Here are more random scans of photos taken at Walt Disney World during its first Thanksgiving season, courtesy of Mr. X.
I've shared a few other photos taken in front of Cinderella Castle before, but this is a different one. It sure is pretty! The soft colors of dusk with the bright colors accented by the lights, the Omnibus loading up with passengers for a trip back down to Main Street Station... very nice.
Here's a night shot (low light, y'all) as a pea-green Monorail leaves - or arrives?! - the Grand Canyon Concourse. Acrylic trees are almost as fun as bubble domes. Check out that carpet, with 70's interpretations of woven Navajo rugs!
And why not take another look at Main Street Station? It appears that the #3 locomotive is pulling into the station. That would be the Roger E. Broggie, built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1925. It is a virtual twin to the #1, the "Walt Disney".
I guess most of the crowd has already entered the park, but a gentleman is setting up his tripod to take what was probably a high quality portrait of the three ladies accompanying him. Where are those photos today??
PS, here's a detail from the 3rd photo for Ken Martinez!
Major-
ReplyDeletePretty, indeed (and not showing even a speck of pink-!) Monorail green is leaving the Contemporary and heading towards the Magic Kingdom. Acrylic trees and Navajo-inspired carpeting - what more does one need-? Where are the people, and why am I not among the few brave souls who showed-up at the Magic Kingdom back then-?
Thanks, Major (& Mr. X).
I love that shot of the Contemporary with the gleaming monorail (ah, just inhale that new monorail smell!) and those wonderful acrylic trees. Thanks Major and Mr. X.
ReplyDeleteAh! It's the Grand Canyon Concourse when it was actually coherent in theme and design before becoming a hodgepodge of mismatched components. What a wonderful pic.
ReplyDeleteThe Main Street Station pic is a beauty. Even postcard worthy! I wish we could get a closer look at the man with tripod and three ladies all about to get their picture taken.
Nothing beats Walt Disney World in the 1970's to me. It was fresh and new with a sense of wonder and unrealized future yet to come. Thanks, Major.
Indeed, the early years of WDW were a time of wonder and beauty that cannot be repeated. Of course the surrounding area was mostly undeveloped. The place had a sense of being out in the wilderness. Lucky that I had a chance to experience it...both above and underground. KS
ReplyDeleteAh, these make me want to visit WDW. I guess it stays on my bucket list.
ReplyDeleteNanook, I guess the store was out of pink that day. What a lost opportunity! I thought it looked like the Monorail was leaving, but it is hard for me to tell. Presumably that “Navajo” carpet is long, long gone.
ReplyDeletePegleg Pete, I have a few more night shots inside the Contemporary, so stay tuned! Mr. X talks about having Thanksgiving dinner down on the bottom level, and how exciting it was just to be there.
K. Martinez, I am almost sure I’ve seen pictures (maybe on the “Passport 2 Dreams” blog) showing how the hotel had been redone in the Eisner era, with those great 80’s colors, purple and teal. I’ll put in a closeup of the photographer and his family for you!
KS, even in photos I can sense something “pure” and wonderful about WDW in those earliest years, before other considerations (“We need to put in more movie tie-ins!”) began to pollute the ideas. You were lucky to see it in its heyday.
Patrick Devlin, I want to visit WDW… 40 years ago!
Major, I had this friend who hated maroon and teal. She'd practically go into postal rage whenever she saw that combo of colors.
ReplyDeleteI want to be the guy who cleans the acrylic trees. That would be full-time employment for life.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, a cool pic there Major.
JG
Twins and matched pairs are cute, but that whole matching family is creepy AF. I just know if they turn around, their face plates will come off.
ReplyDeleteK. Martinez, maroon and teal might actually be worse than purple and teal. They said it couldn’t be done! But… those were fashionable color combos back then, sadly.
ReplyDeleteJG, the stuff used to clean the acrylic trees was refined from the juice of endangered animals. Yes, I’m talking about “Windex”.
Melissa, the fact that they are wearing electric blue is very suspicious.