More Rescans - The Mark Twain

By now you know that I have been rescanning slides from the past in an effort to get better results. Today I have two featuring the Mark Twain, and I think they've turned out pretty good.

Here's one that was originally posted back in 2007; it's a moody shot of the Mark Twain as it heads past Fowler's Harbor into the great unknown. It's not bad, but it could be better.

See what I mean? There's blue in the sky, for instance. And things are just crisper and clearer. Look at the barren hills in the distance! That's right about where a certain new Land will be hatched.

This next one was posted in 2006, two scanners ago. That first one was a real piece of junk, as evidenced by the fuzzy image and too-warm color.

This one looks much more natural. I love the "racing" canoes, as well as the signs of construction going on over on Tom Sawyer Island. There are boxed trees aplenty. I think I see the top of the Burning Settler's Cabin peeking up over the trees, so presumably this was taken a bit further north compared to today's first photo.

More 1983 Fantasyland Construction

I'm continuing a look at some photos (probably from 1982) featuring the massive construction project that would result in the "New Fantasyland" that opened on May 25th, 1983.

This might be my favorite of the bunch, with a group of girls having a great time in their blue Skyway bucket. Below us is the Alice in Wonderland attraction, with a boxed tree and lots of pipes and fittings and other stuff. Monstro can just be seen beyond the Skyway vehicle. 

This next one is similar to others some that I've already posted; it's still strange to see the building to our left, where "Peter Pan's Flight" will be, as just a big empty structure. Tinker Bell's toy store will be to our right. just in front of the pickup truck (and porta-potty) is a rear view of the sign announcing the coming revamped land... you can see it in this post, and we'll get a better look at it next week.

There's only two more from this batch!

Treehouse & Skull, August 1963

Here are two more scans from very faded (or over-exposed) slides... these were so blown-out that it took a lot of fiddling to try to make them presentable.

But it was worth it, if only for this view of the Swiss Family Treehouse! I loved that thing so much as a kid (and as an adult). Like the Nemo subs, I suppose I'd rather have the current "Tarzan's Treehouse" than no treehouse at all. Besides the fantasy of the original Johann Wyss story (which is a classic adventure tale), I always loved that it felt as if the Robinson family had just stepped out to tend to their crops or fight pirates while we looked in on their living quarters.

And here's the wonderful Skull Rock, with waterfalls aplenty, and green tropical plants and vines to help make it feel like that feature had been there forever. Monstro is to our right, and the "V" of the Richfield Eagle's wings can be seen just above his forehead.

Random Amusement Parks

I happened to have a few random scans of old amusement parks, and thought that they might make a fun "Anything Goes Saturday" post.

Let's start with this image from Lion Country Safari, in Palm Beach (dated April, 1968)! From this angle, the Florida version of Lion Country Safari looks rather flat and uninteresting, but I am assuming that this was located at the outer reaches of the park. Two young ladies pose next to a cutout of a native warrior - a bit tasteless by today's standards.

Next we'll head to Magic Mountain, in beautiful Valencia, California! This is from a slide dated "January, 1971". At this point the park had not yet been sold to Six Flags, though that sale would occur sometime in '71. In the foreground is a large bounce house in the shape of one of Magic Mountain's indigenous trolls (it was called the "Big Bloop Troll Bounce) while the "Metro" monorail passes by overhead. The BBTB survived until 1985, while the Metro stopped operating in 2001. I really loved that park in those early days, it had a lot of charm, and was clean and well-maintained, and not all about roller coasters.

This last one is from an unknown location, circa July 1963. It appears to be a carnival, featuring a wild mouse ("Mad Mouse") roller coaster, and one of those helicopter rides that were so popular. 

Two Beautiful Leftuggies

Today I have two excellent "leftuggies" (my mom's word for "leftovers"); or maybe they are "orphans", since they are all by themselves and don't have any siblings. 

We'll begin with this wonderful shot of the yellow Monorail (from a slide dated May, 1962) as it zooms toward the stop at the Disneyland Hotel. If you are having a strong sense of deja vu, it's because I had a very similar photo just about a week ago. But this one is even nicer! The blue sky really makes the yellow Monorail "pop". You can even see the little blue "Santa Fe" crosses. Love the old cars below, the back side of the sign for the Hotel, and even the view of the parking lot in the distance. 

There is a sporty white roadster in the lower left... does anybody remember reader "CoxPilot" (who passed away not too long ago) mentioning that he drove a 1954 Jaguar roadster? I had hoped that this might be his car, but the grille is all wrong (it might be a Corvette?). And then I found one of his comments on Daveland's blog describing it as dark green, so... two strikes. Rats!

This next one had an indistinct date stamp, but I believe that it says "3-78". Unfortunately it is impossible to decipher that complex numerical code, so I guess we'll never know. Anyway, it is a beautiful photo taken from the pathway up to the Fantasyland Skyway Chalet. Fantasyland looks so colorful and fun, with the snow-capped (always snow-capped!) Matterhorn overhead (Skyway buckets passing through). In just five years, the New Fantasyland would make its debut.

Special Guest Photos - The Devlin Family - Part 03

Today I am proud to present more photos, graciously donated to GDB from the Devlin family. Thanks, Devlin family!

In this first example, we see that it is time to rest some weary feet on a handy bench. I'm told that benches aren't as numerous as they used to be; maybe the theory is that "people who are sitting aren't spending".

So there is brother Pat, enjoying his box of popcorn. Save that box! Next is sister Mary, and then their mother, Mary Jo. In the distance is the Red Wagon Inn, and we can just see a bit of a Horse Drawn Streetcar through the foliage. It looks like it was a beautiful day... the color on these is really nice. 

This next picture is one of my favorites! Mary Jo is being a good sport with a rubber snake (certainly purchased in Adventureland) on her shoulder. The things moms put up with. I wonder what's in that very large merchandise bag? Or even the small one, for that matter? Something wondrous, no doubt.  Next to her is Judy, anxious to try out her Magic Pencil (it writes in many colors!). Tom Devlin's felt pennant swoops in from the top for a splash of added pizzaz.

And one more, featuring Mary and Pat; I believe that they are just off of the pathway on the west side of the castle... they could probably jump into the moat if they wanted to.  

I'll have more Devlin family photos coming soon!

The Mark Twain, August 1963

Say, I'll bet you've never seen a picture of the Mark Twain before! In fact, I'll bet a million dollars. 

Today I have two images from faded slides from 1963. This first one is pretty nice - for some reason this isn't an angle that we see very often, even though the steamboat is resting at the dock, while people mill around looking for a seat (or place to stand). Look at the size of that headlamp (or whatever it's called)... that thing is huge.

And there it goes, on its way around the Rivers of America. The top 2 levels are packed! The bottom level, not so much (except for the bow). Notice the blue/green construction walls to the left. The Haunted Mansion was built only months before this photo was taken, but (as you know) the ride itself would not open for many years.

More Night Photos, The Magic Kingdom, November 1971

Continuing a series of night photos from the Magic Kingdom just weeks after it opened (given to me by "Mr. X"), we see this nice photo of the Market House. I know so little about WDW, and am just assuming that this Market House was on the east side of Main Street, roughly where the Disneyland version was. Is this incorrect? I'm also guessing that guests could buy snacks and coffee there, but you can tell me.

We finally leave Main Street, and head to Liberty Square, where the Riverboat Landing is located. You can even see the brightly-lit "Admiral Joe Fowler" beyond the fancy (Greek Revival?) structure. I love that the sign tells us that we'll need a "D" ticket for a ride! Looks like there is plenty of room, let's GO.

Town Square and Vehicles, 1956

Here are two images from 1956, featuring a sleepy Town Square and even sleepier horses. 

Let's start with this nice shot of a Surrey (yes, it has fringe on the top). The slightly warm cast of these pictures makes them almost look as if they are from 60 years ago. Wait a minute, what? There are only a few people milling around in the background - the lucky ducks. There's a man in a vest and cap, not sure if he works on one of the vehicles or not.

Maybe he was a Streetcar driver! I love just about everything in this picture, from the way the tree frames in the image, to the benches, the blue sky, the Wurlitzer building, the Bank of America, the white wire fencing around the planters... and oh yeah, the Horse Drawn Streetcar too.

Über Blah, May 1966

Oof, today's photos are about as dull as dishwater. Not that exciting dishwater like you see in Las Vegas... the regular stuff.  I just scanned about 50 slides (from various lots), and unfortunately many of them are pretty dull. Something for you readers to look forward to! 

Howsabout this one? A poorly-composed shot of Skull Rock, on a gray (or purple?) day, out of focus, and just plain yucky. 

Even bright flowers don't look so good on this gloomy day.

And lastly, a so-so look at the Snow White Grotto, one of my favorite little spots in the park - but it looks like it needs a good scrubbing. I wish they'd return Dopey's fishing pole, but I am guessing that somebody complained about the idea of the beloved Dwarf killing another creature.