Nice 50s Slides

Disneyland slides from the 1950s! They're hard to beat. Today's examples are really nice - starting with this great Fantasyland view, filled with the usual riot of colors and patterns. Overhead, Skyway gondolas move to and fro... 

... with Holiday Hill (no Matterhorn yet) and the tallest of the Skyway support towers.
 

I kind of love this view of three coatless men posing just outside the entry gates (and near the ticket booths). This is not exactly the typical group of Disneyland visitors, I'd love to know why they are there together, apparently without spouses. They probably heard all about the Mad Tea Party and couldn't wait to check it out for themselves! A stiff breeze blows the flag over Main Street Station eastward, along with the men's ties. The bowtie is always impeccable.

Beautiful Fantasyland, 1960s

Fantasyland has always been the most "Disney" of all the lands, with its movie-themed dark rides right near the Castle. It had lots more to offer as well, as we can see in this first great photo, taken (I presume) from a Skyway gondola as it backed into the Fantasyland chalet. There's the beautiful Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship, the Mad Tea Party, the Carrousel, Casey Jr., and even the Matterhorn is part of Fantasyland. 

At first I thought that this was taken during the early part of the day with some low cloud coverage, but now I'm not so sure. The sky is definitely not as blue as in the previous picture. I guess the ship's sails were at the dry cleaners being Martinized, pirates hate dirty sails. For some reason I find those concrete benches painted in cheerful colors to be charming, they weren't used anywhere else in the park.
 

Hello, Captain Guy! I just found a vintage article online that said that Guy Exon played "Captain Kidd". I was never aware that the peg-legged pirate had a name. Meanwhile, that boy in blue is not showing proper deference and will soon walk the plank.

Stuff From Da Box

Whenever I'm feeling a little low, I'll take a luxurious bubble bath (while listening to Kenny G), and then enjoy some Stuff From Da Box! Join me, won't you? I mean for the Stuff, not the bubble bath (which is only for me and my vinyl walrus).

First up is this little employee pin given to somebody at Michigan Bell. Do the three stars mean three years? Or thirty? I would guess that this is from the 1930s.

Next is another employee badge, from the Cadillac Motor Co. Car division, that is. It has a pleasing hexagonal shape, and a mysterious code that only true insiders will understand. What do you think, is this also from the 1930s? Or maybe it's from as late as the 1950s.

Here's a metal badge from the defunct Sambo's restaurant chain. The name did them in, at least partly, though it is taken from the names of the two men who founded it, Sam Battistone and Newell Bohnett. Still, they adopted the story of Little Black Sambo, sanitizing it to a degree. As a kid I loved the idea of pancakes with "tiger butter", and as I've said once before, I discovered that fries dipped in A1 Steak Sauce was a revelation. The last Sambo's restaurant (in Santa Barbara) changed its name to "Chad's" in 2020. 

When I used to go to collector's shows, I was clearly drawn to pins from the Trailways bus system. I think I imagined a romantic ideal of bus travel, probably far from reality. Still, it made me think of the golden age of road trips, exploring post-War America on a budget. Three of these are safety awards, for two, six, and thirteen years (complete with two possibly-genuine diamonds). I was surprised to learn that Trailways was still a going concern: The Trailways Transportation System is a public transport bus service in the United States. It operates a network of approximately 70 independent bus companies. The company is headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia. Read more about it HERE if you are interested.

What can I say, I have a lot of little employee pins and badges! Including this tiny TWA pin, which I imagine was worn by flight attendants, possibly on their lapels or on their scarf ties (whatever those are called). However, I have no proof, it could have been worn by any employee.

And finally, here's a beautiful little enameled pin from the Spartan Aircraft Company, which I was not familiar with. The Spartan Aircraft Company was an American aircraft manufacturing company, headquartered on Sheridan Avenue near the Tulsa Municipal Airport in Tulsa, Oklahoma.[1] Previously known as Mid-Continent Aircraft Company, the company had been reorganized under the Spartan name in 1928 by oil baron William G. Skelly—and operated until 1961, manufacturing aircraft, aircraft components, and recreational vehicle trailers. The company was known for the luxurious Spartan Executive aircraft produced in the late 1930s and early 1940s.

J. Paul Getty acquired the company from Skelly in 1935. After World War II, Getty ended aircraft production and converted the company to manufacturing trailers under the Spartan Manor brand—subsequently ending all production in 1961.

I need to photograph more Stuff From the Box!

Not Disneyland, October 1968

I have a few Disneyland slides featuring this pretty lady in her colorful 1968 dress. We've seen her on the Matterhorn bobsleds, for instance. So, for a moment, I stared at this first photo trying to figure out just where in Disneyland she was standing. "HEY, wait a minute! She's in Knott's Berry Farm!". She's gazing down into the "Gold Mine", where people were panning for REAL GOLD.  What the heck?

Here she is with her friend, flirting with Handsome Brady and Whiskey Bill. They are both wearing the same outfits that we saw in the Disneyland photos, which can only mean that they did both parks in one day. Which seems insane to me, but maybe they were in town for a single day, and they had to cram as much fun into it as they could. 

 

Main Street, April 1963

In my mind's eye, I always picture Disneyland on sunny days with blue skies - maybe a tad warm, but nothing that we can't handle. AND YET... I have so many photos of the park taken on gray, overcast days. California has "weather", it's not interesting weather. Today's April 1963 pictures feel like rain is on the way. They do say that "April showers bring May flowers", after all.

I wonder why the cheerful Surreys were eliminated from the fleet of various Main Street vehicles? They carry as many people as the Horseless Carriages (maybe more). It's a shame, because they are so unique, especially today. And guests love seeing horses at the park! All of the people near the Surrey are fascinated by it, even the teenager. And they hate everything! The nerd in me is happy to see the signs for the Upjohn pharmacy, the Swift Market House, and the golden crown of the Hallmark shop.

Our photographer hadn't walked very far (if at all) when Vesey Walker and the Disneyland Band passed by. Vesey is looking right at us! 

 

Birthday Fun

Let's take a break from Sunday Snoozles™ and with GDB friend Bu a very Happy Birthday! You all know how Sue B. is on top of things, birthday-wise... she sent along with scan from July, 1982 which (I believe) is from the "Bu era". Hidden behind the throngs of humanity is a balloon vendor. IS IT BU?? Well,we can't be sure.

Another thing Sue scanned for this occasion is a 1985 guide/gate handout (brought to you by Kodak). Over 40 years have elapsed since these were given to guests, so there have been lots of changes.

First up: the cover! Cast members line up in the shape of the number 30, for the park's 30th birthday. Nowadays a photographer would just use a drone, easy-peasy. How was this shot done in 1985? It had to be either a helicopter or a drone (I'm discounting "hot air balloon"!), with my guess being a helicopter. It was early, the sun had just come up, so it was presumably before  guests had entered the park. Notice the birthday cake!

Zooming in to the base of the "3", we see Bu in his Tour Guide plaid. He's waving, but was clearly distracted by something. BUT WHAT?? I think the lady in the yellow dress next to him appeared in THIS PHOTO although Bu can hopefully tell us for sure.

Sue wanted to be sure to point out THE DENT - it's definitely there, though not easy to see (as is often the case).

I always love a park map, even small versions like this. It's amazing to think that there was no DCA, no Galaxy's Edge, no Indiana Jones Adventure, no Star Tours, not even a ToonTown! 

Information? If I wanted information, I'd look at my complimentary park guide. LIKE THIS ONE. Do you need a Baby Center? A Versateller? Does your tummy hurt from too many hotdogs? Did you lose your child? These two pages have all the data you need. I'm upset to see that they insist that guest wear shirts, how are they supposed to appreciate the giant flaming skull tattoo on my back?

Good old Main Street USA. Ya gotta start here! Bank of America still had a presence, and there was the 30th Birthday Redemption Center. There ye shall find redemption. 

I wish I'd gone into the "Disneyland Showcase", I'm sure I walked right past it in a daze. Most of these shops and restaurants (with a few exceptions) are familiar, though I like the Camera Center presented by Kodak. Get yourself a souvenir photo "aboard a replica of the lilly Belle". 

As I mentioned earlier, this was pre-Indiana Jones. But there was still the Tahitian Terrace, oh boy! And the Swiss Family hadn't moved out of their treehouse yet. I did not know that Guatemalan Weavers were still there in 1985, my mom would have loved that shop.

We know there have been changes to New Orleans Square, but things still feel essentially the same, though the French Market is now Tiana's Palace.

The Country Bear Jamboree was still going strong, it would continue until 2001. I'm not sure I remembered that Wonder Bread ever sponsored the Hungry Bear Restaurant.

You could still ride a Keelboat, watch the Golden Horseshoe Revue, or shop at the Pendleton Store. 

This was after the big 1983 Fantasyland refurbishment, so most of this stuff is still there - with the exception of the Motor Boat Cruise.

Tomorrowland has seen many changes! In '85 you could still enjoy Adventure Thru Inner Space, the Starcade, Mission to Mars, America Sings, Circle-Vision, the Peoplemover, the Rocket Jets, and the Skyway. ALL gone now, incredibly.

I am a terrible photographer, so I'm sure I could have used some of these tips from Kodak. But I wouldn't have read this until I got home. Don't rent a Disk Camera at the Kodak Camera Center (or any of the other shops), those things took truly horrible, tiny, grainy photos. Look at that kid with the mouse ears, he thinks he's so cool. I'll bet I could take him in a fist fight.

And it ends with an ad for Kodak film (including the disc film, YUCK). Digital photography would start to make a real impact in 1990, and Kodak never really got on board. I know they did a little bit, but it was too little, too late.

There you go! It's like we took a time machine back to 1985. I can practically hear "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" or "We Are the World". Thank you to Sue for scanning this fun brochure, and once again, Happy Birthday, Bu!

Unknown Amusements

I have two slide scans of "unknown amusements" today... maybe you can help figure out the locations!

First up is this l950s look down the very wide main street of a western town that appears to be some sort of movie ranch. I was aware of "Mortensen's Ranch" in New Mexico, and "Apacheland" in Arizona; but neither of those seem to match, based on photos I've seen online. I don't believe this town is in California, but I'm really not sure. Do you have any ideas?

Next is this 1960s photo of some sort of amusement zone featuring (among other things) two rockets; an Atlas missile, and what appears to be a V2 rocket. In the background is a nice Skyway ride, and then to the left are very temporary-looking pavilions - cloth-covered structures similar to what I've seen at some short-lived fairs. There's not much to go on as far as hard clues, but I'm hoping that somebody out there might recognized where this is!

Waterless Sub Lagoon, October 19, 1972

Today's photos are especially-nice views of the Submarine Lagoon, completely drained of water for a refurb. Seeing that these are from October of 1972, I am pretty sure that I saw the lagoon in this state with my own peepers. October was typically the month for Navy Nite (though I could find no records of it for 1972). I do remember trying to take photos of the lagoon at night with my little Kodak Instamatic. Sure, the tiny flash cube will do a great job illuminating that large area! I wound up with several pictures that were almost entirely black, with a few pinpoints of light. 

ANYWAY, it's still cool to see the reef looking as if the workers were nearly done decorating it with new shells and seaweed, and painting the corals with bright colors. 

Here's a second view, from the Monorail platform; we don't see the lagoon quite as well, but it's still a nice composition with the intertwining Monorail and Peoplemover tracks.

Details

Here are more DISNEYLAND DETAILS - photos that have zoomed in on some tiny aspect of a ride or building. Both of these are undated, but definitely from the 1950s.

First up is a detail that fascinated me as a child... the big blue eye of Monstro the Whale, the "host" (?) of the Storybook Land Canal Boats. I guess most hosts don't swallow you, but Monstro has always thought outside the box. I would happily watch a 30 minute documentary about how this eye was made; is it cast resin? The iris was surely hand-painted on the inside of the clear semi-sphere. The addition of the blinking eyelid (perhaps once a minute?), along with the occasional spray from his blow-hole made him feel just a little bit "alive".

I've seen a number of photos of the Mark Twain in which you can see somebody looking down at the turning paddle wheel at the stern. I feel like it's usually a boy, or an older man, but I'm sure plenty of girls and women have looked too. I wonder how long those wooden paddles can last, being constantly wet? Do they still use wood, or something that just looks like wood? I just scanned another slide that is almost exactly the same as this one, but I'll share it some other time.

More Big Thunder

The Mysterious Benefactor's many folders of scans contain a LOT of photos relating to the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Here's a bunch more, all featuring the little mine trains careening out of control along the rickety tracks.

This is a nice one, with the landscape appearing particularly lush and green. So lush and green that I believe that the guests on that train are going to get slapped in the face by some leafy branches. GOOD! You know they did something bad, even if we don't know exactly what. Maybe they'll learn a little lesson about... er... "being yourself", or "friendship is important", or some darn thing. In the upper left, the famous dynamite-chewing goat.

Some of you have "enjoyed" the experience of riding Big Thunder with me, and are familiar with my high-pitched screams and occasional tears. I gotta be me!

Here's a fun "publicity-worthy" shot of some Big Thunder riders. Did the photographer hold a camera in his hands, or did he use some sort of special mount? Two very 80s young ladies are enjoying themselves, though the one in the pink shirt is enjoying herself a bit too much, and she's freaking me out.

Here's a nice, dynamic shot taken as our runaway train passes that crazy goat; I remember reading about "the goat trick", in which you keep your eyes glued to the critter, inducing a slightly dizzying sensation, followed by a "Technicolor yawn". 

And here's another interesting view; our photographer jumped out of his train (always encouraged by park management), and he's found a convenient hidey-hole inside one of the many caves, in order to get this dramatic shot. 

Nope, we're not done with Big Thunder yet! THANK YOU, Mysterious Benefactor!

I'll be back with you SOON.