A Trio from April 1962

Like the heading of this post sez: three from April 1962!

Looks like it's only a matter of minutes before we get to board our submarine. A submarine, for goodness sakes! What would the folks back home think? I hope this ride isn't scary... but if it is, I'll just close my eyes.


Ah, this is more my style. Sit back, listen to the clip-clop of the horse's hooves and the other sounds of Main Street, and take in all the sights.


This Mine Train ride is a hoot. Those bears that we just saw were so realistic, but I heard that they're robots of some kind. The same goes for those battling elk that are just visible through the foliage; don't they know that they could put an eye out?

Cruising the Jungle, May 1966

My Ouija board told me to post some Adventureland images today, so howsabout some Jungle Cruise stuff?

I think I spy no less than 11 soggy elephants in this picture... Walt and his boys didn't "cheap out" by just giving us 2 or 3 pachyderms at the Elephant Bathing Pool! I like the guy who appears to be either clambering up the bank (to the left, see?) or napping.


Yes, that's where I would want to sit too...


I love rhinos, they're the closest thing we have to a triceratops.

Madurodam, Netherlands, circa 1955

Today's slides were from a bunch taken by an army nurse back in the mid-1950's. She was stationed in Beirut (Lebanon); but she went to Italy, Greece, and the Netherlands as well. While she was in the Netherlands, she and some of her pals took a trip to see Madurodam! What the heck is Madurodam?


"Madurodam is a miniature city located in Scheveningen, The Hague. It is a model of a Dutch town on a 1:25 scale, composed of typical Dutch buildings and landmarks, as are found at various locations in the country." (So sayeth Wikipedia). The park was built in 1952, and it is said that it inspired Walt Disney to build Storybook Land.


There's something about that kid with the crutches that's so "postwar Europe". I like the ultra-modern building to the right.


This view give you a good "lay of the land"... it looks like a charming place. There's Crutches Kid again.


Here's my favorite of the bunch, a lilliputian amusement park, complete with a Ferris Wheel, carousel, a "wild mouse" roller coaster, and a few other rides too. There's even a miniature snack bar. You can see why Walt, a lover of miniatures, would have been inspired by this park!


You can still go to Madurodam today. What are you waiting for?

Disneyland Band, May 1966

Today my imaginary friends and I will pay tribute to the Disneyland Band! When the come marching by, things just get better.

Here they are, passing East Center Street where the "Art Festival" is not exactly "wowing" the guests. In fact, where is all the art? I've seen other photos with paintings and drawings in abundance. Anyway, the band doesn't care about any of it; just play that sweet, sweet music! Look at the showoff playing his trombone with one hand.


Another shot, revealing that the band leader is none other that Mickey Mouse. "Miggy! Over here Miggy!" (that's how I talk). Crowds are light, huh?


And, having rounded the hub, Miggy and friends head back down Main Street. What was that, about 8 minutes of work?

POSTERAMA 14

It's been a while since my last POSTERAMA submission (2 months), so it's definitely time to take a look at some postery goodness.

Today's example is considerably different from the others that I've shared on this blog... it is the fantastic (and scarce) Bicentennial Railroad poster. It was created in 1976 in an edition of 144 (mine is #10), and is a real masterpiece of the printmaker's art. I have the little parchment certificate stating that this serigraph was created with SIXTY colors. Wow! Compare that to the older posters that used 6 or 7 colors. As you can see, sixty colors allowed for details and subtlety not possible on the earlier examples.


Here's a closer look at the magnificently-rendered C.K. Holliday...


... and another detail showing the "brass" eagle decoration at the bottom .


As far as I know, only two posters were produced in this laborious 60-color style; this Bicentennial train poster, and a Jungle Cruise poster. If there are any others, I'd love to see them!

Frontierland Rivercraft, 1960

There's no shortage of photos of the "Columbia" sailing ship or the "Bertha Mae" keel boat, but today's examples are pretty nice.

See what I mean? Of course the blue cloudless sky adds to the effect, and I like the raft to Tom Sawyer's Island too.


Old Bertha appears to be out of commission in this picture; there's no sign of life aboard, and it looks like it's just sittin' there. Even if the Keel Boats weren't in use, it would be nice if they were tied up on the island; they lend plenty of atmosphere even when they're not moving.

Two Autopias, January 6 1957

I love today's photos from January 6, 1957. The new year was so fresh it made a crinkly sound when you walked through it. In this first Skyway view, you can see the snow-capped mountains in the distance, and you get a nice look at the berm. And then of course there's the Autopia!


Hey you two! You're ruining it for the rest of us. Next thing you know they'll put rails down the middle to prevent these shenanigans. Just kidding, that would never happen! The drivers don't look like kids, do they? Those are adults misbehaving.


Now let's take a gander at the brand new Junior Autopia (it had opened the previous September)! It's so new that there's been no time for landscaping. Still, it's a great photo I think you'll agree.

Snoozing Beauty Castle, 1956

Ol' Major Pepperidge is coasting today... I'm just way too lazy to do any work today. SO... you get two photos of the castle.

1956 photos, maybe that helps a little? I didn't think so. This was "No Kids Day" at Disneyland". That woman has had the feeling that she's being followed for at least an hour. Notice the kitchen worker (?) carrying a large aluminum bowl. Wonder where he's headed?


WHO LET THOSE KIDS IN?? I guess if I want to get away from kids I'll have to go to the library. I love trees, but I'll bet that scraggly little feller didn't last long as soon as Walt noticed it blocking his castle.

Three More Snapshots, 1959

Today seemed like a good day to share the last of my 1959 snapshots...

Here's the magnificent Columbia, sailing up the... um... Mississippi river. I just happen to be exceptionally nautical, and can tell you that all of those colorful flags say, "Be sure to drink more Ovaltine".


If a band plays and there's nobody around to hear it, does it make a sound?


Let's face it, you knew you weren't going to get out of this without seeing at least one castle photo. It's as inevitable as "American Idol" sucking.

Seattle World's Fair, September 1962

Hey everybody, come with me to the Gay Way! No no, I mean the amusement zone at the "Century 21" Exposition in Seattle.

Here's a familiar ride, they must have had these all over the country. It was known as "The Octopus" at Magic Mountain; and there was a version at Pacific Ocean Park. This one (whatever it was called) looks pretty cool with its black paint and red trim. Notice our pals with their Beethoven and Brahms sweatshirts...


Ya can't have an amusement zone without a "Wild Mouse" roller coaster. Even DCA has one... I have to admit that they are kind of fun, but there's something unsettling about the total lack of banked turns. The impression that your car is going to fly off the track is intense.


Ah, now we're back with the guys, this time riding the cool-looking Ferris Wheel. Love the color in this shot!

Tomorrowland, April 1970

Tomorrowland was the place I loved the most when I went to Disneyland as a tadpole... all the color and movement, and the futuristic (but never cold) architecture all added up to a vibrant place. The lady in the floppy hat is saying, "Again with the pictures?", but our photographer was really trying to get a picture of super-fit mom to the right. Notice the jump-suited future girl in the background... is that an Autopia costume? Or maybe for the Rocket Jets? Whatever it is, I'm going back in time to marry her.


It's double exposure time! This is a neat look at the Rocket Jets, Peoplemover, and even the Douglas "Flight to the Moon" facade. To the right is what I originally thought was reflections (from inside the Monorail or something). But if you look really closely, you can see the exterior leafy track of the "Alice in Wonderland" attraction.

Soylent Green Time! August 1969

"Say honey, whaddaya say we go over and check out the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' ride that all the kids are talking about?". Holy Toledo! Just look at that crowd! Maybe it's just the line for the bathroom.


This is pretty incredible, it really shows just what a phenomenon "Pirates" was for the first few years. I'm not sure I'd want to get in that queue! If there was a sign at the end that said, "Wait from this point: XX minutes", how many minutes do you think it would say?


Things calm down considerably if we pan a bit to the right, towards Aunt Jemima's Kitchen Let's eat there!

Postcards From Around The World!

OK, I admit it... these postcards aren't really from "around the world"... they're from Anaheim and nearby Buena Park. But they are part of my "koo koo bananas" postcard collection, and I would like to share them with you.

This first card is an "unofficial" Disneyland card, but what a card! As you can see, it's a fabulous aerial view of the Mine Train as it passes through The Living Desert. Look at how close Fantasyland is, just over that line of trees. The little train is just about to pass that mine tunnel, which I am thinking is where some of the trains might have been stored at night (?). The track loops around and eventually vanishes into the entrance to the beautiful Rainbow Caverns.


This is the only "lenticular" postcard I have ever seen for Knott's Berry Farm. There is no date, but I am guessing "late 1960's". As you can see, it shows a scene from the botched train robbery; lawmen stand solemnly while the undertaker prepares to scrape up the thief's corpse from the ground. Some fun! The 3-D effect is pretty good, but it would be even better with that blue Na'vi chick from "Avatar".


Here's a somewhat-scarce postcard advertising Disneyland's Casa de Fritos. It's a pretty ugly card, apparently somebody just took a photo of a billboard and voila! Instant postcard. But I am always happy to see the Fritos Kid ("Hey Klondike!"), and find myself staring at that platter of mysterious food (lets' see, there's Fritos, rice, and... brown things) the way I stare at a car wreck on highway 101.

The Golden Horseshoe Revue, July 17 1968 (Part 1)

I sure as heck hope that you guys like pictures from the Golden Horseshoe Revue. Because I've got 17 of 'em. Not all today of course, I'll share them in bunches of three or four at a time. Deal? Deal (Major Pepperidge "shakes hands" with thin air).

We'll start here, with Fulton Burley (in front of the giant "Pepsi" logo). How many people do you know named "Fulton"? No more than a dozen, I'll wager.


Fulton always liked to acknowledge the photographers in the audience by giving them a big toothy grin. And then he ate them in a single gulp.


And here's Slue Foot Sue. It is inspiring to think that she overcame the handicap of having a slue foot. I've never seen a foot so slue! Betty Taylor is looking very "Mae West" in this particular getup!

Da Jungle Cruise, 1960

Here's a nice shot of the Jungle Cruise "boat house" (or whatever it's called!), with its three-story lookout tower. Employees used to sit up there and take pictures as the occasional boatload of guests was eaten by enraged rhinoceroses (rhinoceri?). But eventually the tower was removed because really, how many times can you watch the same carnage over and over? Like, maybe 100 times or so, and after that, I'm back to my crossword puzzle and my "Marmaduke" cartoons.


You can see why a rhino would want to eat one of those delicious, crunchy boats. In fact, I defy you to just eat one.

Teacups and Jungle Cruise, July 1 1959

I had to hammer this post out in a hurry, and it shows!

I sure love this first photo of the spinning teacups, with the clash of colors and patterns, and just a hint of motion blur. If only the sky looked that blue in real life!


Everybody wave goodbye to those chumps in the Jungle Cruise boat! You're not waving, I can see right through your computer. OK, fine, whatever! The jungle looks impressively lush. Verdant. Riotous. This jungle is brought to you by Miracle-Gro.

A Trip to the Fair, October 1964

I have a small bunch of slides from the New York World's Fair that included a few pictures from the train ride to and from Flushing Meadows; I decided to add them into this post because they're kind of fun!

Presumably this photo shows the train that would take our adventurers to the Fair; notice the lady with the nice hat and the coat with the mink stole. She shouldn'ta stole it. The seats look just like the school bus seats that have not changed for 50 years. I see a "no smoking" sign, which surprises me; it must have been there for safety reasons, since so many folks smoked everywhere in those days.


Here's the view of the Fair that you'd see as you exited the train station. It must be chillier than it looks, judging from all of the coats and hats (not much wind, fortunately). Way in the distance you can see such iconic Fair attractions as the IBM pavilion (the giant egg), the dome of General Electric's "Progressland", and the just-visible, spiky Coca Cola pavilion. Nearer to us is the dome of the World's Fair pavilion ("the Fair's major indoor assembly hall"), and the RCA pavilion just to our right.


Here's a rare photo from inside the RCA pavilion. Check out that monstrous color television camera! Throughout the Fair you could watch live broadcasts of various acts as they performed in RCA's "working TV station". That Ricky Nelson clone is serenading his girl with the beautiful love song, "Surfin' Bird".


AAAAA! Sorry if this dinosaur scared you. You would have found him over at the Sinclair Oil exhibit. Because when you fill up your car with gas, you are actually filling it up with squished dinosaurs! It's true, I looked it up on the internets.


I'm sure our visitors spent many hours at the fair, but I wanted to include this neat photo of the ride home. It's dark outside, and the train is full of weary New Yorkers, a few New Jersey-ites, and at least one Delaweenian.


I gots lots more Fair photos to share!