Continuing a series from 1955, we will be spending a few minutes on Main Street, USA.
The horse-drawn streetcars have been in Disneyland since the very beginning, and I am so glad that they are still there. Just look at this one -it's a beauty; it doesn't look like a cheap knock-off made for a kiddie park. Freedomland's version looked clunky by comparison, in spite of the fact that C.V. Wood and other Disneyland alums were involved in the creation of that park.
The sheer novelty of such a vehicle was enough to pack them in back in '55. Notice the sign (mostly obscured) for "International Street" in the background. The Maxwell House Coffee House appears to be surrounded by construction walls; that's because it didn't open until December 1st.
I love this wonderful photo, taken at the Hub. the castle looks beautiful, in spite of the leafless tree (it was nearly winter, after all). It won't be too long before the sun sets, and the park's lights will turn on, making things even more beautiful. Notice the twins in the distance!
I will be heading out of town for the weekend, starting today, so I won't be able to check in as often as usual; however, I will still try to respond to comments when I can!
I want that gray and white jacket that the guy in the center of the second pic is wearing!
ReplyDeleteMajor-
ReplyDeleteEven though the first shot captures only a small portion of Town Square, it certainly seems serene and tranquil - just as Disneyland should always be-!
Not only do we have twins (in knee high socks) in the second image, in the foreground we also have a lad wearing a grey melton/white leather jacket, with "properly-cuffed" jeans (for 1955, that is). And the two ladies he seems to be palling-around with are going for the 'matching coat' look. Always look your best when visiting Disneyland.
Thanks, Major
Great first photo featuring the rarest of all Disneyland attractions, the "Horseless Streetcar".
ReplyDeleteThe second photo is perfection. I love everything about it. From the castle and Horse-Drawn Street Car to the guests strolling along in the wintery air, it almost feels like I'm strolling along with them. Wonderful! Thanks, Major.
Picture Two is a peoplewatcher's dream! You've got:
ReplyDelete-The Blues Brothers riding the Streetcar
-Pee-Wee Herman by the horse-head hitching post
-That FABULOUS plaid swing coat on the lady in the left foreground
-Three, count 'em, three letterman jackets: gray center front, red under the umbrella in the center background, and blue (or some other dark color) with a patch to the right of the streetcar. Maybe those are rival schools and we're seeing the buildup to a rumble!
-The Wonder Bread wrapper pants just to the left of the twins
But, of course, the pièce de résistance is the two sets of twins. OK, OK, there's only one set of proper identical twins, but I'm also counting the ladies in matching coats in the foreground, too. OK, they're wearing different shoes, and one has darker hair and a hat, but they count in my book. The proper twins are a few years older and more expensively dressed than my mother and her twin would have been. But this picture really packed a punch for me; I've probably mentioned this before, but my sister and I are less than a year apart, looked almost alike growing up except for her lighter hair, and were always dressed alike with small variations. Even though we don't dress alike anymore, people still think we're twins, and can't tell our voices apart. Whenever Mom and her sister and me and my sister were together, everybody noticed "the two sets of twins." So, in my mind, this picture is just a flipped situation of my own family, enjoying a day at Disneyland (something we'll never get to do since my aunt's passing just over a year ago).