Knott's Odds 'n Ends, June 1970

I recently scanned some Knott's Berry Farm slides from 1970, and while I always love Knott's, a lot of the photos consist of some oddball details. Whether they are interesting or not depends on you!

For instance: I have no idea where the "Gold Trail Saloon" was - perhaps it was a structure that guests couldn't enter. A doorway (or so it seems) has some notices posted, along with framed handbills - pretty fancy since those were usually stuck on with paste. There's a yellowed page of the Ghost Town News, a handbill (or two?) advertising the live show at the Calico Saloon, and a "wanted" poster.

I used to love to play over on Jungle Island, populated by the mysterious and rare "woodimals". To get to the island you had to cross this covered bridge, made prettier by the bougainvillea blossoms. One of the things I vividly remember about Jungle Island was a set of "pedals" at the shore that a boy could pump with his feet, making water shoot out of the mouth of a woodimal. I thought it was great fun at the time!

This fetching leg dangles (and kicks occasionally) out of a window at Goldie's Joint, one of the saloon gals tries to tempt men to come inside and read a book. I think.

I'm sure this lady ("Hattie") was nice and cheerful most of the time, even if she looks a bit sour here. The camera caught her at a bad moment! She's spinning wool into yarn - yarn that will be used to make long johns, socks, and... well, that's about it. Just long johns and socks. Maybe a sporty woolen cap, if she's feeling adventurous. "I'll give it a red tassel!". Thanks Hattie, you're the best. 

I hope you have enjoyed today's oddball photos from Knott's Berry Farm!

The Magic Kingdom, December 1978

It's time to visit The Magic Kingdom - the one in Florida, that is. December, 1978! The park was less than a decade old.

I never tire of photos of the beautiful "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" attraction, and those wonderful Harper Goff-designed Nautilus submarines. I'd be thrilled if I had any pictures of the dark ride portion, but those are apparently as scarce as hen's teeth.

From somewhere on Tom Sawyer Island (presumably) comes this nice shot looking toward part of the Frontierland shoreline, with a very full raft ferrying guests - are they heading to the island, or away from it? Is the photo taken from one of the raft landings?

One can't help being impressed by the gleaming white, spired cone of Space Mountain. It was four years old by this point. Notice the pylon with the RCA logo at the top, along with a sculpture of a Space Mountain rocket vehicle plummeting along a steep track.

The final three images are from the Country Bear Jamboree, an opening-day attraction beloved by many. There's Henry, the master of ceremonies. 

This band is known as "The Five Bear Rugs", which is pretty gruesome when you think about it. I had to look up "who's who". From left to right we have Tennessee, Fred, Zeke, Ted, and Zeb. Baby Oscar is the little fellow to the right.

And here's Henry again, with his yellow guitar. Didn't he have a critter in his hat?

I hope you have enjoyed these vintage photos from the Magic Kingdom!

Around Main Street, March 1981

March, 1981; people were listening to Dolly Parton's "9 to 5", Blondie's "The Tide is High", and Cool and the Gang's "Celebration". "The Howling" and "Thief" were tops at the box office, and "M*A*S*H", "One Day at a Time", "The Jeffersons", "Three's Company", and "The Dukes of Hazzard" were among the top TV shows. Just so you know!

Today's photos are from March of 1981, which seems "not that long ago" and yet...! There's East Center Street, not really a street anymore (and where are the plastic flowers??), but more of an outdoor dining area surrounded by shops such as the Carnation Company (where you could buy food made from carnations), and the Elgin watch shop.

Well well well, there's the mouse himself, ol' Mickey. He's always happy to stoop and say hello. Behind these folks (and Mickey) is the Egg House, sponsored by Oscar Mayer.

Meanwhile, over at the Plaza Inn, crowds of people wait to get in. It's the hottest ticket in town! It doesn't hurt that cheerful Pluto happens to be hanging around right next to the entrance. Guests are always thrilled to see a celebrity.

Almost Rejects

Today's photos (as the title of today's post hints) might have been left in the "reject" folder of scans. But not on GDB! I'll share them, no matter what.

From a slide dated "May, 1960" comes this picture of the Autopia roadway (the Tomorrowland Autopia, I presume), with a group of blurry little cars putt-putting along at six miles an hour. Was the photo taken from the Monorail? One interesting detail is that the rightmost vehicle is a Mark IV, while the other five appear to be Mark V's. From what I have read, the Mark IV cars were retired in 1958, so it's a bit of a mystery as to why that one is in service well into 1960.

And from August, 1965 comes this photo of two climbers ascending the icy slopes of the Matterhorn. Notice that they carry no supplemental oxygen! And they are wearing shorts (or lederhosen), for gosh sakes. But that's how they do it on the Matterhorn. 

Vintage People

Who loves vintage people? Or rather, vintage pictures of people? Raise your hands until I tell you to put them down.

First up is this picture of cute kids from September, 1956. Each one his holding a tiny kitten - the kid to the right is clutching his with a kung fu grip that seems a little excessive. Easy there, pardner! I like the middle girl's colorful shirt. The rocking horse that she is sitting on is charmingly homemade, and it's pretty clear that at least one kid added some artistic touches on the nose. That big green yard looks quite  wonderful for playing and exploring.

I love this photo of a fetching young woman posing next to a massive General Motors "Aerotrain" locomotive. But it's her delightful smile and her cute pixie hairdo that are the stars of the show. 

She is holding a program for "Powerama". What was that? General Motors Powerama was a “World’s Fair of Power” held in 1955 on 23 acres of Chicago lakefront (at a cost of $7 million dollars), intended to focus national attention on General Motors production of its 100 million horsepower. “Offering a kaleidoscopic array of attractions from earth movers to elephants, Diesels to dancing girls - the giant fair was open to the public from August 31 thru September 25th". Sign me up!

The Aerotrain was introduced to the public at Powerama as “a revolutionary lightweight train” that could carry 400 passengers at speeds of over 100 miles per hour. Wikipedia says, "Although they featured a streamlined design, the Aerotrains failed to capture the public's imagination. Their cars, based on GM's bus designs and using an air cushioning system, were rough riding and uncomfortable. The design of the locomotive section made routine maintenance difficult and it was underpowered".

And finally, a photo from November 1967, labeled "Our new color TV". From Zenith! While technology for color televisions goes back to the 1940's, and limited color broadcasts go back to the early 1950's, Wikipedia says that it was not until the early 1970's that color televisions outsold black and white sets in the United States. So this happy fellow was an early adopter! He'll be watching "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea", "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In", "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color", "The Carol Burnett Show", "Lost in Space", "Bewitched", "My Three Sons", and SO MUCH MORE.

I hope you have enjoyed today's vintage people!

Two More Beauties From 1958

I have a folder with well over 150 scanned slides for upcoming blog posts, and hardly any of them are the kind of thing that might make your hat fly off your head (like in comic books). Luckily for me (and you), Sue B. has scanned some really beautiful photos of her father Lou's vintage slides. 

We'll start with this swell view of the Rocket to the Moon attraction, on a hazy and uncrowded day. How I wish I could see the exhibits on display in the waiting area (beneath that flat-ish roof) - it's likely that there were graphics and photos of what manned spaceflight might be like in the future; and also probably information about rockets, living in microgravity, and the best photos of our Moon that 1950's technology would allow. A mom and her two kids gaze up at the Moonliner while heading to the ticket booth for their trip to the Moon.

The Skyway allowed a pretty good look into the backstage area (I'd love to stroll around there too), including the old Dominguez household that was being used as the administration building.

We've seen photos of Lou on this blog, but this is the first time that we've seen photos of "Mrs. Lou", aka  Donna! What a great picture, with her standing next to the wonderful Viewliner at the Fantasyland station. It's nice to see Donna, and nice to see this rarely-seen corner of Disneyland.

Here's a closer look. Sue wished that her mom had been smiling for the picture, but it almost looks like she has a mysterious Mona Lisa smile! There appears to be no customers for the Viewliner, which is very strange.

 THANK YOU, Lou and Sue!

PROGRESSLAND booklet, 1964 World's Fair

Today I have some scans of a very nice item from the 1964 New York World's Fair - a colorful booklet featuring General Electric's "PROGRESSLAND". Some guy named Walt Disney was involved, too!

Here's the cover, with a wonderful illustration by an unknown artist - I wonder if it could be by Neil Boyle (see him previously referred to HERE)? If I had to bet money, that's where I'd put it. There is a full-sized poster using that same image, it can go for big bucks. I love the multicolored lettering, something that seems to have been in vogue right around then.

Say, what is this "Progressland", anyhow? Thanks to this page, we know that it is all about showing "the role of electricity in the progress of man". Frankly, I don't get it.

Beneath another nice illustration showing the exterior of the striking Progressland building is a cutaway plan showing the surprisingly complex interior. The "Sky Dome Spectacular", the "Carousel of Progress", the "Nuclear Fusion Demonstration", and "Medallion City" - we'd better allow at least an hour for this General Electric pavilion.

Most of us remember seeing the Carousel of Progress at Disneyland (though it was only there for six years) or at the Magic Kingdom (where it has been playing for over 40 years). It's fascinating to think that the experience was brand new, and probably truly astonishing for Fairgoers.

I think they mis-labeled the "1940's" illustration, but who's keeping track? I AM. The concept of having the audience move around the stage is still something that I consider to be an incredible "outside of the box" idea.

Here's the 2-page spread in the center, with that impressive painting of the Skydome Spectacular. You would have seen "the largest projection screen in the world". I'd love to see the film, even in a shrunk down YouTube format. You can listen to the audio HERE, however, it's pretty wonderful (the audio for the Spectacular starts at about 30:20). Meanwhile, the demonstration of nuclear fusion must have been even more impressive, with a blinding flash and loud boom as they achieved fusion for a fraction of a second.

The final part of your visit to the General Electric pavilion showed the miracle of our all-electric future. "The magic of Progressland bewitches you - behind the exciting stylized facades are all the electrical products now changing the world we live in".

Rock Hudson is showing Lee Remick the best place to get a falafel. Don't forget that it was General Electric that brought you this show; if you had an ounce of gratitude, you would buy a washer/drier combo right now.

"How do I find Progressland?", you wonder. It couldn't be easier! 

There it is, next to the Fountain of the Planets, on the Avenue of Commerce. Sorry, there is no Avenue of Candy. I checked.

I even love the back cover, for its simple, minimalist graphics. They somehow communicate the idea of a better future for all of us.

If you go back to the page about Medallion City, you'll see this graphic of a - well, a medallion; the "Total Electric Award". Live Better Electrically! (But what about my steam-powered television?).

Check this out! This is the doorbell at my parent's home - I had no idea that I lived many years in a Medallion Home. And as it turns out the house was indeed built in 1964. I remember that it had an intercom system when we first moved in - mom could ask me to take out the trash without her having to walk upstairs. I would of course pretend that I didn't hear because I was listening to my New Wave music and wearing my DEVO energy dome.

And finally, here's a rather impressive vintage, solid bronze medallion that was intended to be mounted to a place of honor so that every delivery person, Girl Scout, and salesman knew that you lived in a convenient, modern Medallion Home. This thing is a real chunk, three inches in diameter and .25" thick. Put it in a sock for a makeshift weapon!

"Previously Unscanned"

From time to time I have gone back through boxes of slides that I have marked "SCANNED" (with my high-tech Sharpie), and have discovered images that I skipped for one reason or another. Today I have three scans of those unscanned slides.

This first example was hand-dated "March 23, 1960"; and it features a view of Fort Wilderness over on Tom Sawyer Island. It's not exactly a beautiful photo, but something is afoot! There are some raw, new boards in places, though they seem out of place next to the rough-hewn logs. More new wood is hidden behind some foliage to our right. I don't really have a good guess as to what's being done here. Is it early construction for "Galaxy's Edge"?

This next photo, from August 1960, was probably skipped because who wants to look at a bunch of dumb flowers, anyway? But now - I am happy to look at those beautiful flowers. How the worm has turned. Of course this planter is where the regrettable "Partners" statue would eventually go. 

And finally, this image from 1957 is not really a photo of anything, and yet it is a photo of a lot. That olive tree sure looks spindly compared to how I remember them in my lifetime (with twinkle lights aplenty after dark). An empty Horse Drawn Streetcar awaits foot-weary guests (though, judging by the shadows, it was early and people hadn't had time to get sore feet yet). And of course there's that castle, probably the smallest and humblest of all Disney park castles - but I love it the most.

I hope you have enjoyed these rescued slides!

The MIghty Matterhorn, 1980s

"Photos of the Matterhorn? We've seen it three squidillion times! And from the 1980s? Don't make me laugh! Also, I'm walkin' here!". This is a direct quote from beloved movie star and nice person Keanu Reeves when I showed him a preview of today's blog post. Sure, it was a little harsh, but I appreciated his truthfulness.

First up is this pretty but unremarkable photo of you-know-what, taken as the sun turned everything rosy and pink. It makes me want a birthday cake in the shape of the Matterhorn, complete with a Skyway passing through it. (If I put that out into the universe, it will happen, or so I'm told).

This second photo was the real reason I shared these images with you - it's a beautiful shot taken just at sunset, with the sky still ablaze, but the Matterhorn itself is already tinted in cool shades of violet. The Skyway gondolas pass below us, which I presume means that the photographer was standing on the upper level of the Carousel Theater (where "America Sings" was still running). We even get a smidgen of the Monorail. 

As the sun continues to set, the Matterhorn turns into the Mountain of the Dead, with dark caves that look like empty eye sockets and gaping mouths. Do you dare to enter it??

Black and White Snapshots

Months ago I scanned what I believe is every remaining vintage photo print of Disneyland that I have. It was over 100 images at the time, and I have shared a lot of them! Today I am grouping some of the last black and white images (with a few exceptions) together, even though a few are not exactly the most thrilling things.

First off, from August, 1960 comes this photo snapped in the parking lot. I always assume that these kinds of photos were taken when the guest first arrived, because they'd be too pooped to think of it by the end of the day. But it's impossible to know for sure! What's that sporty little convertible? An MG? I'm sure I'm not even close to being right.

Next I have two photos from the Midget Autopia; they're undated, but the trees and plantings look pretty scraggly, so I will take a guess that these were taken around the attraction's 1957 debut. This happy kid proudly wears his mouse ears; he drives with his eyes closed, steering entirely using echolocation.

Darn! Those little cars go so fast that it's hard to capture one on film without all kinds of motion blur. 

I guess the photographer was going for a shot down Main Street, but there's a little too much sky for my taste. That's why I am encouraging my representatives to ban the sky. Who's with me? Think of the children!

This last photo print has seen better days, it is ripped and creased and dogeared, but it is my favorite of the bunch. It's date-stamped "Aug 1955", so the park had only been open a very short time! The young girl in stripes loves the tiny white horses that pulled the old chemical fire wagon - it's the same height as she is. Other kids are aboard the vehicle already, holding plain old non-Mickey-eared balloons.