Thursday, March 15, 2018

Random Instamatics, July 1970

The day: February 20th, 2018. The time - before 8:00 in the morning. If you happened to look at GDB early, you saw both of today's photos already - because I stupidly had TWO posts set to publish at the same time. Realizing my mistake, I first leapt out of bed and cooked a lavish breakfast. Then I called my agent. Then I looked at Facebook. And then I rescheduled the errant post to publish today.

Mr. X has done it again, bring you more vintage Instamatic photos that he took back in July, 1970. 

Here's a nice portrait of the Haunted Mansion as it neared it's first birthday. It sure doesn't look very scary here, with the bright sunshine and cobalt-blue sky. If anything, it looks very inviting! Those clever ghosts - they'll lure you in, the way a Venus fly trap lures in bugs. And then they eat you by slowly dissolving you. I really like the look of the Florida version of the Mansion, but this Anaheim version will always be my personal favorite.


Meanwhile, in Adventureland... we get a good look at this interesting, very Crump-ish sign. Look at those toothy, grinning faces on either end! They remind me of Jack Skellington, just a bit. The attraction was sponsored by United Air Lines, and by gum, you weren't going to forget it. How else were you going to get to Hawaii? By walking? 

We've actually seen this photo before, although it was scanned from a small photo print. This version, from a 35mm transparency, is much nicer.


8 comments:

Nanook said...

Major-

I'm so proud of you for being able to face that harrowing February 20th day without consulting your psychiatrist-! I would argue that sky color ain't no cobalt-blue, but rather [say it with me now] 'cerulean blue...'

Thanks, Major.

K. Martinez said...

I remember seeing this double post on that day. Love the Haunted Mansion pic. It's my favorite angle of the building. Thanks, Major.

Chuck said...

I quickly saved that Mansion pic on my hard drive for fear that it would disappear forever. That was a dark day in GDB history. I was so worried you'd get fired.

Funny - I never noticed the faces on either end of that United Airlines sign before. I also can't see the cross-eyed 3-D thingies in 3-D. And I'm a horrible kazoo player.

Anonymous said...

The old Tiki signs are the best. I couldn't see the faces for years, and now I can't stop seeing them.

JG

Melissa said...

”Here's a nice portrait of the Haunted Mansion as it neared it's first birthday. It sure doesn't look very scary here, with the bright sunshine and cobalt-blue sky. If anything, it looks very inviting! Those clever ghosts - they'll lure you in, the way a Venus fly trap lures in bugs. And then they eat you by slowly dissolving you.”

For some strange reason, I heard that in Count Floyd's voice. Owooo, heh heh heh!

Spring is trying sooo hard to come right now, despite the snow and low temperatures, that the lovely greenery in these pictures is giving me hope that it's right around the corner.

This year, March came in not so much like a lion as like a pack of rabid hyenas with titanium bayonets where their claws should be, that I'm expecting it to go out like a flock of flying Shropshire lambs singing in three-part harmony, or I'm gonna know the reason why.

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook, it’s easy to face my problems, thanks to liberal use of cough syrup! I think that the blue you see depends on your monitor. Actually, it looks more like manganese blue, now that I am giving it a second look!

K. Martinez, you are one of the few special people - it might not be a bad idea to buy a lottery ticket! ;-)

Chuck, I did fire myself, but upon reconsidering, I gave myself one more chance, at a reduced salary. On rare occasions I can get those cross-eyed 3D things to work, but it is never pleasant.

JG, back when I originally posted the photo print scan of the tiki sign, Mike Cozart said that it was actually made of wood. I was so sure that it was fiberglass, cleverly painted!

Melissa, hearing things in Count Floyd’s voice is a good thing. I still love his drawn-on widow’s peak. After a very dry winter, we’ve had a series of rainy days (very light rain, but still…). Every year I worry that our drought will continue to get worse.

Patrick Devlin said...

Well that shot of the mansion clears up a question for me: I was thinking that the queue didn't used to come from around the side and back of the left -hand side but it's pretty clear that even back then it used to. Ah, clarity and peace...

Major Pepperidge said...

Patrick Devlin, I guess I can't consider myself a TRUE Disneyland fan - I never wonder about things as deep as which way the queue wound in the old days versus today! It wouldn't even occur to me.