Miniature Golf, 1950's

And now for something completely different...!

I love amusement parks, carnivals, world's fairs, and any place that people visited for fun. And that includes miniature golf courses! The "goofy golf" that we know today originated about 100 years ago (although there were small putting courses before that). I know that I enjoyed going to a few that still exist; one that is only a few miles from where I live now (Castle Golf on Sepulveda).

So, while digging through some boxes of oversized slides, I was happy to find six or seven great vintage (early 50's) photos of folks playing putt-putt in some unknown location (I sure wish I knew where, though). This first image is a particular favorite!


How many people look this good when they're playing mini golf? Seriously. The photographer (her husband) took about five hundred photos of this lady - an aspiring actress, apparently - posing in various cute outfits. But none quite as fetching as this ensemble!


Would you buy a used car from this man?


SO... I am curious to know if you, the beloved viewer, would like to see more of this kind of thing? Or are you furious at not getting your daily dose of Disneyland? Since my supply of Disney park slides is getting smaller and smaller, throwing in the occasional digression like this will keep this blog going a bit longer. I might delve into my meager collection of souvenir items as well.

Christmas in June! - But Really January 1962

It's always a good time to spread Christmas cheer here at "Gorillas Don't Blog", whether it is December, or the middle of June.

Here's a fun Main Street scene, snapped from inside one of the Surreys (there were at least two). See the fringe on top? The street and store fronts are decked out in wreaths, bells, stars, and all of the usual classic yuletide decor. The sidewalks are busy, but just look at what a beautiful sunny day it was. The poor folks in the midwest or on the east coast were probably knee deep in snow! Even though these are date-stamped "January 1962", it is possible that they were taken a few weeks before.


At the north end of Main Street is the castle, which has minimal Christmas adornments...


The Matterhorn is decked out with its 24 foot high star, which appears to have been lit all day long (?). No wonder it used so much lightbulb juice. The star itself looks like something right out of the 50's or 60's, like those classic star-shaped clocks (my family had one!).

Knott's in Black & White, part 1

While I am a big fan of Kodachrome (and color photographs in general), sometimes the humble black and white snapshot can be a lot of fun as well. I know that my mom has boxes upon boxes of 'em from my own childhood, which is probably why I get a warm fuzzy feeling when I view the following pictures from Knott's Berry Farm! Incidentally, they are undated, but I guestimate that they are from approximately 1959.

Knott's had a number of regular "characters" inhabiting the town, and including this lovely Señorita and friendly gunslinger. Or is he a cowpoke? I can never tell. They are mighty pleased to pose for pictures with the family...


... or just by themselves. I'd love to know what buidling they are in front of, and I'll bet there is somebody out there who even knows the names of these characters!


Handsome Brady and Whisky Bill weren't camera-shy either. I love the expression on the boy's face, he looks like he's a genuine rascal! But with a heart of gold, of course. In several other pictures (coming soon!), you can tell that he is having the greatest time, and even after 50 years, it is infectious.

POSTERAMA 5

It's attraction poster time again! Today I've got photos of two classic silk-screened posters from my collection.

This beautiful Matterhorn poster is the very first poster I ever bought; I was at a Howard Lowery auction, and was determined to bring home... something. The price was not too bad, especially by today's standards...

I just love the beautiful, dynamic design! The blues and whites really give an impression of snowy mountain heights, while your eye is drawn to the bobsleds and their riders with vivid yellows and reds.


And now we jump ahead to 1967, with the Peoplemover! Sponsored by Goodyear ("Go Go Goodyear!"). Two groups of clean cut kids (no hippies!) enjoy the smooth, quiet transportation of the future, taking in the sites from above. I've seen a variation of this poster that had "Tomorrowland" at the bottom instead of "Disneyland" - part of me wishes that I had that one instead. But I'm still pretty happy with this one!

Pirate Ship Dining Area, January 1962

For a slight change of pace, today's photo is not so much about the Chicken of the Sea pirate ship as it is about the dining area behind it. Skull Rock was added to Fantasyland in 1960, and along with it were cooling waterfalls, grottoes, and tropical plants.


You don't see many views of where you actually ate, so here is a detail to give you some idea. The pirates have rigged some spare sails for shade, and the tables and chairs have a nautical look, seemingly inspired by wooden ship's wheels.

Knott's Berry Farm Train, 1952

I love Disneyland's 5/8 scale, narrow-gauge steam trains, but there is something very impressive about the full-sized locomotives at Knott's Berry Farm. Those things are just huge! Here's old number 40, the "Gold Nugget", waiting by the water tower. This angle interests me because I'm not sure what that building in the distance is. Eventually the Calico Mine Train would be built there, but judging by the outdoor lights, that must be the old horse arena. Cool!


Here's another great photo of the same gleaming locomotive, but this time the family wants to be in the picture. I can't explain why, but I love these photos of people from that era. I try to imagine their daily lives, with all of the things that typical Americans did in those days. It was a different world!

Two From July 1962

Today's photos are from faded slides, but I am very fond of this first view, taken from a speeding Monorail. How that train caught Mono I will never know, and I'm not sure I want to. Anyway, I believe that we are running parallel to Harbor Boulevard, and looking at one of the many hotels and motels that sprang up around Disneyland (much to Walt's chagrin). I'm sure you'll agree that this view looks kind of charming more than 45 years later, with the tiny kidney-shaped pool (complete with thrilling slide!), minimal mid-century architecture, and some cool old cars as well. Check out the blue auto with the gigantic tail fins slightly to the left of center (near the top)! There is still a lot of farmland and stands of eucalyptus trees in Anaheim in 1962; all gone today of course.


Another slide from the same bunch shows this fun view of one of Huck Finn's rafts ferrying a full load of guests over to Tom Sawyer Island. It's July 1962, and there are very few (if any) crazy souvenir hats to be seen, what gives?

Jungle Cruise, September 1969

By 1969, Adventureland's jungle had matured into a convincingly lush and verdant tropical forest. The kind you could get lost in... forever! The only roads going through this wilderness are of the watery variety, but don't feel too safe; they are full of hippos, crocodiles, piranhas, and probably leeches (even though you never see the them, I know they're there!).

Oh, meanwhile there's a nice view of the loading dock.


The "Lost Safari" scene is a Jungle Cruise classic. In a way it was lucky that these guys only had to deal with a rhino. If it had been a vicious, flesh-eating giraffe, it would be all over!

Mark Twain and More, August 1958

Here's an interesting (and different) shot of the Mark Twain, taken from Tom Sawyer Island! This photo would have worked great as a stereo slide, but even so there is a nice feeling of depth, with the dark trees in the foreground, the girl standing on "ambush rock", and then the grand sternwheeler herself, complete with Vesey Walker and the Disneyland band performing on the bow. And after looking at ten zillion photos of the Mark Twain, this is the first time I've noticed the headlamp! D'oh. It's like the ones you see on the steam trains only much, muuuuch bigger.


This photographer really knew how to compose a picture... here is another one that would have worked will in 3-D. You've got the white picket fence up front, and then various crates, casks and bundles, then the Columbia herself, all framing a lovely scene with an Indian War Canoe on the big river. Beautiful!

Jungle Cruise, August 14, 1956

Today's photos are oldies, taken when Disneyland was only 13 months old. They have faded a bit, but they are still high in fiber and vitamin N (the nostalgia vitamin).

Here's one taken aboard a Jungle Cruise boat back when the jungle was still looking a lot less lush than we are used to today. There are two kids (one partially obscured) sitting right up front, I can just imagine how intensely they are searching for wild animals and hungry headhunters! There is some sort of electrical outlet on the front panel of the boat, was this for the searchlight used at night?


Now we're on the middle deck of the Mark Twain looking towards Tom Sawyer Island and Harper's Mill; beyond that is an undeveloped Frontierland. These slides have lost some of their color, and appear almost sepia tone; in this case, it gives them a warm, old-fashioned quality that I find very appealing.