden Squeegee award honored by the silk-screeners guild . WED management and Disneyland was so impressed … and knowing that the entire Disneyland main entrance was going to be completely redesigned in preparation for the 1980 25th anniversary, the graphic designers were given the green light to start redoing the the oldest attraction posters and any new ones in the newer size and Serigraph format - saving the Disney attraction poster program.
*** the Main Street USA Serigraph prints were done for Walt Disney World - to clarify. Full sets of these were framed and displayed in all the walls of the WDW Town Square Cafe. Some of these Main Street elevation serigraphs are in collector’s collections but feature companies and sponsors that were never actually under contracts as they were often used to court potential sponsors to become involved with WDW. For whatever reason these elaborate presentation elevations were never screened up for Disneyland.
ReplyDeleteEveryone in the second photo appears to be in mid-stride. I think Goofy had just "goosed" Miss Green Pants, and that's why she was jumping.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the Haunted Mansion still had a "new" smell in December of 1969?
Thanks for sharing these, Major!
Smiles.
ReplyDeleteMS
Classic Tomorrowland view in photo 1, and at least 5 Trashcans of the Future are in residence. I’d buy a PeopleMover ice chest even today.
ReplyDeleteHabits are funny things. As a kid, we entered through the East tunnel and walked in down the east side of Main Street, but after Indiana Jones and Splash Mountain we shifted to the West tunnel to be closer to the Adventureland entrance. Anyone else always going through a particular side?
Thanks Major!
JG
With the E.P. Ripley's roof hatch nearly closed, I'm suspecting it wasn't a terribly hot day at this point...
ReplyDeleteNanook, yep, I was going for the “low hanging fruit”, but you are right about those other posters!
ReplyDeleteJB, both of these have great color, something that is surprisingly uncommon among old slides that tend to be too pink, blue, or yellow. I agree, it looks like the Rocket Jets might be down for maintenance that day. And the Peoplemover always reminds me of my red Igloo ice chest! I think the smiles on the faces are a bit of everything, some are happy to see him, some are smiling at the reaction he caused. Now I’m thinking Miss Green Pants might be sprinting to avoid him! Ha ha, me: “Gee the colors on these are wonderful”. JB: “These are a bit it TOO colorful!”. You win some, you lose some.
Mike Cozart, it must have been quite a thing to cast those huge Peoplemover cars in ABS plastic. And extremely expensive to redo them in fiberglass! You’d think that the waffle texture on the push-platens would prevent slippage? Good eye on the paint-shop employee. It’s a bit sad that Disneyland was considering cutting the poster program, how many people were excited by those beautiful silkscreens even if they didn’t even consciously know it? I still remember seeing some in a Howard Lowery auction many years ago, and thinking, “I could actually own one of those??”. Eventually I was fortunate enough to have dozens. And I still love them. I have one of those Bicentennial RR posters, along with the little parchment sheet that tells about the many colors use (60!). I wish I had a Golden Squeegee! Thanks Mike.
Mike Cozart, I wonder if I’ve ever seen the Main Street serigraphs that you wrote about? I’m really not sure.
TokyoMagic!, Goofy did “goose” that woman, but he was careful to use two fingers, so it’s OK. Oh yeah, the Mansion was pretty new, imagine seeing it so early!!
MS, I’m glad these made you smile.
JG, hey, that’s a great idea! An ice chest that looks just like the Peoplemover! It could have the roof, but it would be removable for use as an ice chest. Pay JG a million dollars, Disney!
Steve DeGaetano, most people are dressed for cool weather (even though SoCal can have hot Decembers), so you are right about it not being hot!
Yes … the waffle patterned platens were added in 1968 to stop the PeopleMover from having slippage from motor to car contact. The waffle pattern was used until the attraction closed forever all though a few different materials had been used over the attraction’s life. It’s sad that the Disneyland PeopleMover has been gone longer than it existed…..(TRE!!)
ReplyDeleteNow I want to make a hardsided cooler that looks like a Peoplemover vehicle. I just have to check youtube for instructions on how to mold plastic.
ReplyDeleteMike Cozart, there was a time when I had hope that we might get a Peoplemover back in Disneyland, but… I’ve lost hope!
ReplyDeleteDean Finder, I’ve seen people make some pretty amazing things on YouTube, but I don’t know if I’ve seen anybody mold a large plastic item. Maybe 3D printing would do it?
”In the tunnel, a Swiss Family Treehouse poster and a Jungle Cruise poster can be discerned.” That’s an often overlooked - but absolutely essential - step in poster maintenance. I’m sure you keep your collection in airtight containers to prevent cerning.
ReplyDeleteJG, when I was a kid, we usually entered through the east tunnel, crossed the street at the north end of Town Square, and then headed up the west side of Main Street to look in the Emporium windows before heading into Adventureland. This is still my preferred entry plan, although as I have advanced in age, there is sometimes a detour to the right immediately after the tunnel to, um, attend to some personal matters.
Although…now that I think about it…I seem to recall us going through the west tunnel on the first day of my last visit. I think that was because that’s the way the crowd pushed us as we all looked at our phones, frantically trying to make reservations for attractions as we walked. Then Mrs. Chuck slipped twice on a curb on Town Square (it had been raining and the soapy residue from thousands of bubble guns made everything slick), hit the ground hard on the second fall, and deteriorated over the next few days to the point where we had to get her a wheelchair on the last day. Then she got really wet on POTC after dark, and it being November and the fact that she wasn’t moving and generating heat, she got really cold - almost hypothermic - and we dove into the Emporium in the last few hours the Park was open - something no sane human should ever do - to get her a sweatshirt. The crowd closed in around her, and it was only through the kind efforts of a friend who had worked in DL Merchandising many years before and understood how to handle the situation that we were able to get her a shirt that fit, through the purchasing process, and out the door for a final couple of loops on the DLRR before limping back to the hotel.
No more west tunnel for me, thank you.