I've done some more rescans of old slides that have already been featured here on GDB. While the original versions weren't bad, the new scans are a definite improvement.
Let's begin with this one from June 6th, 1956. That was a a Wednesday; the park was open from 10 AM until 8 PM, and the high temp for the day was a mild 75 degrees. Attendance was a mere 9,717. (Thanks to Jason's Disneyland Almanac for that info).
This is a nice shot of the Nile Princess, moments before embarking on its tour of the remote rivers of the world. Three people are waiting for their cushion to be placed on the bench seat. I'm wondering what some of those mysterious thingamabobs are on the bow of the boat. Notice the lantern on top of the canopy, at a casually askew angle. Hey, why is there an electrical wire going into it?
Melissa, the little girl in front is looking right at YOU.
Here's the redo - some of that dingy yellow cast has gone, and as usual, everything is just a little bit sharper and clearer.
I always liked this nice, scarce interior shot (circa 1970) of the INA Carefree Corner. Those ladies are probably pretty bored. Let's go bug them!
Some of that weird pink cast has been removed, but the ladies look just as bored. Over the blonde's shoulder we can see a shelf of large books - are those the ones that people could sign? Or was that at City Hall? If only there was a device on which I could look that stuff up.
I hope you have enjoyed today's rescans.
Unfortunately, they don't use the cushions anymore on the Jungle Cruise or Storybook Land Canal Boats. Call me picky, but I hate it when they make me sit in that spot where everyone that boarded the boat stepped with the soles of their nasty, dirty shoes.
ReplyDeleteThat second pic makes me happy. I liked that quiet little space on Main St. Major there is a row of sign-in books just below those rear-lit photos on the wall. Those may have also been sign-in books behind the blonde lady. If I'm remembering correctly, they used to ask guests where they were from and have them sign a state-specific book. (Or am I not remembering that correctly?) Maybe those other books are for international visitors? The blonde lady has blue eye shadow and I want to guess that this photo was taken on Wednesday, June 16th of 1971, but my eyesight may not be that good.
Come to think of it, was blue eye shadow a part of "The Disney Look"?
ReplyDeleteI think the brunette lady is bored and is signing "Seymour Butts" in one of the books.
ReplyDeleteTM: Or perhaps "I.M. Underpade".
ReplyDeleteI liked those quiet, little out-of-the-way spots in DL and WDW, too. I've lamented their loss many times.
That's a really cool-looking map on the wall behind the blonde lady. Does anyone know what area it depicted?
ReplyDeleteChuck, Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, North America and South America.
ReplyDeleteScott Lane, Ha, ha! Speaking of WDW, I remember after it opened in 1971, at least one of those rear-lit photos was changed to feature the new park.
ReplyDeleteI loved the INA Carefree Corner. Places like this and others I would always spend time in just to look around. City Hall was another place I'd visit to look at various things exhibited like proclamations from the Mayors of Anaheim and Los Angeles. Nice set! Thanks, Major.
ReplyDeleteTokyoMagic!, In the 1970's, all three of those rear-lit photos featured Walt Disney World. One featured Cinderella's Castle, another featured the Contemporary Resort Hotel and finally a third one featured Space Mountain. I'd stop by and look at those photos dreaming I would one day visit the place and I did a few years later.
Really nice pics. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteNicely done, Major. The doo-dads on the foredeck are a fairlead, ventilator (probably fake) and a post cleat. The gray boxes are the spare ammunition bin and the cosmetics tray, for looking your best at all times.
ReplyDeleteI'm struggling to understand what there might have been within the INA Carefree Corner that would have been a draw, other than that cushy doughnut lounge. Insurance? Did people go to Disneyland and get to thinking "Gosh, I could really go for some term life right about now..."
ReplyDeleteAm I missing something?
Beautiful rescans though.
TM!, thanks. I knew it looked vaguely familiar.
ReplyDeleteTom, The INA Carefree Corner functioned as sort of a hospitality center for Disneyland. It was known as "Disneyland's Official Information and Registration Center". If you had questions about Disneyland and the various activities taking place at the Park or wanted to know about other Southern California attractions and how to get there this was the place to get your information from.
ReplyDeleteThis was also the place where I used to always pick up extra copies of the "INA Disneyland Guide" booklets. Me and my cousins used to also go in there and sign the official guestbook from time to time. For me, it was a place to go when I ran out of tickets.
Major-
ReplyDeleteThe image from the JC was taken on my birthday. Who knew-? I don't know why I wasn't right there to celebrate the day in grand style. I was probably at home doing something practical - such as re-painting the sash around our windows.
Thanks, Major.
TokyoMagic!, yes, I wouldn’t want to sit there either, and my girlfriend would probably make a scene if she had to! Do you have any idea what became of all of those sign-in books? I seem to remember seeing one up for auction on ebay, but it might have been something else. I can’t tell if that lady really has blue eye shadow, or if her glasses just make it looks that way. Yes, I think you’re right, it looks like the calendar says June 16.
ReplyDeleteTokyoMagic! (comments 2 & 3) it seems like the Disney Look would insist on minimal makeup. Maybe the ladies actually worked for INA? The brunette is practicing forging Walt Disney’s autograph.
Scott Lane, oh boy, that sounds like one of those puns that you find all over Disneyland (and DCA) these days. Not sure when the park became such a haven for bad puns!
Chuck, it is a map of Earth II.
TokyoMagic!, What about North Asia?
TokyoMagic! (comment #5!), I suppose it only makes sense that they would advertise WDW at Disneyland, but did it ever go the other way? Were there advertisements for Disneyland at WDW?
K. Martinez, when the ladies at the Carefree Corner asked you if they could help you, did you reply, “I don’t care”? Because you were care free. Get it? I’m writing jokes for the Oscars next year!
DrGoat, you’re welcome.
Patrick Devlin, one of those boxes is full of delicious Nilla Wafers. Yum. What the heck is a fairlead? I’m just glad it is fair, and not biased.
Tom, maybe it was there for the people who were afraid to go on the rides. Kind of like the insurance kiosks at the airport. And yes, I would spend thousands of dollars on policies. It’s only money! I also would buy several electric organs at the Wurlitzer shop.
Chuck, it was confusing because on Earth II, Australia is backwards.
K. Martinez, I would go in and ask for medical advice. “I have this rash, what do you think it is?”. Or "Does this look normal to you?". Also, I would demand free hugs - they had to do it because of hospitality. Do you have a big stack of INA guides? I have tried to get all of the pre-1976 guides, and think I have them all - but I’m not totally sure.
Nanook, oh wow! Now if only you had been in that photo. Can you imagine?!
Major-
ReplyDeleteAs I'm certain Patrick can share, a fairlead is essentially a guide - roller, ring, pulley, etc., that helps running any rope. They're found on ships and even stages, for that matter, among other activities utilizing ropes that need proper tending.
Major, I don't know what happened to all of those guest sign-in books. You'd think they would have gone into the archives, but over the years, there were probably too many of them. I wouldn't be surprised if they did auction some of those off.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize the blonde lady had glasses. I'm sure the blue is just a reflection then, because "The Disney Look" did make female cast members stick to "neutrals."
I believe there were also rear-lit panels of WDW in the camera shop, a few doors down from INA Since my first visit to WDW and their Magic Kingdom wasn't until the early 2000's, I'm not sure if they used to have panels like that anywhere in the park that advertised Disneyland. I had a friend that went to WDW in the seventies and brought me back a WDW pictorial souvenir book. In the back of the book were pics of Disneyland, just as Disneyland's pictorial souvenir had pic's of WDW on it's last pages.
Nanook, I guess the name practically does all the explaining! But thank you for making it clear.
ReplyDeleteTokyoMagic!, just as an aside, I did not use Photobucket for today's images, so you may notice that if you click on the thumbnails, the full-sized image pops up immediately. Just the way it used to be! So nice. I think I might just use Google's photo uploader. The freebie version reduced the quality a little bit, but not so much that one would notice, really. There are still lots of posts coming up with evil Photobucket links, but I might be done with them for good. It's nice to hear that they gave Disneyland some "props" in the WDW souvenir guidebooks.
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ReplyDeleteMajor, I DID NOTICE! I just thought Photobucket was being nice today, but glad to hear you're dumping them!
ReplyDeleteChuck, I wasn't sure if you were kidding or not when you asked about the map on the wall!
Ken, I thought I remembered WDW pics in the Carefree Corner, I just couldn't remember if all three were changed to feature the Magic Kingdom. Thanks for that info.
I did a little searching and it appears this space on Main St. had guest sign-in books available up until 1994. I know INA was not a sponsor all of those years. Does anyone know when INA pulled out of DL? Also, the space did not look this elegant in those later years, after Disney did one of their typically horrible remodel jobs.
Major, I noticed, too. It was awesome. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteTM!, I understand your confusion. Imagine what it's like to be one of my kids...
Love today's photos! The blonde in the INA picture is wearing glasses and the blue tint is, indeed, a reflection in her specs. The folks at INA did not work for Disneyland. They were employed by INA (orange timecards just like the Sunkist, RETLAW, etc. folks) but had to follow DL employee grooming standards just like the guys and gals at Bell (who also did not work for Disneyland).
ReplyDeleteI'm not exactly sure why, but my brothers and I always signed the guestbooks (usually stating we were from Alaska even though we lived about 20 minutes away in east Long Beach) and picked up souvenir copies of the Declaration of Independence every danged visit throughout the '60s and deep into the '70s. You'd think I'd have at least one of those copies lying around somewhere… but you'd be wrong! ;) Dang!
Good info on the JC boat appurtenances. I recognized the purpose of some items, but never knew what they were called. Thank you all.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I ever went into the Carefree Corner even once, but I did have an imitation Declaration of Independence. Maybe that's where I got it, or maybe Knotts? I also vaguely remember ottomans like those in the picture, but there could have been others in other places.
Thanks Major, so much fun.
JG
I signed the guestbook at Carefree Corner a few times in the late 70's with my brother.
ReplyDeleteAs Ken mentioned, it was a nice place to go when you ran out of tickets, or were otherwise 'between rides' :D
Thank you Major
P.S. Congrats on dumping PB!