Disneyland trip, April 1962

Today we revisit our perfect American family during their 1962 trip to Disneyland. You'll probably remember the little girl in her poofy dress!

Here she is, with big brother, sitting in front of the Casa de Fritos. They are looking towards a temporary stage in front of the Nature's Wonderland queue...in fact, this picture should have been paired up with this one. Notice the Mineral Hall, sponsored by the Blacklight Corporation of America (one of the seven corporations that secretly run all of the world's governments).


Let's move along further into Frontierland...whoa, somebody's put a big ol' wall in front of the Golden Horseshoe. At least they finally replaced the painted cloth banner on the Revue with a proper marquee. Once again, these photos hook up to some that I've posted in the past. There are some of those hats with the long feathers, I need one of those for job interviews and funerals. The lady with her pink feather has folded her vintage guidebook in a criminal manner, and was incarcerated shortly after this picture was taken (and is due to be released next year).


Let's get out of Frontierland, it's practically nothing but dirt anyway. In Tomorrowland they have these little cars. No, I mean the really little ones. The Midget Autopia wasn't there for long, but from the look on this kid's face, it was just what the doctor ordered. Those flower-covered hills have an almost "Seussian" look to them.

Sunday Selection

I recently found a stack of black and white publicity stills from Disneyland. They're reprints, but there are still some neat images. I thought I'd share some of the best ones with all of you.

First up is this fascinating photo of the Matterhorn when it was just a skeleton of iron beams and girders. The distinctive shape of that famous mountain is already evident. It's hard to believe that this would soon be home to two different roller coaster tracks, as well as waterfalls (and later, ice caverns and an abominable snowman). A recent comment on another blog questioned whether the mountain was built around the Skyway...apparently it was not.


I originally thought that this image was from Disneyland's opening day. But they are riding in the cab of locomotive #3, the Fred Gurley, which went into service on March, 1958 (the same day the Grand Canyon Diorama debuted). There's Walt, and Fred Gurley himself (the then-current chairman of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe), looking mighty pleased. This engine, built in 1894, is the oldest piece of train equipment in use at any Disney park. It was purchased in working condition for $1300, but an additional $35,000 was spent restoring it to the magnificence seen here.

A Streetcar Named Desire, 1950's

Sometimes it's hard not to invent a story when you see certain images, and this is one of those times! This cheerful woman with the yellow flower under her chin might have worked as a school nurse for many years, and her husband might have been a shoe salesman (retired). They saw all those TV shows about Disneyland, and had to see it for themselves...could it possibly be so wonderful?

Not a kid in sight! You can see the surrey in the background (do those horses look tiny or what), and notice the cast member's change machine, in case you needed to break a quarter.


In this second photo, we've jumped forward three years to 1958. It's a bright and sunny August day. One passenger is showing off by standing, like they sometimes do on San Francisco's cable cars (ANY dummy can ride it sitting down). The House of the Future gleams in the background, if you look closely you can see people inside.


Favorite detail....this neat sign with a cutout silhouette of a streetcar!

Poultry of the Pond, August 1961

This slide had some pretty amazing, saturated color...somehow it got lost in the translation to a little jpeg! Too bad. The old Pirate Ship must have been one of the most-photographed icons in Disneyland...but that's OK, I still enjoy looking at it. Notice the sign advertising the "Pirate Trio".


In this second photo, we can see much of the beautiful detail that has been lavished on this ship. Including the wonderful mermaid figurehead! Since she was removed after Chicken of the Sea ended its sponsorship and long before the ship met the wrecking ball, did she survive in somebody's collection?

Tomorrowland, July 1960

What a great photo, sometimes slightly faded color adds to the feeling of nostalgia. Or maybe I'm just nuts. I love the composition, with the Matterhorn looking huge and impressive, while the Skyway glides overhead and the Monorail is zooming into the station. And the Yacht Bar is cooking up some burgers and hot dogs for hungry summer crowds. Deeeelicious!


In the background is another one of my favorite hats, the ones with the giant feather!

Aerial View, 1955

A few years ago, a friend of mine gave me several 8" X 10" photo prints that were apparently made from a vintage negative (the prints themselves are new). The best of the bunch was this color aerial view of Disneyland, circa 1955. I've provided a fairly large jpeg for you, so if you have a slow connection, it might take a while to download. I think it will be worth the wait!

Frontierland looks like a whole lot of nothin'! You can see the gazebo near the castle, the Mark Twain is at the dock, and you can even see Casey Jr. and the Plantation House. There are vehicles parked at the base of Snow Mountain, as well as a number of them on the roadway that surrounded the park. Look at all of the orange groves! And you can see how all of Disneyland's waterways were actually interconnected with each other.


I can only see a little bit of railroad track (I think)...could this photo be from before the park actually opened? The parking lot is full of vehicles, but they might belong to the many construction workers and craftsmen scrambling to finish the park in time for its nationally televised grand opening. It also looks like there are cars parked in Tomorrowland right next to the star-shaped flag court.

Crane Bathroom of Tomorrow

This slide was a mystery to me...at first I thought it didn't belong with the Disneyland slides that were in the same lot. Then I thought that maybe it was an interior from the House of the Future. Finally I noticed that the towels had stylized cranes on them. By gum, it's the Crane Bathroom of Tomorrow!


This bathroom has it all! A pair of dumbbells on the wall (work out while you're in the tub), eye shades, even a harvest gold telephone and a ceramic poodle. What more could you need? (A toilet, maybe....)


Since we're talking about it, here are some scans of a somewhat hard-to-find brochure extolling the wonders of this sponsored exhibit. First, the front cover...


...the back cover...


...and the inside spread.

Tomorrowland in Black & White

Do not adjust your displays! Here are two wonderful polaroid photos of Tomorrowland in glorious black and white. They were likely taken in 1959, based in part by the banners visible in the second photo. As much as I love Kodachrome images, b&w is beautiful in its own way, all light and dark values with no distracting hues.

Feast your eyes on this vintage view of the 3-car Monorail. A couple of guys are wearing fedoras as they stroll beneath the Skyway. Let's face it, fedoras are pretty cool! If I wore one, I could pretend I was a Private Eye and get mixed up with some crazy dame. But I digress (love to digress)! The Submarine Voyage (sponsored by General Dynamics) is open for business for those interested in a trip through "liquid space".


The Matterhorn looks like it might not be operating today, or else somebody shut off the waterfalls. It almost looks unclothed! You don't have to use too much imagination to see the link between the old "scenic railways" of Coney Island and Venice Beach to this Disney mountain.

Sunday, Bloggy Sunday

Hooray for Skull Rock! The eating area was probably the coolest restaurant in Disneyland until the Blue Bayou came along. Who wouldn't want to get away from the crowds (and the sun) and be surrounded by tropical vegetation, groovy grottoes, and splashing waterfalls. By the time this photo was taken, the Pirate Ship was no longer sponsored by Chicken of the Sea, and its name was changed to "Captain Hook's".


In a previous post, I admitted that I still love "It's a Small World". And here's another reason why! As most of you know, the playful facade is also a giant clock, and every 15 minutes Disneyland guests are treated to a display of marching dolls representing the children of the world. Somehow these simple dolls with their round heads and cartoon eyes are even more reminiscent of Mary Blair's designs than the dolls inside the attraction. This is a great example of the way Walt Disney would "plus" an attraction.

Classic Tomorrowland, 1964

We've seen lots of photos of the Submarine lagoon and the surrounding Tomorrowland attractions, but I still think this photo is pretty nice. It manages to capture some of that "gee whiz" feeling that I used to experience as a kid (before I became a jaded, heartless SOB). There's plenty going on here, with the "George Washington" cruising past us in the foreground, while the Monorail glides into the Tomorrowland station. And of course there's the ubiquitous Skyway. That's right, I said ubiquitous!

The only way this photo could be any better is if there were mermaids.


Now if you'll excuse me, I'm in the mood to wear my silver lamé jumpsuit. But that's another story.