Disneyland in Black and White, 1962
I have a small batch of very nice black and white snapshots from 1962 - let's take a look at a few!
Both are Skyway views, and in this first example we have just left the Tomorrowland terminal toward Fantasyland, while the gondola in the middle of the frame is heading the opposite direction. The young boy in gondola #6 is wearing a somewhat scarce variation of the famous "Keppy Kap".
It's kind of cool to see the Monorail in the foreground, and the other scooting over the submarine lagoon.
There are at least six different Keppy Kaps, but the kid in the previous photo is probably wearing a version like the one on the left. The example on the right is the most common style. The more you know....
This next one has all sorts of Tomorrowland goodness, including the Autopia, the Tomorrowland train station, "General Dynamics" posters in the Submarine Voyage queue, and the Stephens-Adamson speedramp up to the Monorail Station.
My great grandfather worked for Stephens-Adamson, and I was surprised when I did a little bit of research and found this newspaper article. "Mr. Piersen" is my great grandpa! My mom says we have photos of Mr. Stephens and Mr. Adamson (and their wives) in our boxes of family photos - I'll have to do some digging for those.
19 comments:
Major-
You're absolutely right about seeing both Monorail cars in the first image. And who knew you were connected with Stephens-Adamson royalty, and of course, its connection to Disneyland. I instantly see the resemblance-!
Thanks, Major.
That's fascinating family info, Major! Is the Stephens-Adamson co. still in business today? By 1967, didn't Disney switch to "Goodyear" speedramps? Or did Goodyear buy out Stephens-Adamson at some point?
Interesting that you have a connection Stephens-Adamson. Would definitely be interested in seeing those photos of Mr. Stephens and Mr. Adamson from your family photos. Thanks, Major.
Wow, very cool connection to Stephens-Adamson! I currently have about a paragraph about them in the sponsors book, as there’s just not a lot of info out there. Looking forward to seeing what you can dig up!
I must say, Major, you're the spitting image of your great grandfather!
I don't remember the Keppy Kap at all, I did have an Alpen Hat complete with the feather, that I wore proudly. Great story about your Great Grandpa. It shows how connected we all are. I remember thinking how cool the speed ramp was, coupled with the Monorail, it was in my young eyes, the future of transportation. Thanks to Major for today's scans. I don't know what Major P. looks like, but for some strange reason, I always pictured him with a rocket in his right eye. Not really, I am sure he is as handsome as me!
When I first heard of the Keppy Cap, I expected it to be shaped more like a kepi.
I'm pretty sure I've never seen that exact angle in the first picture - way cool! More interesting hats on the walkway below. Ah, The Golden Age of Hats. I've seen the second angle, but it looks so much different and that crisp black and white.
Good for Great-Grandpa! I should have known you didn't have many degrees of separation from Disneyland construction.
I've never realized before just how futuristic those original Skyway buckets looked until seeing these pics. It seems like they are hovering weightlessly over Tomorrowland! I'd almost expect to see little rocket thrusters on the sides of them.
Speedramps are definitely the future! The best, and longest I've been on, located at the San Diego Zoo. I have your great grandfather to thank for all those wonderful foot massages from the rollers underneath. :)
Nanook, if only I had some of that money (presumably there was a lot of money at some point)! Sadly, no such luck.
TokyoMagic!, I have not followed the fortunes of the Stephens-Adamson company - I thought they might have been bought out, but am not really sure.
Brad Abbot, I don’t know how much has survived in the “family archives” - a lot got discarded (or distributed to other people) after my grandmother died. I hope there is something.
Steve DeGaetano, I had no idea so many people knew what I looked like. For those that don’t now, picture Gregory Peck, only more handsome.
Jonathan, Keppy Kaps are good for applications where you need serious head protection. Alpen hats are just good fashion, and are appropriate at cocktail parties, funerals, weddings, job interviews… you name it. As for how I look… apparently I resemble my great Grandpa!
Melissa, I am sure that the name “Keppy Kap” must have somehow come from the word “kepi”. As you know, Civil War soldiers wore white plastic hats with atomic symbols on them. You are right, photo #1 is a very unusual angle, that’s partly why I like it so much. I sort of wish it was in color, to be honest! I think my link to Disneyland construction is pretty tenuous… Mr. Piersen died many years before the park was built. From what I’ve been told, he was a neat guy.
Omnispace, they do look kind of hovery, don’t they? I think they look like a cocktail shaker married a Coleman lantern and they had a baby. There used to be a photo album from my Great Grandpa’s early days, very old photos of mining equipment out in the desert - I wish I could find it!
Oops, sorry K. Martinez, I did not mean to skip you! My grandma used to have a whole set of anodized aluminum tumblers with the letters “SA” on them - I only have a single gold-colored one, and have no idea what happened to the rest. I also have Mr. Piersen’s employee ID badge somewhere, which is kind of cool.
Wow, Major. Great post. Thanks for all the information about your family connections to the speed-ramp kingpins. Definitely good to know about one's forebears. I also have great memories of those foot massages from the belts.
Black and white is made up for by being very crisp and clear, and with an original angle for photo one, a lot of great stuff in that one. Photo two is only slightly behind for spectacularity, though.
Thanks too for the information on the Keppy Kap. I've seen this term used on and off on this site and others, but never really knew what they were. I also assumed something like a French Army officer's hat, which always seemed like one of the least plausible shapes for a hat to ever assume. These look like modern-day hard hats, which makes at least some modicum of sense. I'm forgetting the rule of never confusing style with sense.
Best to all.
JG
I think they look like a cocktail shaker married a Coleman lantern and they had a baby.
Cocktail shaker Skyway buckets, the Jigger-shaped Clock of the World, and streetlights that resemble olives on toothpicks. I think Tomorrowland was designed over a four-martini lunch.
Major,
I just Googled up 'Stephens-Adamson history' and it came back with a page that has this same article in it that you have posted, plus a real brief rundown of who was what in whatever year. The company is still going, though the name has changed somewhat and has gone through a couple different owners, such as Borg Warner and Allis Chalmers, and is now apparently controlled by an unnamed Swedish firm.
Sounds like your great g-pa was pretty sharp.
W
Once again...
Melissa nailed it-! (Or is that 'poked it' with a cocktail toothpick-?)
JG, when you think about it, I’m practically royalty! I had a great Aunt or something who did a whole family tree, I used to be fascinated by it. She traced things back to the Mayflower, and the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Who knows if it is accurate! Keppy Kaps are fun, I originally thought there was only one kind. Then there was a yellow version. Then a different design. Then yet another design. Now I know of six variations - some can go for several hundred bucks a pop, which is too rich for me.
Melissa, based on what I’ve read about the Disney animators, those guys (and gals) loved to drink. I know a person who knew Mary Blair, and we went to an animation gallery where some of her work was on display. While standing in front of one of them, he said, “That looks like an after lunch Mary Blair!”. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of those Imagineers liked a drink or three before the day was done. It was just part of the culture. See “Mad Men”.
Warren Nielsen, thanks for doing the research! Yes, Borg Warner was definitely a name I remember hearing about. I was a kid at the time and did not pay attention to such things, but my grandmother did talk about it. Thanks again!
Nanook, now that I think about it, the Submarine Lagoon looks like a bottle of Bombay Gin (used in the famous Gurrtini)!
I've heard rumors that they're taking out the long moving walkway/ramp at the exit of Space Mountain at WDW. I always count on that long, smooth standing ride to relax my spine after it's gotten jerked around on the coaster. I mean, it hasn't been the same since they took out the Home of Future Living displays along the way, but the new little dioramas are okay and it's always been a nice ride.
Then there was the time that the exit speed ramp at Pirates of the Caribbean wasn't working. No tragedy except for people like me, who was on crutches and in a cast up my lower leg at the time.
When i asked the cast member, who looked about 11 years old, to send me up in the elevator, at first he tried to deny that there was one on the premises. After I went over and pointed out the elevator door to him, he said, "Oh, yeah, it's there but we're not allowed to use it for guests."
So I tried hobbling up the shiny metal incline on one foot and two crutches. I might possibly have made it without the crushing crowd on all four sides of me.
It was even harder getting back down, because I was the one salmon swimming Downstream instead of up. Luckily, when I got back down there there was a second CM immediately grabbed his keys and escorted us to the elevator. No apology, no "I'm sorry, the other guy was in training and just didn't understand the procedure," or anything.
@Melissa, that's a sad story. I've gone to Disneyland several times with a cane for my bad knee, and the staff have been more than accommodating.
The CM at the Toy Story shooting ride in CA Adventure offered to let me exit on the opposite side of the car against traffic so I wouldn't have to climb the stairs up and over the ride track. I declined, but they went out of their way to offer.
At Big Thunder, I wasn't allowed to take the cane on the ride, so the CM held it for me at the gate of the exit queue until we returned.
I don't use a cane full time, but my knee goes to pieces when I have to stand for hours not moving, which is practically a description of Disneyland these days.
I hope you have better experiences in the future.
JG
Major, we all have pictures of you that we carry in our wallets (I think Melissa carries hers in a locket).
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