Thursday, May 31, 2018

Disneyland Souvenir Guidebook, 1965 - Part 2

Dry your tears, homies, because here is part two of JG's scans of his 1965 Disneyland souvenir guidebook! See part one HERE.

OK, we're up to Fantasyland now. I love the creative, fun graphic designs of this guidebook; note that the "bowl" shape of the photo of Fantasyland echoes the rounded triangle shape of the entire park. Books from the "Walt years" always showed the man himself aboard a signature attraction from the relevant land, in this case one of the flying pirate ships from Peter Pan's Flight.


Wonderful photos are contained in diamond shapes, reminiscent of a harlequin's costume, or perhaps medieval heraldry.


The next 2-page spread has switched to a "banners and scrolls" motif. As a kid I was thrilled to see any interior views from the dark rides, so I'm sure the Captain Hook image would have been my favorite.


Or how about that beautiful shot featuring Storybook Land, Dumbo, the Carrousel, and some of the dark rides? Plus the neat "Alice" interior!


Next we change to a more rustic style, with carved and hewn wood. Walt has donned a feathered headdress. Wouldn't it have been fun to follow the photographer around as he directed the boss. "Say, Walt, what do you think about putting this crazy hat on?". The yellow tint of the aerial photo is supposed to look like an old piece of paper, I guess.


Pack Mules, Rainbow Caverns, Indian Dancers, Rainbow Ridge... wow, what a place. All displayed on what looks like a weathered stable door.


The perfect decor for any Old West theme would include a flintlock rifle, a powder horn (from a genuine bison), a hatchet, and a 25 foot tall totem pole. Love the shots of the beavers and the Mine Train from Nature's Wonderland, and the Strawhatters.


In a future post, this guidebook lists an impressive array of musicians (Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Harry James, etc). But Wally Boag is the only Disney employee (not counting Walt) who is credited with his real name. That seems like a big deal, don't you think?


Many thanks to JG. Stay tuned for part three!

13 comments:

K. Martinez said...

This is wonderful! Thanks for sharing this with us, JG.

steve2wdw said...

Another awesome post! I noticed that in the Fantasyland shot (overlooking Dumbo, Casey, Boats, etc...) the Skyway appears to be closed. Do you suppose it was on purpose to get a "cleaner" shot of the land? Disneyland just feels so "homey" in this guidebook....unlike the more corporate feel of the parks, today.

Pegleg Pete said...

I remain eternally jealous of anyone who got to experience this Disneyland! It's particularly impressive just how much care went into producing this souvenir guidebook, especially when set against the cut-and-paste efforts of more recent decades. Thanks again, Major and JG.

Anonymous said...

Interesting that the Nature's Wonderland train has the yellow cars in one photo, while another pic shows the pre Nature's Wonderland green cars.

Melissa said...

Dig the diamond-shaped text boxes! And I know I've seen that image of Monstro before; I remember noting how much the younger girl's dress looked like Alice's.

Patrick Devlin said...

And an example of that genuine rarity: an interior shot of Rainbow Caverns. Oh how I'd love to bring a current camera with me to shoot in there on my time machine visit...

JG said...

I love how each of you see things in these pictures that I haven't noticed, even after 50 years.

The long shot of Fantasyland, which I had always assumed was taken from the steps of the Skyway, now looks to me like a special vantage point somewhere on the rocks above Casey Jr.

The detail of the graphic design continues to amaze.

Thanks everyone for your comments, and to the Major for hosting the event.

JG

K. Martinez said...

Thank you, JG! I always enjoy when readers share their stuff on GDB.

Nanook said...

@ Anon-

There are many instances throughout the history of Disneyland guidebooks, where images are 'recycled'; and this is just such an example. Although in this example, an observant [or knowledgeable] person would easily see the "cheat".

Thanks again for the effort, JG. Looking forward to part three.

JC Shannon said...

Great pics today! I love early Disneyland photos and I agree with steve2wdw the look was pure Walt's homey atmosphere. Today, it seems more corporate commercial. These are a window into Walt's dream for a "happy place". Thanks to JG and Major P. for these great scans!

Anonymous said...

@Patrick Devlin, re: Rainbow Caverns...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/29883059@N05/sets/72157615403737205/

JG

Chuck said...

Late to the party again, and you guys noted everything I saw, too.

About all I can contribute is how badly this version of Captain Hook frightened me when I was two-and-a-half. That pose (although I think from slightly to the left of this angle) is still deeply ingrained in my psyche, while I have literally no memory of it on several later visits when I was six and seven. Thanks for ensuring I sleep with my head under the covers tonight, JG. ;-)

(Thanks for everything else, too. Looking forward to checking out the Rainbow Caverns link next. It might help redirect my imagination so I can get some sleep tonight.)

Handsome said...

"Wonderful photos are contained in diamond shapes, reminiscent of a harlequin's costume, or perhaps medieval heraldry."

Diamond shapes were a very popular design motif from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s. The famous sign at the Stardust Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas (first opened in 1958) is a prime example. I've inherited some cool department store boxes and vintage gift wrap from that era featuring diamond patterns.