More Instamatics!
Let's all send some positive brainwaves to our anonymous pal, "Mr. X", who so generously gave me his stash of vintage Instamatic negatives!
Oh boy, do I love this picture. "New Tomorrowland" really does look shiny and well, NEW. I'm not even sure that the Skyway and Peoplemover are operational yet. There are so many nice details - the tiny portion of the Autopia sign; "The Mod Hatter" souvenir hat stand (with Rolly Crump decorations on top?); the "Skyway to Fantasyland" sign; and of course, the Carousel of Progress building on the right.
The people in this (winter?) photo have a very mid-1960's look to them, so I am going to guess that this is from about 1965. It was breezy, look at that flag atop the Golden Horseshoe building! I wonder how they chose the "1871" date for that structure?
Here's a nice one taken from the Skyway, looking north west-ish toward Casey Jr. and Storybook Land. Through the eucalyptus trees you can see a bit of the construction for "It's a Small World" - see better pictures of that here.
14 comments:
WOW!!! The Tomorrowland image is a gem. I can remember many a time sitting on that bench area in front of the "Skyway to Fantasyland" sign waiting for others in my group to return from using the restrooms in back. Even here you can see the layering of Tomorrowland with the PeopleMover track crossing over the beginning of the Skyway path and the Mod Hatter below that.
Extra nice post today. Thanks, Major.
I concur. Photo #1 is darn near perfect. The angle, the combination of items, the guests looking so oblivious to how lucky they are to be there at that great time in t-land history. Two thumbs up.
Holy croley, the color in that first shot is so vibrant! Young folk seem to have this idea that pre-cotton-candy Tomorrowland was white and sterile, but this picture puts the lie to that misconception!
I love watching Casey, Jr. go over a hump. She really looks like those trains in early cartoons that move like accordions or vacuum cleaner hoses.
Thanks, again, Mr. InstamatX!
Awesome, awesome set today! I'll echo everyone's response to the top photo. Such a unique angle, and yes according to Rolly's book, that's his redesign of the Mod Hatter. This is a great color image to compliment the black and white one in the book!!
Thanks Major and Mr. X!
Not much to add to the above other than yet another WOW! Carousel of Progress, Peoplemover, Skyway and a smidge of Autopia in one colorful shot. Perfect!
Never really thought about it much, but it's interesting to see how the skyway terminal was connected to the COP theater. It's interesting how the flow of the park changes over the years.
Sort of answers your question??
"Grandiosely billed as “the grandest, most spectacular show on the entire frontier,” the Golden Horseshoe Revue originated with Walt. “Walt’s idea was to have this 1871 Wild West vaudeville show,” explained Wally, “with the Traveling Salesman comic and Pecos Bill, an Irish tenor and the dancing girls.” To create the show, Walt first turned to show-biz veteran, singer Donald Novis."(http://www.waltdisney.org/content/walt-and-lilly)
Bill in Denver
K. Martinez, one of the reasons Mr. X gave his photos to me is because he thought they weren't any good. In fact, MOST of them range from "above average" to just plain awesome. I was thrilled to get them!
Alonzo, I do love that picture… glad you do too!
Melissa, when you think about it, the Mary Blair tile murals, and the vehicles for the Monorail, Peoplemover, Skyway and Autopia, all added their own bright splashes of color.
PsySocDisney, I'll have to go back and look at Rolly's book again, I need to see the other photo!
Tom, it's true, there was so much movement back then. And so much less now, unfortunately…
Bill in Denver, I guess I meant (more specifically) why 1871. Why not 1888? Maybe there was some historical significance that 1871 holds that I am not aware of. I'm sure they wanted it to be post civil war, but other than that I'm not sure.
My mind tends to go to the 1870's rather than the 1880's when I think of the "Old West." You've got the Black Hills Gold Rush, the completed transcontinental railroad, the Civil War still fresh in everybody's minds, the second Sioux War, Little Big Horn and some of the worst of the conflicts between the Federal government at the Native American nations, and Twain first finding his literary voice.
A hearty cheer of Thanks! to Mr. X, great photos!
Melissa, you're probably on to something… they wanted to be post-Civil War, but still early enough to be in the "prime" of the Old West. I mostly just wondered if there was any significance to the date that I hadn't heard (a historical event of some kind).
bigbrian, I have encouraged Mr. X to read these comments!
Tomorrowland Heaven!
It is odd to see both the Skyway bucket and the Peoplemover train sans heads and elbows. Gorgeous colors and modern lines....love it!
Great photos. The Mod Hatter is classic. The place has changed so much!
Fantastic photo of Tomorrowland.
Wait...what the....
Those people are time travelers! Look at them checking their cell phone! (Probably posting a snarky status update on the Future Facebook.)
To what Connie said, there used to be so much paper stuff in the parks, sometimes I think people worry too much that other people spend too much time looking at their phones while in the parks, there was a time you could see someone purring over the park brochures they would hand you at the parking lot entrance, and even at the turnstiles. does everyone else remember when the default was just to hand that stuff to EVERYONE coming in the gate!, how many trees have been saved just by making park maps something you have to choose to pick up?)
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