New Orleans Square, 1960s
Somebody was awfully impressed with the ornate wrought iron of New Orleans Square, which had presumably opened relatively recently. We all need more wrought iron in our lives! Think about it. They should have had an animatronic Walt open those shutters and poke his head out of the window, maybe he could even wink at the people below. I've got ideas.
11 comments:
Major-
"Somebody was awfully impressed with the ornate wrought iron of New Orleans Square..."
Actually, it was all about the tassels on the umbrellas-!
(I thought 1996 was when the name was changed to Petticoat Junction...)
Thanks, Major.
Major, besides Walt poking his head out the window and winking, you left out the most important thing! Spitting animatronic chili beans down on the adoring crowd!
Hmm, I'd give this photo a "close, but no cigar" rating. The individual elements are there but they don't really come together to form a pleasing picture. For one thing, with everything in shadow, the image looks kind of drab, dreary, and deserted. Not a bad pic, but not what it could've been. Evidently, I'm in a picky mood again tonight.
I can't think of anything to say about the water tower; it isn't speaking to me... not after that argument we had in 1975. The less said about it, the better.
Thanks for the glimpse of N'awlins, Major.
They should have had an animatronic Walt open those shutters and poke his head out of the window, maybe he could even wink at the people below.
Major, it would also be great if he would speak and tell the people down below about how he was envious of his brother's job as a postman. That story is quite riveting and possibly the best "Walt" anecdote ever.
Thanks for the NOS pic, Major, and also for the one taken down at the "junction."
That wheelchair looks sad, sitting there by itself, looking forlornly after the departed train. Don’t worry, Little Buddy - they’ll be back to pick you up in 15-20 minutes.
I remember watching the opening of an episode of That 70’s Show on its initial broadcast where the teen gang is watching a rerun of Petticoat Junction. They were making typically snarky teen comments, and one of them asked, “Are those girls bathing in the town’s water supply???” I remember yelling at the TV, “No, you moron - it’s for the train!” and turning it off. I never watched the show again.
I just found that segment on YouTube, and it turns out that right after I turned it off one of the characters said something about the water tank being for the train. I still don’t regret my life choices.
I gotta mention the Santa Fe logo. Somebody has to do it. I've been squinting and waiting but I still haven't seen the bathing sisters.
NOS has always been a favorite. Spell check wants to change NOS to vamos so ¡Vamos a NOS, por favor!
Thanks, Major
Zach
Ah, my favorite version of the water tower, where it actually looks authentic and correct. Today the support beams, made to look like wood, pass through each other in fantastical and impossible ways.
The first photo is sure an odd angle. Hard to tell what the objective might be. Still a good opportunity to study the fantastic attention to detail here. Roof gutters, conductor head boxes, downspouts, the little rotating latches that hold the shutters open (these have to have a name, but I never knew it). Beautiful work.
And the proper looking water tower. Thanks Steve DG for noticing the suspension of physics that occurs when modern designers spend their time on what they think looks good, and not what is authentic. I’m shuddering to think what kind of Temu masterpiece will replace the old Baggage building (nee’ CM lounge and former restrooms) that burned up a couple years ago. I’m fearing another Madam Leota gift shop disaster.
Thank you Major!
JG
Nanook, I have to admit that tassels are pretty great!
JB, I’m not sure they had the technology for animatronic chili beans back then. NASA had not developed the microchips necessary! I don’t want a cigar, so I will settle for “close”, after all some pictures aren’t even “close”. I guess today’s photos will not get JB’s stamp of approval, and if I’d gotten it, some orphans would be finding their home today (long story). Oh well!
TokyoMagic!, I just wish that the animatronic Walt just talked about his brother for five minutes. “His favorite dinner was pot roast, with little potatoes! It still makes me laugh to think of it today”. Riveting.
Chuck, I’m not sure I’ve seen a photo of a wheelchair that wasn’t a little sad. They tell a story. My old roommate used to watch “That 70’s Show” all the time, I don’t remember much about it. It was OK, but I had no idea that it was so ignorant of water tanks. No wonder you were so upset. Luckily there was “Third Rock From the Sun” and “Small Wonder” to pick up the slack!
zach, I do love seeing the Santa Fe logo in the park, it just feels right. Ha ha, spell check studied Español for two summers!
Steve DeGaetano, it sounds like M.C. Escher designed those support beams.
JG, I dunno, it seems pretty clear to me that the photographer was impressed by the ornate wrought iron, but it might have been those tassels (per Nanook’s comment). No idea what a “conductor head box” is. Meanwhile, “little rotating latches” seems good enough! So I wonder if the current water tower is not actually full of water, and thus does not have to support tons of water? It might just be disguising something like a firehose to fill the train’s tender. And yes, I do wonder what they will do to replace the old depot/baggage building.
I remember my first visit to "The Quarters" in New Orleans...."WOW..It really DOES look like Disneyland!" So lovely...and so so so so...very hot...future visits, and walkabouts I always had a washcloth from the hotel to wipe my brow....I would enjoy going back in a cooler season...and in Disneyland as well: in a cooler season...I don't see Meredith MacRae peeking over the top...but it would make sense. Meredith did make a Disneyland trip in the 80's, and that's all I will say about that. Her mom was on the show never to be mentioned as herself...and that's all I will say about that. I get my girl shows mixed up, and thought that Bridget Handley was in Petticoat Junction: but she was on Here Come the Brides...and in dropping down THAT rabbit hole...I think she was the only bride, as it seems that the show was just about the boys and Joan Blondell...I laughed at the premise: the lumberjacks want to leave town because there's not enough females around...OK...well: it launched David Soul's and Bobby Sherman's careers .... what was that David Soul song? Don't give up on us Ba-by? I won't get into the Joan Blondell story and the Gibbon Cage: I think I've told that one before...I guess it was rather tony to have a pet gibbon in your front yard...Joan Blondell's sister also was on the series that must not be mentioned, and also was married to 007 guy Albert Broccoli a wayyyy long time ago. Side Disney trivia: she also voiced Daisy Duck. Ok...where were we? Oh right, New Orleans Square: lovely place. Thanks Major!
Bu, I was once invited to go to the real New Orleans for Mardi Gras. That’s the time of year that I do not want to be there! But my friend who did go said that parts of the city smelled really bad. I won’t go into detail. I guess I should know who Meredith MacRae is. Are you sure you’re not thinking of Marilyn McCoo? Gosh I’d completely forgotten about “Here Comes the Brides”. I didn’t really watch it, and reading about it on Wikipedia, it said it was one of the first shows aimed at women. “The Gibbon Cage”… no idea. I’m not going to look it up either! Joan Blondell’s sister voiced Daisy Duck?? Weird.
Major, Great. Now I'm responsible for homeless orphans. All because I didn't give my "stamp of approval" to today's photos. A fine example of the "butterfly effect". ;-p
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