Hey folks! I have been blogging away for six gorillariffic years. Back in 2006, something compelled me to start sharing my collection of Disneyland (etcetera) photos. I think it was Russian microwaves that are to blame, but hey, I'm no scientist. Anyway, today isn't really a celebration (since I recently celebrated my 2000th post) but I wanted to mention it anyway.
Today's post features a few random images that I hope you will enjoy. Like this picture (probably from somewhere in Pennsylvania) from August 1958, with an elephant in a shopping center parking lot! Elephants are so cool; look at that massive head! If we weren't so used to them, they'd look pretty alien. Jumbo is pulling a cart full of kids, and the cart has "Animaland USA" painted on it. Animaland was billed as "America's largest traveling zoo" - with its home in Sarasota, Florida, and had "wild animals and regular circus amusements".
Now let's head over to Belgium, circa 1958, for the Brussels World's Fair! That's France's pavilion, easily recognizable because of that jutting pointy thingamabob. Oh, and the sign that says "France". This was the first major post-WW2 Fair, and it looks like it was really cool.
This slide was undated, but is probably from the early 1950's, and features two ladies enjoying a frosty A&W root beer. I have a ton of great memories of going to a similar A&W stand in Austin, Minnesota (which is still there). It has car-hop service, so you would order over a speaker system, and a girl (it was always a girl) brought your tray, which hung on the window of your car. Somehow the hamburgers, onion rings, and root beer (in those wonderful ice-cold heavy glass mugs) tasted better than anything!
And finally, how about a visit to Chillicothe, Ohio, on July 7th 1940? This photo was taken looking down South Paint Street. I just love seeing color photos from over 70 years ago!
Here's a similar picture (the closest I could find), from Wikipedia, showing what South Paint Street looks like today! Chillicothe looks like a nice town.
Our root beer-swilling gals in picture #3 are doing so no earlier than the fall of 1954, as the station wagon used to support their backsides belongs to a 1955 Plymouth.
ReplyDeleteOur local remaining A&W Root Beer Stand was demolished so that it could become an ugly unused weedy dirt patch for the past decade. Yay progress.
ReplyDeleteBrussels: I see a Skyway Bucket!
Was the huge pointy thing used to catch lightning because France didn't want to foot an electric bill?
Chillicothe looks nice there. Odds are not one of those neat old cars remains, but at least some of the buildings have.
6 years and 2000+ posts? It doesn't come close to measuring the enjoyment I received from this blog, your interests, your humor and the supercalifragilisticexpealadocious regulars who comment. :)
I like how the elephants got his back legs crossed. (To cool for this gig)
ReplyDeleteThe pointy thingumabob is for raising the white flag.
There's still an A&w not far from were I live that still does the roller skating car hops, all young lady's
Looks like the imagineers need to do some tree trimming on main street, throws the forced perspective off.
Have I really wasted that much of my life visiting this blog, sigh.
Congrats Major!
Hooray for randomness! I want to go to site of the Brussels Fair and visit the Atomium! Wow, Chiana....I had to really search for that Skyway bucket, but now I think I see a second one!
ReplyDeleteI love then and now pics. I had to check Google Maps to see more of South Paint St. It still looks old and quaint, but that other tower on the right side of the street looks like it has been torn down. See....we're learning stuff here at GDB!
Happy Anniversary to you, Major! And thank you once again, for all that you do!
Happy 6 Years - I can't imagine a morning without my daily dose of Gorillas!
ReplyDeleteHappy 6th Major! As bob Hope would have said... Thanks for the memories! All are very much appreciated, Richard.
ReplyDelete6 Years....Congrats!
ReplyDeleteI wish to say thank you and I hope for another 6.
Congrats on 6 years, happy iron (or wood products) anniversary.
ReplyDeleteI wonder (or Oneder if your from Erie PA) if the nice ladies saddle shoes came from that particular Thom McCan store she's in front of??
Good catch on the sky bucket, my old peepers missed that at first.
Alas my A&W (on Reseda Blvd) was torn down (but the long canopy remained) and turned into a skateboard park. I guess so all the teens could still stay in the same place. Now it's just an El Pollo Loco and a 7-11.
I love the old town shots, very cool. I used to travel for work and loved the old cities and towns with brick buildings and a gazillion years of americana packed into them.
As always great post, mad props to the Major.
P.S. Tom Petty was right. It is a long day livin' in Reseda.
Happy 6th Anniversery Major!
ReplyDeleteWhen I found your blog I was blown away my all the beautiful imagery of Disneyland.
I wish I found your blog from the start, but have now caught up on all your posts. What a journey!
Thank you for making each day more enjoyable.
Congrats on 6 years. I found this site about two years ago and I don't think a day has gone by that I haven't visited...never once disappointed in what I found. You probably don't realize just how enjoyable your site is to nostalgic dorks like me. Thanks! Here's to many more years!!!
ReplyDeleteYou 'da man!
Wow - 6 years- Great. I enjoy this blog very much. Brings back a lot of memories for me and a place where I can be a wannabe imagineer to set Disneyland on the correct course ;-)
ReplyDeleteWow- Look at those hot dog (30 cents) and Root beer float (20 cents) prices. What is a soft drink now at your local fast food establishment? About $1.69 and up.
Wow- The street in Chillicothe actually looks better now with all the trees.
No. Hot Dogs are 15 cents. Even less. Wow.
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking today that there are probably a lot of collectors that keep their vintage photographs locked up in storage and we never get to see them. It’s an extremely charitable thing you are doing sharing your collection with all of us. Long live GDB.
ReplyDeleteThanks Major.
ReplyDeleteYour site is part of my day, every day. Congrats on 6 years and counting!!!
We love 'em all...
Please don't stop the GDB -
Bill in Denver
WE WANTS ANOTHER SIX !
ReplyDeleteOur only A&W in the hick town I'm from is inside a Chevron station... does that count? :P
ReplyDeleteCongrats on six years! Impressive! I do enjoy every post, so thanks for what you do.
Thanks to all of you for your nice comments! I ALWAYS appreciate them.
ReplyDeleteI should have mentioned that I have recently been the lucky recipient of hundreds of vintage Disneyland (and Disney World) negatives that a friend of mine was going to throw out (!), so I feel a lot more comfortable that I will be posting for quite a bit longer.
Hotdiggity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the milestone. And that's great news about the trove of new negatives – I look forward to six more years of posts!
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome news! I look forward to those vintage DL and WDW images. I'm glad to hear you'll be posting for quite a bit longer.
ReplyDeleteHey! Congratulations on your 6th anniversary! Man, that's alot of work and ALOT of scanning. Thanks for all your great posts and looking forward to another 6 years..:)
ReplyDeleteDoug
I know I don't comment as often as I used to but I STILL check in daily. I can't get through my day without some gorillaness!
ReplyDelete*does flips!*
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear. The pics couldn't have come into better hands. :)
Congrats on your wonderful acheivement and all of the friends and admirers you've made along the way!
ReplyDeleteCongrats and thanks again, Major! I just hope some one gives you hundreds of 64-65 Worlds Fair slides so you can keep posting them! Dennis from Levittown NY
ReplyDeleteMajor, thanks for creating this wonderful site. It's my favorite place on the internet, and a terrific journey through time!
ReplyDeleteAlways lurking and smiling. Doesn't matter what you put up here at 'ol GDB it's always interesting and entertaining thanks to our lovely and talented host. Thanks for the grins Major.
ReplyDeletea yummy smorgasbord and a happy anniversary to you!!!
ReplyDelete