You know the drill... Sunday is the day I generally share scans of slides that are not ready for the big leagues (and never will be).
This one is a heartbreaker, because it would have been an exceptional shot, IF it wasn't horribly damaged (by moisture or mold or poltergeists). Maybe it is "Saint Elmo's Fire" (an electrical phenomenon that was considered to be a good omen by sailors)?
In spite of the damage, it's still kind of a neat shot of the Skyway, and especially of Snow Hill during the brief time that people were encouraged to climb that big pile of dirt - which is all it was, let's face it.
This next one is from 1956, and had faded to a reddish purple, and had a large scratch in the emulsion (up there by the observation tower). Again, this is a shame, because it is a pretty nice photograph, otherwise.
Which palm is the Domiguez Palm? Is it the one about 1/3 from the left edge?
I like the kind of shots that show up on Sundays, Major. It seems as though they're extra unusual. Like the first one which gives a real sense of how low Snow Hill was. And you can see the bare minimum Tomorrowland Station in the background.
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing you mean, "the one about 1/3 from the left edge"? That's the tree that was pointed out to me years ago. And here come some fellow GDB aficionados to give the true skinny and low-down on that score!
Major-
ReplyDeleteWhether it's mold, moisture, St. Elmo's Fire, Poltergeists or the opening credits to Love American Style, that first image is a honey. We've got Alice down front, and the early version of the Tomorrowland Train Station in the background - with, what might be, the banner announcing the Grand Canyon Diorama hanging beneath the Tomorrowland station sign. And the TWA Rocket to the Moon + Holiday Hill, for crying out loud.
Sunday's are looking better and better.
Thanks, Major.
It appears that everyone riding in the gondolas that were coming from Tomorrowland, ducked down just as the picture was being taken. What are the chances of that? Unless of course, they all planned to do it in advance.
ReplyDeleteNanook, now I have the Love American Style theme song playing in my head, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Patrick Devlin, well, at least for today the shots would have been bordering on spectacular if it wasn’t for all of the damage! And… now my shameful secret has been revealed. I seem to have some sort of weird dyslexia when it comes to writing “left” when I mean “right” and vice-versa. It’s weird. Maybe I’m just dumb. I’ve caught myself making that mistake many times in the past, and it is always baffling. Anyway, I fixed the error, thanks.
ReplyDeleteNanook, of all the slides that had to be damaged, why did THAT one have to be so messed up? I think that one is in a “Drury Color” slide mount. Damn you, Drury! I’ll get you if it’s the last thing I do!”. But you make good points, there is much to be enjoyed. My guess is that next Sunday will be back to the usual boring stuff.
TokyoMagic!, huh, I didn’t notice, but you’re right - all of the gondolas coming from Tomorrowland are empty. Why? Nobody wanted to go to Fantasyland? And now I am wondering how many people see the reference to “Love American Style” and are thinking, “What the heck is that?”.
Looks like Kronos the alien robot cube has been visiting Disneyland and mistaken the Skyway for power lines. Apparently, he moved on looking for a power source elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteThese are great! Love the jungle dock boathouse image. I'm thinking the palm, third in from the left is the Dominguez tree too. Nice set today, flaws and all. Thanks, Major.
I meant a third in from the left like you said, not third in. Oh, how I sometimes wish we could edit our posts.
ReplyDeleteI love skyway photos that show the old Alice caterpillar vine. I must say these older ones before the Matterhorn just look odd to me, having never seen Disneyland without it.
ReplyDeleteIn the first photo, notice the length of the shadows of the people walking by Holiday Hill. They look pretty long. Now not being real astute direction-wise, was this pic taken early in the morning, and that there was essentially no one in Tomorrowland that was ready to come back to Fantasyland yet, hence the empty Skyway buckets?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, we are looking west-southwest, so this would have been a late afternoon photo.
ReplyDeleteNow I have the opening lyrics of "Love American Style" stuck in my head, too, which I guess is appropriate since I love, love, looooove today's photos. Thanks, Major!
K. Martinez, Kronos? Alien robot cube? Whaaaaa?! I really like that Jungle Cruise dock photo, it is a real shame that it has that big scratch. And I knew what you meant about “third in from the left”!
ReplyDeleteMatt, I like those too, especially when we get a good look at that pile of dirt. Bonus points are added when you can see people hiking on the trails.
Anon, I see that Chuck is thinking the same as I am, I believe that this is a late-afternoon photo. Even if it was the early morning, it would take people just as long to walk from the entrance to the Fantasyland Skyway station as it would for them to walk to the Tomorrowland station (or close enough). I’m trying to think if something was going on in 1958 that would mean that passengers were only allowed to go from Fantasyland to Tomorrowland, but so far nothing comes to mind.
Chuck, I watched that show in syndication a TON. I wish I could remember the shows that were on either side of it, since I tended to watch TV in bunches.
@ TokyoMagic! & Chuck-
ReplyDeleteSorry about the "Love American Style" theme getting stuck in your heads. As a record collector, that sort of thing happens to me all the time. One sure cure for these 'earworms', is to think of another, more awful song. My go-to is usually ¿Cómo está usted?, by none other than Annette, as arranged by the Sherman Brothers. And if that one doesn't work, there's always Jo-Jo the Dog-Faced Boy, also by Annette, with composing duties assigned to the Sherman Brothers. I'm not trying to pick on any of the above-mentioned folks, but... well - that's just how things turn out sometimes.
@ Chuck-
And speaking of dyslexia, make that direction 'south-southeast' for the Skyway view. But definitely a late afternoon timeframe.
@Major, "Kronos" is a strange little 1950's sci-fi movie set mainly in Mexico. In it there's an energy-sucking four-legged cube that walks the landscape and consumes energy from various sources including power plants. I guess no one on GDB has seen it. Now, excuse me while I continue to eat my spicy-hot burritos.
ReplyDeleteNanook, I have all those songs Annette sang plus some. You know! Italianette, Amo Que Paso, the Rock-A-Cha and the Flapper Flip. Real gems! ;)
Nanook - just back from a trip to the Zoo, and while I was there I realized I'd reversified my directions. I meant "east southeast." Thanks for the correction.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of the "coastal dyslexia" I experienced when moving from SoCal to S. Carolina. You get used to thinking of "towards the water" as west and "inland" as east, and when you flip coasts, it jacks up your ability to give people intelligible directions.
Nanook and Ken, I have several of Annette's LPs on vinyl and a bunch of greatest hits collections on CD including that boxed set released by Disney a while back. I think the only two songs of hers that I can NOT listen to are "Jo Jo The Dog Faced Boy" and "That Crazy Place From Outer Space." They are like fingernails on a chalkboard to me!
ReplyDeleteTokyoMagic!-
ReplyDeleteAgain I say: Room Clearing Music. (But I still love Annette).
Hello Major, as far as I can tell, the Dominguez palm is correctly identified in the comments above.
ReplyDeleteThe Snow Hill photo is taken facing easterly (toward Tomorrowland), the shadows are cast in the northeasterly direction from a late afternoon sun setting in the southwest behind the camera viewpoint. I believe that the picture is taken "looking backward", that is, opposite of the travel direction of the bucket, so we are heading to Fantasyland.
I wish there was still a place where visitors could climb up to see an overhead vista. The best we can do now is the second floor of Innoventions or the plaza deck of the Space Mountain, view limited to Tomorrowland. The upper deck of the Bear Country restaurant isn't bad, but there's not much of a view except the trees of the ROA. The Treehouses are ok, you can see out pretty well, but you can't linger, people want you to keep moving. Sigh. I remember some talk a few years back about a second floor restaurant over the River Belle Terrace, but that apparently didn't go anywhere. I guess they enlarged Club 33 instead, which does me no good at all.
Thanks for the pics, Major. Very nice.
JG