Today I have two excellent "leftuggies" (my mom's word for "leftovers"); or maybe they are "orphans", since they are all by themselves and don't have any siblings.
We'll begin with this wonderful shot of the yellow Monorail (from a slide dated May, 1962) as it zooms toward the stop at the Disneyland Hotel. If you are having a strong sense of deja vu, it's because I had a very similar photo just about a week ago. But this one is even nicer! The blue sky really makes the yellow Monorail "pop". You can even see the little blue "Santa Fe" crosses. Love the old cars below, the back side of the sign for the Hotel, and even the view of the parking lot in the distance.
There is a sporty white roadster in the lower left... does anybody remember reader "CoxPilot" (who passed away not too long ago) mentioning that he drove a 1954 Jaguar roadster? I had hoped that this might be his car, but the grille is all wrong (it might be a Corvette?). And then I found one of his comments on Daveland's blog describing it as dark green, so... two strikes. Rats!
This next one had an indistinct date stamp, but I believe that it says "3-78". Unfortunately it is impossible to decipher that complex numerical code, so I guess we'll never know. Anyway, it is a beautiful photo taken from the pathway up to the Fantasyland Skyway Chalet. Fantasyland looks so colorful and fun, with the snow-capped (always snow-capped!) Matterhorn overhead (Skyway buckets passing through). In just five years, the New Fantasyland would make its debut.
Lovely. Consider my love for the Mk. II Monorail Gold reiterated.
ReplyDeleteAnd if anyone's curious, the location for yesterday's shot of me and my sister Mary is in the comments back there.
Major-
ReplyDeleteThat little white sports car is a Triumph TR3, late 1950's - early '60's. The other cars - well, let's just say Chevrolet seems to hold the upper edge when it comes to sheer numbers.
However, of special interest - to me, at least - is the 'changing of the guard', if you will for the step lights. Featured in your post from last week are genuine 'Three-tier Pagoda lights'. But in this view we see a more "modern" take on the same style of outdoor fixture - although I suspect today's shot is older than the one from last week. So perhaps the Pagoda lights actually arrived on the scene later. Who knew-?
Thanks, Major.
Yes, I was having major deja vu with that first one. I actually thought I had somehow clicked on last week's post by accident.
ReplyDeleteI'm loving that seventies Fantasyland view. I was just at the park yesterday and the curly-cue ironwork that used to hold the Skyway sign (visible through the tree branches on the right hand side of the pic) has very recently been cut off a few feet above the ground. It is kind of amazing that it was even allowed to stand all these years since the attractions removal. I wonder why it was just now removed. Could it be in preparation for the demolition of the Skyway Chalet? I wonder if the ironwork sign holder is going to be reused somewhere else or put into the archives....or just tossed into a dumpster?
Yep, Monorail Gold is a beauty! It's bright, sunny and optimistic. And this is when it was still called the "Disneyland-Alweg Monorail System". Most people just called it the Monorail and still do.
ReplyDeleteI remember being somewhat disappointed when I received my Masters Replica of the Mark I Monorail Red and the lettering printed on the fin and front cab was "Disneyland Monorail System", leaving off the "Alweg" which is incorrect. The replica did have the Santa Fe logo on it though.
I really love the second image. This is the Fantasyland that I grew up with and loved. After the time this photo was taken and before the facades were torn apart for New Fantasyland, the color palette for this land was changed for a short period of time. Really nice colorful set today. Thanks, Major.
Great stuff, as always, Major!
ReplyDeleteBut can't those people read? Those signs clearly say "No Parking".
Nanook, I think you're right. Overall, the cars in this picture look to be older than the ones in that other picture. the pagoda lights must have come later.
For Patrick Devlin - Is the parking lot in the first shot your fabled free parking spot you mentioned recently?
ReplyDeleteWow - look at all the color in the second photo!
ReplyDeleteEmbarrassed to admit it, but I'd never really noticed the swirly stripes on the Dumbo lift arms before. Looking back through some earlier photos on GDB of earlier eras, I'm also embarrassed to say that not only had I never noticed the changes in the paint scheme over the years, the shape of the lift arms changed, too.
STILL learning stuff here. Thanks for facilitating that, Major!
Patrick Devlin, it is safe to say that I would have never guessed the location of that photo!!
ReplyDeleteNanook, today’s Monorail shot is probably a good five years older than the one from last week - maybe more. Still, it is an interesting little detail… why change out the lights at all? Perhaps they were starting to look their age (faded or old-fashioned).
TokyoMagic!, I have seen people on Facebook say that it was (apparently) announced that the Skyway Chalet’s days were truly numbered, though I thought that we had been told that before. Supposedly the structure really is going to be torn down sometime soon. It’s hard to believe that the company wouldn’t be smart enough to sell off pieces of the building… those little shields that were affixed to the outside would probably fetch hundreds apiece.
K. Martinez, I always think of “Monorail Gold” as a WDW appellation - probably incorrectly, I’m sure. I have one of those Masters Replica models of the red Monorail… it was only later that I discovered that the blue one was much more limited and therefore more desirable to collectors. BUT… the red one seemed the most classic to me. I agree, the “Alweg” should have been included, but I’m sure it was a licensing issue. Kind of like repros of the Rocket to the Moon poster omitting the TWA from the rocket. And this is the first I had heard of the old Fantasyland receiving a different color scheme before the 1983 redo. I wish I could find photos of it!
Kenneth Lane, I did wonder about all those “No Parking” signs and why they were so completely ignored! And if you see my comment to Nanook, today’s photo is at least five (to seven) years older than the one from last week.
Anonymous, I will be curious to hear Patrick’s answer!
Chuck, although I do generally like the "New Fantasyland", we did lose a lot of Eyvind Earle color. In the photo it looks like a collection of birthday party decorations.
ReplyDeleteIndeed both this shot and the photo from last week include (more or less) my favorite parking spot. I miss it but what it provided was really more along the lines of dirt cheap parking for a Park visit.
ReplyDeleteMajor, I was just thinking along those lines re color vs. theming. I forget, sometimes, how colorful those pavilion tent fronts on the buildings and attractions were. It could be because many of the photos of those times are black and white and those are what I use to reinforce my personal memories. Maybe.
Major, I knew the Monorail Blue replica was rare but the color didn't match the real thing to me. As for Monorail Gold, there is one in Walt Disney World. There's also silver, pink, blue, green and on and on. They have a lot of monorails on the Florida property.
ReplyDeleteAbout Fantasyland color scheme: less pastel, more brilliant colors and accented with gold trim throughout. The Mr. Toad's Wild Ride façade is really different than the original paint scheme and you'll notice gold bands and accents on the Tea Cups. Also the Small World Clock Tower is blue. It was like an attempt to refresh Fantasyland without doing the whole thing over.
These are from a 1979 photo set.
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/arizona_native/3783462136/sizes/l
Fantasyland Theater:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/arizona_native/3805469605/sizes/l
Courtyard area:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/arizona_native/3812534297/sizes/l
Mad Tea Party:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/arizona_native/3782653351/sizes/l
Small World Clock Tower:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/arizona_native/3783463720/sizes/l
Here's more images of the short lived paint scheme of the pre-New Fantasland era (1979-1981) courtesy of Dave's Daveland photo archive. The hole west side of the Castle courtyard building facades were done in blues and golds.
ReplyDeleteFantasyland Theater in blues and golds:
http://davelandweb.com/fantasyland/images/80s/PlasticMount_80s_FanLand4.jpg
Snow White's Adventures in blues and golds:
http://davelandweb.com/fantasyland/images/80s/PlasticMount_80s_FanLand3.jpg
Peter Pan's Flight:
http://davelandweb.com/fantasyland/images/80s/EKSKPBK_12_80_N30R.jpg
You'll notice that all the ride shields featuring the title character were moved up painted to match the color scheme of each facade, including Snow White Adventures and Mr. Toad's Wild Road in previous comment post.
If I find more, I'll post a link.
Wow, Major, these just blow the doors off. Great pictures.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks to Ken for the comprehensive survey of Fantasyland paint. I'm going to look at every one of those links.
Best to all.
JG
Kudos to Mr. M. for not only a brief history of some of the changes in color but the links to the evidence. Good scholarly work that! I know what I'm doing when I get home from work.
ReplyDeleteSee? I'm not the only one here who obsesses with research!
ReplyDelete@ All-
ReplyDeleteYou'll be thrilled to know the "ALWEG" pinned-on name plates were re-attached to the fronts & backs of each train up here in the Emerald City some years back - so when each train comes into view, the name is proudly displayed. See here.
Nanook, that is good to hear! Did they put the ALWEG name back on the station over at Seattle Center? I know it was still there in the early nineties.
ReplyDelete@ TokyoMagic!-
ReplyDeleteOh yes, it's still there. I'm not sure it ever left that location.
As a kid in the 1970's I sure enjoy recalling the joy of being on that landing between the flights of stairs to the Monorail platform and knowing that I'd be inside Disneyland soon.
ReplyDeleteAnd if a Monorail happened to be arriving while I was at that spot I'd no doubt be 'communicating' urgently to my older brothers and parents that we REALLY need to MOVE IT OUT so that we don't this one!
Thanks so much for the Leftuggies---Yum