La Brea Tar Pits, 1971

Ever since I was a child, the La Brea Tar Pits captured my imagination, with thoughts of a prehistoric landscape populated by camels, giant sloths, birds, mammoths, Smilodons (ye olde "Saber Tooth Tigers"), dire wolves, small horses, and other critters long-gone. 

Everyone loves to point out that "La Brea Tar Pits" translates into "The Tar Tar Pits", and I admit, it has a certain ring to it. The black goo is actually asphalt, endlessly bubbling up from deposits. The sticky stuff trapped plenty of animals, and even preserved pollen, plants, and sea shells. 

Located on what is now a busy stretch of Wilshire Boulevard, right next to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, people can still see the tar pits, and explore the George C. Page Museum. One of the most famous features is this black lake - actually the remains of an area where the asphalt was mined for various purposes. There's something fascinating about watching giant methane bubbles break the surface regularly. Bloop! The petroleum aroma is pretty strong.

The wonderful fiberglass sculptures of a family of 3 mammoths were created by artist Howard Ball, and installed in 1968. I can't remember if they were all there the last time I visited - I seem to recall a saber-toothed cat sculpture as well, once upon a time. The unfortunate fellow seen here actually floats on a sort of palette that is just beneath the surface - a breeze will make him drift. 

A Slick Hipster in Town Square, 1957

Hey folks! Once again, Photobucket (my horrible photo host) is "down for maintenance". Or is it just plain "down"? What's the difference? It's getting ridiculous. Here are some rules to live by: Love your children. Get plenty of sleep. Never use Photobucket ever ever ever.

I have a nice bunch of Kodachrome slides from 1957, following a family as they explored the Disneyland on a beautiful day. Dad did all the picture taking apparently; we see Mom, and two boys. 

Man oh man, that kid has gone HOLLYWOOD! How often do you see a 12 year old (?) boy in a jacket and pressed slacks? Dapper day indeed. I've never looked this cool in my life. Meanwhile, in the background is a wonderful shot of an Omnibus, jam-packed (and lot of other people waiting for the next one). 

There he is again. I'm not so sure about the blue pants, but he's still pretty slick. I love the sign for the Horseless Carriages: "Ride the Ultimate in Luxurious Motor Cars". Don't mind if I do. A gaggle of Girl Scouts awaits the next Horse Drawn Streetcar.

Vintage Postcards: Six Flags Over Texas - Part 5

It's time once again for more of Ken Martinez's vintage amusement park postcards!

Six Flags Over Texas Part 5 - The Texas Section

Previously we've visited Mexico, Spain, France, and the Confederate sections of Six Flags Over Texas. In today's post we'll visit the Texas section of the original Six Flags theme park. It may have seemed repetitive to have a Texas section in a park where the entire park was about the history of Texas, but each section represented the various time periods of when the sovereign nations whose flags flew over Texas existed. To represent the Republic of Texas (1836-1945), an old west theme was decided upon as westerns were hugely popular on TV around the time Six Flags Over Texas was being planned and opened.

I see dead people. The original section of Texas was known as "Texas Street". Mock fun fights were the order of the day. Sometimes outlaws would rob the train and end up shooting it out with the sheriff at the Texas train station. Check out the façades of the buildings in this postcard. Many of the buildings in Six Flags Over Texas were just that, façades with administrative offices hidden inside.

This is my favorite postcard from the park. Another outlaw meets his end! Perhaps Six Flags should've had a morgue/mortuary façade with wooden caskets displayed out front, filling them up with the "dead" as the day progressed into various shootouts, executions and hangings. It would've added a nice touch of authenticity showing the body count of the day.

The "Crazy Horse Saloon" was an opening day attraction where small stage performances were put on throughout the day. The small show with usually six players in the cast featured music, singing and dancing and would change out every few years to keep it fresh. The Saloon is still entertaining visitors to this day.

Like all modern theme parks, Six Flags has an auto track ride, this one with antique autos. The "Chaparral Horseless Carriages" were the antique alternative to the U.S.A. section's modern auto track ride, the "Happy Motoring Freeway". In the backdrop is the Red Train of the Six Flags Railroad. The real steam locomotive originally named "Lydia" was changed to "Maribeau B. Lamar" for the second President of the Republic of Texas. Both engines were originally built for use in a sugar cane plantation in Patoutville, Louisiana and later restored and put to use in the original Six Flags theme park.

Hope you enjoyed Texas. Next Stop! U.S.A!

Information source material:

Six Flags Over Texas - The First Fifty Years, copyright 2016 Davis McCown

Funland U.S.A. copyright 1978 by Tim Onosko

Thank you Ken! I guess it only figures that old Texas was full of shootin' and hangin'. Even Knott's Berry Farm had hangings, apparently (and maybe still do, around Halloween).

More June 1958 Photos from Steve Stuart

It's time for more wonderful photos from Steve Stuart (you know him as "Nanook") featuring Disneyland, June 1958!

Steve says: "Once again, it's De De and me - this time posing in front of the floral Mickey. And I'm certain that we're all thinking the same thing: if only my dad had widened-out the image, we could capture many an attraction poster appended to the fencing. Oh well, this is what happens when attention to your subject is front and center, and to hell with Disneyland history! Who knew - it was only 1958, after all. Oh, to be there again, knowing what I know now...".

       
Oh boy, look at this one! More from Steve: "Although I have a number of images of the Richfield Junior Autopia - whoops, make that 'Jr. Autopia' from this same angle, this is the only one I've seen with my mom and myself! (And look kids - NO CENTER RAIL!). As an added bonus, we can spy the Fantasyland Viewliner Station, the Motor Boat Cruise and even a pay phone booth (no need to worry about cell phone coverage here!). And looking carefully along the scalloped fence, the gentleman with the gray shirt is holding what at first I thought was an 'Official Disneyland Road Map' - 'courtesy of your helpful Richfield Dealer', but it doesn't match any of the maps I have. So... what could it be?". 

"In about six months, the Jr. Autopia would be no more, as it would be 'removed' to make way for the Matterhorn, Disneyland-Alweg Monorail, and the new Fantasyland Autopia".

MANY thanks to Steve for sharing these great pictures from his personal archives, and for providing the commentary, making my job very easy!

Extra! Extra! I decide to zoom in on that brochure that the gentleman is holding. What the heck is it? I'm familiar with early Disneyland brochures, and this does not ring any bells. Could it be something that has been folded in half? I'd love it if someone knows the answer.

Tomorrowland Construction, 1966

Today I have two more neat photos showing the construction of Disneyland's "New Tomorrowland".

I wish I could get my bearings here; is it possible that the vertical rebar (for columns) is the location of the Rocket Jets and Peoplemover station? I can't think of what else it could be.  Notice the remnants of some old Tomorrowland façades, those walls with the applied "bubbles" in the distance. I think that the large structure with the open side is the "Adventure Thru Inner Space" building, no? 

Panning a bit to the right, we see structures that would be on the opposite side of Tomorrowland's central "avenue" - maybe where Circlevision 360 was? Like the other photos in this batch, there are all kinds of little construction details that I can't decipher. Like the wood framed "ditch" to the right; is that just a place for pipes and other stuff?

And hey, what do you know, they stitched together pretty nicely! One sad detail: right between the buildings, in the extreme distance, you can see a flagpole with the flag at half staff. Walt Disney had passed away on Thursday, December 15th,  just two or three days before these pictures were taken.

Pooh for President, Part 2!

Happy Halloween, everybody! I'm sorry I don't have anything ghoulish to share with you. But I do have more fun stuff from Chuck!

It's time for PART 2 of Chuck Hansen's photos from the classic "Pooh for President" parade, circa 1976! Be sure to see last weeks "part 1" post. Today we get to see pictures of Chuck himself as a kid! As before, he has provided a very nice commentary to go with the photos. Here's Chuck:

Just because this is Pooh's parade doesn't mean that Mickey won't try to upstage him.  Sort of like Bill with Hillary, I guess.  Note that the sun came out as the Mouse arrived.  Typical.  He is flanked by a bodyguard from Kids of the Kingdom; the two girls facing away from us can be seen on either end of the stage in the first photo.  Each of those smiling young people is trained in four different forms of unarmed combat and is willing to take a bullet for Mickey.  The Duck is on his own, though.

The next picture shows the Main Event, no longer living quietly under the name of "Sanders" but out in the limelight on a recycled float from "America on Parade," surrounded by barrage balloons and escorted by adoring (and adorable) Pooh cheerleaders.  Just as interesting as the Bear are the two blue-and-yellow-costumed parade wranglers crouching on either side of the parade route, carrying concealed cattle prods "just in case."  Just give them a reason - I dare you!  

Rounding out the parade were the Pooh's grass-root supporters, the backbone of the Children's Party, marching along in solidarity with the tubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff.  In the first photo, just to the right of the guy in the red sport coat, wearing my favorite Frontierland belt, carrying a yellow balloon and barely-readable "Pooh for President" sign, is yours truly, age 7 years, 11 months.  I swear that sign increased in mass the farther down the parade route we went.  My four-year-old sister is to my left (camera right), wearing a mustard yellow t-shirt and glasses and carrying a pink balloon.  She made it about 50 yards with her sign before gravity intervened and a kindly cast member picked it up before a parade wrangler with a gleam in her eye could get her prod unholstered.

The next photo shows us continuing on around the Hub, with the original 1967 Tomorrowland entrance in the background.

The parade ended in Town Square in front of Main Street Station, where a "Pooh-litical Fun-raising rally" was held.  I remember Pooh promising "hunny in every pot," and I'm certain they sang "Pooh for President," a new song by Larry Groce that was later nominated for a Grammy [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dCIABevywQ].  While we don't have any pictures of the rally since it took a while for my parents to work their way through the crowd to Town Square, I did manage to find an short animated GIF on the Interwebs showing a snippet of the rally [no idea where it originated; it shows up all over the place].

Later that day, we ran into the candidate pressing flesh over by the Circle-Vision Theater.  While you can see Pooh left a favorable impression on my dad, it had no effect on the electoral outcome as my dad had mailed his absentee ballot before we moved.

On the way out of the Park, every kid aged 12 and under received a large poster like the one below.  This poster used the same design as the one for the '72 election and may have actually been stock left over from the 1972 event.  Mine hung on the back of my bedroom door in the new house until we moved in 1981, at which point I think it went to Poster Heaven.  

While Pooh lost this election, he did make one more unsuccessful bid for the White House in 1980 before leaving politics entirely, eventually starring in his own Saturday morning reality series and establishing a merchandising powerhouse.  

Although he's been out of the political game for 36 years, after watching this year's slow-motion train wreck, I'm wondering if anyone can coax him out of retirement.  I wouldn't mind a little Pooh in the Rose Garden.

I hope you've enjoyed today's photos.  Thanks again to Major Pepperidge for allowing me to share my brush with history, and don't forget to vote on November 8th!

THANK YOU CHUCK for the time and work that went into creating both of the Pooh for President articles! I'm sure there are a few of you out there who remember when Pooh Bear ran for office.  These photos are a great blast to the past. 

Disneyland Hotel Pool & the Matterhorn

Howsabout two random photos, chosen randomly from a random hat by two random passing strangers wearing random clothing? Well that's what you're gonna get today, by cracky. 

Here's a view looking at one of the Disneyland Hotel swimming pools (circa 1965). You might notice the slightly weird color, so I might as well admit that I had to adjust this one from its original ruddy tone. It looks afternoon-ish, but might have in fact been taken in the morning, which could explain why there is not a single person in sight. Or it might be deserted because it is February. Even in moderate SoCal, it can be a little too chilly for a post-park swim. 

You've probably seen similar views of the Matterhorn in days of yore; the motion-blurred foreground shows that we are on a moving vehicle - the Disneyland railroad, to be specific. Beyond the striped fence (I believe) is the "Never-never land" area of Storybook Land, where boats could be pulled off of the line for service. It looks like the fence could open to allow truck access if need be. 

Vintage People

Looking through my folders of scanned slides, I thought I'd post some random photos of vintage people. Mint in box, unused! 

This first one is my favorite. Two buddies (brothers, I'd wager) pose in their "Utah Aggies" shirts. Maybe they're about to head on down to the ol' fishin' hole to catch some perch, or a few wily trout. After that they will join their friends Darla, Alfalfa, Porky and Buckwheat, for some quality shenanigans.

This next photo is from 1943, taken in Hartford, Connecticut. The guy on the left is Keith, and his friend is Morris. They look mighty sharp in their uniforms - who can identify which branch they served in? The second World War had a long time to go, and I can't help wondering if both men came home safe and sound.

This one isn't that interesting really... the woman might be a grade school teacher. Let's call her Miss Cole (after my own beloved 2nd grade teacher). While undated, this photo is certainly from the 1950's, and I was interested to see that Miss Cole is sporting an "I Love Lucy" pinback button. This one's for TokyoMagic!, who loves Lucy!

Carnation Plaza Gardens, 1959

Well! This has been an easy week for me. Monday was Chuck Hansen's "Pooh for President" post. Tuesday, Knott's Berry Farm from the Devlins. Wednesday, Steve Stuart's photos. Thursday, Ken Martinez's vintage postcards. Why, I've been laying around eating bonbons and watching my stories on TV, with nary a care in the world! But today I finally had to do a little work and share some of my own photos.

The old Carnation Plaza Gardens was a place where a lot of music and dancing took place over the 50+ years of its existence. Many notable Big Bands played there on warm summer nights - like Count Basie, and Woody Herman. During the day, things were generally quieter, though guests could grab a lunch or have some delicious Carnation Ice Cream. I love this first photo, mostly because it is unlike any other photo in my collection! Notice the row of attraction posters against the distant wall. I call dibs on the Rocket to the Moon!

The design looks like a kind of olde-timey fantasy version of a beachside pavilion in Victorian times. Ladies in long white dresses carrying parasols would not look terribly out of place in this image.

Meanwhile, over at the larger tent, the Disneyland Band entertains a light crowd on a sunny day. There's Vesey Walker, the second hardest working man in show business.

Vintage Postcards - Midway Mania 2

As promised, here is the second installment of Ken Martinez's vintage postcard article....

Midway Mania! - More Classic Carnival Rides Part 2

Here we are back again at the midway. I've got five more cards to show today.

"Tilt-A-Whirl" is probably the most famous midway ride in flat ride history and it also happens to be my favorite. I always loved the red half-dome top, yellow crescent moons, white clown heads and blue tilting flooring. Lots of primary color! I've seen different color variations but this is my favorite because it's the classic look. It was built by Sellner Manufacturing. The location for this postcard is Seaside Heights, New Jersey.

Here is a pair of rides manufactured by Chance Rides; the black and yellow "Yo-Yo" (a swing ride) and another midway classic, the "Zipper". I rode the Zipper once and it felt like it was going to fall apart so I never rode it again. Those traveling shows could be scary. I did love to watch the mechanics of the Zipper in action which I found fascinating.

The "Round Up" was another I used to love to ride. Now I couldn't make it through most of these rides. Spinning and rising Do not appeal to the body these days.

In this postcard we get four flat rides for the price of one. From top to bottom we have a "Roto-Jet" similar to Disneyland's Astro-Jets, another "Spider" ride, the "Scrambler" manufactured by Eli Bridge Company (of Ferris Wheel fame) and a Chance "Trabant".

Here we have two more Chance Rides; the "Toboggan" and the "Sky Diver". I always love seeing these two in action at the midway, especially watching the Toboggans spiral down the cylindrical tower. I rode these attractions just over ten year ago and I felt really claustrophobic when I rode them. I guess in my kid-sized body it felt like lots of space in the ride vehicle when I was young. As an older adult I couldn't wait to get out.

Hope you all enjoyed the return visit to the midway today.

Information Source material: The Flat Joint - http://www.flatrides.com/

THANK YOU so much to Ken Martinez!