Sunday, December 13, 2009

Murky Street USA, 1957

Boy oh boy, I don't know if I've ever seen Main Street looking quite so gray and murky! Was it the film stock? Did a nearby volcano (in Brea, maybe) send tons of ash into the air, blocking the sun, plunging Anaheim into an early ice age?


This is what Disneyland would look like if it had been built by the commies! Only there would be more armed guards and giant posters of Lenin.

6 comments:

Chiana_Chat said...

Brea? That would explain the chunk of mastadon in the petunias.

I suspect a combination of poor lighting due to overcast weather and poor developing due to overwrought cheapness.

And I want that hat. I'll leave y'all wondering if I mean the blue bit on top or the conspicuous job on the gaily sporty horse.

Thufer said...

oh no....i hate it when there are chunks of mastadon in the petunias.

a gray day indeed, but still a 'happy' gray day.

CoxPilot said...

The photographer probably had one of those wonderful cameras of the day (very expensive) with a lot of buttons, dials, multiple f-stop choices and a ten pound manual to go with it. All this was probably purchased just before the wonderful trip to the Magic Kingdom. Maybe our intrepid traveler forgot to take the six month photography course at the local JC to learn about all the fine ways to take a picture. Thus; the poor settings and dull lighting of the shots.

Bless the modern digital camera.

Anonymous said...

As a commie I find this post offensive!

Nancy said...

the lighting makes the Emporium in the second offering look a bit like a diorama, which i think is always a cool effect, meant to be or not!

Chiana_Chat said...

Thufer, that's right, gray days as Disneyland are also happy days, because it is the happiest place on Earth. :)

Austin, I assume you're joking but in case you're not, I can assure you the poster is joking. The topic is 1950s America so the quip fits.

CoxPilot yup, these digital cameras are great for most purposes and can be so much easier to get decent photos with. The amount of quality pics posted here and at the other blogs amazes me considering what was involved then.