Friday, June 29, 2007

Frontierland Viewmaster, 1956

Here's something a bit different. I decided to try to get the best scans that I could from the scarce souvenir Frontierland Viewmaster packet (1956). Considering that the transparencies are only about half an inch square, I think they turned out pretty good! Today I thought I'd concentrate on the Stagecoach.

Looks like the sheriff showed up just in time to stop a bunch of thievin' coyotes from robbing the stage. That kid in the coach doesn't look too worried, probably because he knows he's in good hands. Our hero!


It's amazing to see the way Disneyland guests could sit on the very edge of the top of the stagecoach, feet dangling off the back. Too dangerous in today's litigous world. I blame society!


Here's a neat view of the old load area, you can almost read that rustic sign. Standing on a fence rail is a li'l muleskinner in a buckskin coat (inspired by Davy Crockett himself, I'll wager). In the background is a small group of teepees...nobody appears to be home, though. They are over on Tom Sawyer Island setting fire to a cabin. Or something.


If I was really ambitious I would scan the more common "Vacationland" Frontierland images, you would see very similar but slightly different pictures. However, I thought I'd do the rare packet first, for those of you who don't have one handy! Let me know if you'd like to see more of these, and I'll get to work.

5 comments:

Chris Merritt said...

Nice job! I tried to scan viewmasters years ago - but they came out terrible... What is your secret?

Major Pepperidge said...

Chris, sometimes the Viewmaster itself is the problem...I had another copy of this packet in which the pictures on the reels were blurry.

I think I scanned these at something like 3000 dpi (!), other than that I didn't do anything special.

Anonymous said...

Incredible scans, Major!

When I was little (early 60s), I "inherited" a buckskin jacket like that from my cousin. I loved that jacket so much I wore it almost every day!

Matterhorn1959 said...

Major- nice images. The sign on the last image is for the Conestoga Wagons. I do not know if the Stage coaches loaded at the same spot.

Anonymous said...

Hey I think those bandits got away! They held up the train I was riding on over at Knotts!!!