Two From 1970
I love this picture of a couple relaxing near Storybook Land. That man does not put up with any foolishness, you can tell! He's got a tattoo on his forearm… I'm betting that he served in Korea. The lady appears to be holding his sunglasses, as well as a ticket book that looks like it is completely empty. Not even an "A" ticket left!
This is kind of a neat view of New Orleans Square (at the corner of Orleans Street and Royal Street). The design encourages exploration, even though what we really want to do is go ride "Pirates" again. Some of you may recognize the lady who is about to disappear around the corner!
9 comments:
I love that pic of the couple. That guy looks alot like my dad! I have a fave photo of me and my dad at Disneyland chasing a couple of the 7 dwarves. How can I get it to you?
love rosie
Nice unusual shot of New Orleans Square looking towards the artists alley and Disneyland Railroad station area.
I wonder what that object in the lower left corner next to the drain pipe is?
I'm betting that the no-nonsense guy in the first picture isn't just a veteran - he looks like he came home and joined the police force or something, too. The photographer had better not be messing around with any weird angles or blinding flash or artsy nonsense if he knows what's good for him. Just take the damn picture and no funny business, mister.
Hey, it's Mrs. Fancyblouse and her husband, Mr. Redshirt! (Gee, I hope he makes it though the trip without being killed by hostile aliens.) I want to reach in and straighten the bunched-up cardigan of that lady in the foreground; she's messing up the beauty of new Orleans Square.
For lack of a better explanation I'd say it's a decorative bumper to protect the wall and archway. Look how beat up the paint is about 6 inches off the ground.
Neat views.
MRaymond is correct. The odd item is a wheelstop or bumper. This one looks to be cast iron.
Intent is to direct the errant coach wheel back into the opening instead of hitting the jamb of the passage.
This was important when wagons and coaches did not have fenders and the bodies were much narrower than the axle length. It is possible to get the wagon stuck with the jamb between the wheels, which is a nuisance and if the turn is made at high enough speed, might even break the rear axle or strip it from the coach.
These were made in many shapes and sizes, some independent of the wall, others attached or embedded.
These are often seen rendered in masonry as well, a big carved granite block worked into the base of the wall.
Here is a link to a modern day equivalent, still used in warehouses and street entries today. http://www.nfco.com/municipal/products/guards/wheel-guards/
JG
MRaymond - Thanks for answering my question. It makes sense now that you explained it. I've seen them before and I used to work in a warehouse which had steel poles to prevent vehicles from damaging corners, so I'm familiar with them. It just seemed an unusual shape and thought perhaps it was for another purpose.
Wish I had theat Telephone sign.
DZ
Hi Rosie, I would love to see your photo! If you look on the main page, upper right, just under the Man in the Moon, you will see instructions on how to email me!
K. Martinez, it is a tiny Dalek.
Melissa, now I'm thinking maybe he fought in WWII. That would have been around 25 years before this picture was taken, and he could be in his 50's. You're right, it is Mrs. Fancyblouse and her hubby!
MRaymond, I think you are right, but let's see what JG has to say in his informative comment.
JG, how do you know so much about wheelstops?!?! Talk about arcane knowledge! ;-) Still, it is interesting to see that the Imagineers bothered to put in a detail like that, even though most people would have no idea what it was, assuming they even noticed it at all.
K. Martinez, I wonder if that wheelstop/bumper was a genuine antique? Maybe from New Orleans itself.
DZ, I love that sign as well!
Major, I'm a virtual pit of useless knowledge.
Walking for just a few minutes in any really old city will take you past plenty of these elements. They were a practical requirement for hundreds of years before gasoline vehicles.
Recreation of those kinds of historic details are why Disneyland is head and shoulders above other parks. their designers really looked at the world around them.
Part of my job is noticing odd details like that too, but I wish I were an Imagineer.
New buildings sometimes have them, especially in snow country, which is why they are still available online, albeit in truncated form.
More often though now, we opt for the popular steel pipe filled with concrete. It is cheaper but not as stylish.
JG
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