Two From May 1972
Today's first scan is a beauty - a particularly nice look at the E.P. Ripley perched above the west tunnel out to the parking lot. Guests are leaving - good riddance to bad rubbish, am I right? Perhaps a few more are arriving, and I don't like them either (I'm crabby because I had a bad dream). The train is loading up with passengers, and soon the engineer will step on the clutch and put the locomotive into first gear (as we all know). Next stop: Frontierland Station! Booooooaaaaard!
And here's a pretty nice, if oddly-composed photo from Tomorrowland. Where should our photographer point the camera? How about at the empty sky, and not at the sleek Monorail, the huge Matterhorn, or even the Skyway? Perfect! Always keep 'em guessing, that's what I say. I suppose the palm tree might have been the intended subject.
14 comments:
Major-
The E.P. Ripley is really looking sharp in this image. And as for the need of the engineer to 'engage the clutch and put the locomotive in first gear', by 1972 the engine had already received its conversion to a Hydramatic transmission. (Those engineers had it so good-!)
"Where should our photographer point the camera?... "I suppose the palm tree might have been the intended subject".
I hate to disagree, but the object of the photographers desire was clearly the EXIT sign-! And, it's a beauty, too.
Thanks, Major.
Just like the photo the other day — the tree is centered and is the subject. Very odd.
Bobsled!
Nanook, ha! That cute little EXIT sign….you’re probably right!
Wow, there are a lot of Mickey bloons here! At least eight. At first I thought the balloon furthest to the right was part red, part blue. But the 'blue' is an ostrich plume melding with the red bloon. The orange balloon on the left appeals to me the most. I seem to be in a balloon-centric mood tonight. Oh, there's a train there too. ;-)
Even though it's oddly composed, it still evokes happiness in me. Lots of our favorite things are here! (Although, I don't see any whiskers on kittens or brown paper packages tied up with strings.) And as Sue said, we can even see a black and white Bobsled! Yep, the palm tree is definitely the focus of our attention. Was Fudgie TRE'd by this time? Looks like I can see half a tail fluke, but that's it.
OK, I'll admit, the focal point could be the "EXIT" sign, but I'm stickin' with the tree. Thanks, Major.
As a kid, really appreciated how you couldn't quite see the parking lot through the tunnels. At many a park or fairground, visible reality through the turnstiles felt like a vacuum pulling me out. Likewise rides that offered views of traffic and ordinary business outside the fence (or berm). Somehow I didn't like knowing it was an ordinary day for most of the population. Like coming out of the local bijou after a really swell Saturday matinee, and nobody seeming to notice or care that magic was playing out inside.
Now it's more of a novelty, as when the Monorail takes one out of Tomorrowland and down a real street lined with the slick tourist accommodations that replaced the funky little motels. Or even taking the train and finding out the seemingly vast jungle is tucked in between the tracks and Main Street.
Someone is ascending the Monorail Speedramp, and they are holding a black doggie with a white neck and chin. Adorable!
Thanks for the early 1970s pics, Major! I love the park during that era.
Love that clear line thru the Matterhorn. So many layers of depth there.
MS
This looks like a 6:00pm closing in the Fall...given the amount of balloons, and overall activity. I've worked at that souvie stand on the right...closing time...is well...not for the meek. These pockets of souvenir stands prior to bubble land...were such amazements to me...and generally where I'd get the thing that I had looked at all day wondering how I was going to spend my $1. I remember that back then my friends and I were kind of obsessed with tax....now I'm obsessed in a much different way...so we'd always ask "how much is that with tax?" the employees must have got that question a lot...they knew it all off the top of their heads for every item. So let's talk about balloons: at one point I could speak balloon, popcorn and ice cream in at least 4 languages: English, Spanish, Japanese, and French....I think with those you could really get somewhere with anyone. Spanish: (phonetic spellings) Global, Japanese: Fusen, French: Balon....and then you'd have to know all the colors as well. Now you know. After the excitement of your first day (and a lot of string tangling) : you would be a international linquist after your first shift. Want to learn a new language: just jump in the pool. A '72 Tomorrowland is so neat and tidy....I won't bust the new crew more than I need to: but the tangled mess of chains and stanchions in the current era: wow.....needs a serious re-work. When at the Queen Mary I had to design all the new crowd control devices as we had gated the property after it was a free-for-all during Wrather. I wouldn't say the locals were happy about it...and other ex-TG was head of publicity: so she dealt with the press: not us Ops guys.....what a transition time that was. Lots of tears. Note that we spent a lot of cash on that property despite the legendary stories on the interwebs. Here's the mark I personally left on the ship: This was an advertising piece from the company that did all the marquetry and veneer work on the ship: 56 different types of woods used from the Empire. I found it in hidden in storage in the bowels of the ship and said "this needs to be seen!"....and... it's still there :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dpv4kyIgs9M Thanks Major.
Photo 1 makes me hear “LAAAAST CAAALL!” and the bell ringing. A perfect view of the first Disneyland Sound. I do like seeing the EXIT sign but. I’m going to pretend I’m looking back to see the train on my way in, not leaving.
Photo 2 is an excellent view right up the Matterhorn Nostrils, fortunately no hay fever today. The color for today is “Tomato Red”, available in several shapes of vehicle. The woman in the lower right has a movie camera. I wonder if her footage is on YouTube yet? The framing is odd, but it’s still a beautiful picture.
Thanks Major, terrific Friday views.
JG
Major, you might be surprised that steam locomotives do, in fact, have a sort-of gear system--maybe not with a clutch, but using the Johnson Bar! Putting the bar full forward is like first gear--lots of power. As the train picks up speed and less raw power is needed to keep the train rolling, the engineer pulls the bar back a few notches, essentially "shifting gears!"
Nanook, I thought they didn’t put in the Hydramatic transmission until ’73! I have to admit that the “EXIT” sign is pretty incredible.
Lou and Sue, ha, maybe they DID like the tree? Good eye on the bobsled!
Lou and Sue, notice that there is an EXIT sign in the other photo too!
JB, there really are a lot of balloons, and there was probably a balloon vendor just out of frame. I guess many guests purchase a balloon for their kids on the way out, which sort of makes sense. I like orange, so I’m on the same page as you. I did not notice the bobsled, so you and Sue get a gold star and a smiley face. Perhaps that palm tree was a rare variety from one particular tropical island, and the photographer was so excited to see it! Your guess is as good as anybody’s as far as what’s going on in photo #2.
DBenson, I don’t know if any amusement park had made such an effort to keep the outside world away, when you think of the sheer effort to build that berm around much of the park, it’s pretty amazing, especially when they were so short of time and money. Of course there are (and were) still ways to see outside the borders, like the Skyway or Monorail. You are right that a ride on the Monorail isn’t quite as fun now that the funky motels are all gone (well maybe one or two are still around), it’s funny how Walt hated those things, but they are pretty beloved in retrospect. I’m sure many weren’t great to stay in, but that was beside the point!
TokyoMagic!, aw, I see the doggie! I hope he is trained. I too love photos from the 1970s, and just scanned a pretty large batch that you will see. In 2028!!
MS, YES!
Bu, you could be right, I’m not sure when the sun sets in May. It’s still pretty bright out, but the camera can lie. It sounds like you did MANY different jobs and worked lots of different stands and shops over the years. Did you like that? Maybe the variety helped to keep things from getting too boring. Gosh, I don’t even remember having $1 to spend, I had to rely on the generosity of my parents or grandparents. Luckily my grandparents would spoil me rotten! My mom and dad had no problem saying “No”. Wow, I am impressed with your balloon languages. On an aside, I wish I could learn Japanese, I am fascinated with that country. But my brain is petrified, I feel like my days of learning a language are behind me. Didn’t Germans want balloons? Or Italians? It’s funny that you commented on the chains and stanchions, I once was so impressed with the CMs while in line for Space Mountain, the young women were moving everything around like pros, while wrangling sweaty guests. I forget if you have said anything about it, but as a Disneyland person, I would have been disappointed to be assigned to the Queen Mary. I don’t want to be there! I want to be at the Happiest Place on Urf! 56 kinds of wood? There are only four kinds of tree in the world, I counted!
JG, those various train sounds are the best, I think you should set up something using a Raspberry Pi so that they play throughout your home all day long. Mrs. G will love it! Your doorbell could be a train whistle. I always like tomato red, maybe I need a jumpsuit in that color. With a cape.
Major, I already run around the house shouting "LAAAAST CAAALL", "BOOOOOOARD", and "BONG BONG BONG", but having that minicomputer would help maintain the illusion even when I'm sleeping.
JG
If it were less blurry, that shot of the Ripley would be postcardworthy. Postcardworthy, I say! Love the contrast of the yellow balloon against the dark ivy - now that's art! The nearly-white sky looks more like New York than California. Thanks, Bu, as always, for the behind-the scenes dope.
JG, it sounds like you are living your best life!
Melissa, wait a minute! That shot of the Ripley is nice and clear! You know me, I'll call out a flawed picture when I have them (which is often). And we get those white skies too, I assume it's a combination of factors - "haze", angle of the sun, etc.
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