This first one's not half bad... a nice early shot of Tomorrowland in August, 1955! Featuring the Clock of the World of course. Also featuring a couple of benches. Monsanto's "Hall of Chemistry" to the right has not yet received it's colorful facade.
Now we jump to August 1957 to see one of the other attractions sponsored by Monsanto, the House of the Future. It had opened only two months before this photo was shot, and there appears to be some interested guests willing to wait a bit for their glimpse of what their future would be like.
Now back to 1956; these three ladies are conferring about somethin'. Maybe they are thinking about getting something to eat, since the sun is sinking in the west. Or maybe they are thinking about going home! Love the souvenir hat on the woman to the right... I think I saw one of those on ebay a while ago.
(Addendum: OK, I must have mis-typed something, because I see the signs for the Alice in Wonderland attraction on the banners in the background, which makes this photo 1958, not '56. I think I need a vacation).
And this last one is unspectacular... a small detail of the "Beaver Valley" section of Nature's Wonderland (July 1960). See the beaver dam there? I think the Mine Train generally saw this from a much more elevated view, could this have been taken while riding on a pack mule?
wow, you make a great stew, Major! i love Tomorrowland best of all, my favorite part of #1 is the little fencing along the flowerbeds, which likely came from the local hardware store; its so cool to see simple things like that, before everything was so specialized for the parks. the HOTF was another attraction that i never saw; my daugnter was especially sad to have missed it, tho it does look as tho there are too many ppl in that bedroom...lets call it Leaning Tower of Monsanto! it looks like 2 of the ladies in front of the castle may be sisters, same skirt and maybe same blouse, and MY MOM HAD THAT PURSE! its made from nylon, kinda like nylon potholders. hers was white as well. that brings back memories. as for Beaver Hollow, looks like that may be a shoulder there in the lower right corner. an awesome assortment today... ps. ive finally filled in my profile if anyone wants to know about me :D
ReplyDeleteWhat a fine stew we're in!
ReplyDeleteThere's something so absorbing to me about the atmosphere in that Tomorrowland. Not what can be seen in the atmosphere, that's just smog and now-banned farming and industrial chemicals. What is it about that world caught in that pic that I would so love to step into it? It's not nostalgia, I wasn't on this planet at that time. Hm.
The Clock of the World. You could set your watch by it. And anybody elses! Nya.
Monsanto's Hall of Chemistry looks like a '50s hotel. Lacking only glimpses of windows with curtains just like the ones that'd show up in their own House of the Future. Maybe the curtains held up Hotel of Chemistry long enough for the civic railing against the scandalous implications of that hotel name to cancel those plans. So when the HOF showed up they had just the right curtains sitting around. Is this premise at "humor" getting as thin as the supports on those early Tommorowland benches? Yess! so moving right along.....
The Castle pic. The ladies are neighbours. We know this because they have just had a neighbourly sneeze. What's neighbourly about a sneeze? Simply by pretending to sniffles while the actual sneezer (middle) reaches for a hanky, they leave any casual passer by that was privy to the unseemly behavior unable to conclusively conclude guilt on one of their own, whilst proving their empathy and solidarity to the vulnerable among them.
Today it'd be tough to get anyone to line up for anything plastic unless it were a celeb babe, but back in the day look at 'em all. It took a whole house of it to draw 'em but there they are. Dads in slacks and young ladies in shorts and shirts that would still be in style fifty years later among the cute little doll girls in their fancy little dresses. All queued for an experience they'd almost remember the rest of the day.
But seriously it'd be so cool to go visit that mid-century-modern marvel.
As it would be to ride the pack mules or take a train through Nature's Wonderland. :)
Love the stew Major!
Speaking of curtains, I thought those ladies' skirts kind of looked like they were made out of 50's curtain material.
ReplyDeleteChiana, I hadn't gotten around to telling you yet, but you were missed....both times!
I wonder if those benches are ones for sale in 1971!
ReplyDeleteI always get a little sad and slightly creeped up when Major posts close up pictures of people from the 50's and 60's, especially if they are older. Knowing that these people are very likely no longer with us just makes me wonder who they were, what kind of like they had and all that.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me a scene in the movie Dead Poets Society when Robin William's character shows his students old pictures of former students of the school from long ago and tells them to look closely at them and how at the time they had their entire lives in front of them when the pictures were taken, but are now gone. Then he gets in to the whole carpe diem thing.
Anyway, didn't mean to get too deep. Cool pics. :)
Got back sooner than expected and low and behold a great picture of the world clock. Fantastic. My favorite, but then you knew that. Good to be back!
ReplyDeleteBostonmouse – not to worry. Many of us who were around in the 50s are still here!
ReplyDeleteChiana – you want to step into that picture because it is beautiful.
As always, an excellent selection Major.
Oh, I know many folks from 50's are still alive and kickin'. My parents are testiment to that.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I don't think the same could be said for the lovely ladies in the third photo. They look to be in their late 40's at least and likely older which would mean they would be at least 90 if they are still rattling around, probably not too likely.