Here's is the second of three posts from Steve Stuart ("Nanook"), featuring scans of a 1966 Schwinn bicycle catalog. Man, I love it when other people do all of the work, so I don't have to! If you missed part one, Steve provides some context and info that you might want to check out. On to part two!
The backdrop behind the gals’ ‘modeling’ the Ladies Super Sport & Varsity Tourist bicycles, is the wall of the building containing The Art of Animation. The ‘half orbs’ along the wall always reminds me of Neptune’s Courtyard, just beyond the entrance of Pacific Ocean Park (POP). In both instances, the ‘orbs’ provided a visual “feature” placed along a large, concrete [or the like] wall – at POP, a wall of the Westinghouse Enchanted Forest. LOOKIE HERE to see how POP used their orbs. And, *fun fact* the orbs lit-up at night – just as in Tomorrowland. I do love the juxtaposition of the bicycles with the Douglas Rocket to the Moon.
For those out there who had a hankering for, or actually owned one, the Sting Ray was a bicycle to be envied. And according to this brochure, the Sting Ray was equally at-home in both Tomorrowland and Frontierland. As for me, I’ll happily surrender my Sting Ray in exchange for a trip or two – [or more] on the MINE TRAIN thru Nature’s Wonderland-!
And just in case you thought the brochure was only about Schwinn, here’s a plug for Disneyland’s new attractions for 1966, and on the following page, mention of the Disneyland-Alweg Monorail. (Interesting that both Monorail shots featured Monorail Yellow…) Must be a decorator thing.
Look for the final installment soon.
I realize that I am biased, but I think that this 1966 Schwinn catalog is their best, even though I love the 1970 Knott's Berry Farm edition too (I just looked at the 1976 Knott's Schwinn catalog, and I had forgotten that it is a dud). Those familiar (but still striking) Disneyland scenes make for some spectacular backdrops. A big thanks to Steve Stuart - and stay tuned for part three!
This is really weird:
ReplyDeleteOn the Astro Jet page is shown my FIRST bike - the Junior Sting Ray. Mine was the COPPERTONE color (an orange bronze) it was given to me by our neighbor and had been his son’s - much older than me. One time while riding bikes with my friends on our street , i wasn’t paying attention and I crashed into the front of a parked pick up truck. I was about 5 or 6 years old. Ironically while riding skates down the sidewalk a year or so later , one of the skate’s metal wheel trucks came loose from the foot of the skate shoe and I crashed into the REAR of the same pick up truck parked in the same space.!! I think after that our nieghbor’s The Webster’s parked the truck in their driveway and not along the sidewalk.
In regards to the Schwinn Junior Sting Ray - I got a brand new Huffy when I turned 8 or 9 and we have the Schwinn to another kid on that street.
Note the blurry Royal Navy sailors in front of the Douglas Moonliner in the lower left corner of the first scan. Several of the photos show what seem to be normal guests walking by in the background. Interesting - an example of why they put that warning placard that you may be photographed for promotional materials at the entrance.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, Steve!
It's weird seeing the Astrojets with the newer square Skyway bucket overhead, but they did coexist for a short period of time. I think my favorite is the monorail passing over the Fantasyland Autopia entrance. I'm really enjoying this Schwinn Bicycle Catalog series you've been sharing. Thanks, Steve!
ReplyDeleteWonderful pictures again, Nanook. I am suddenly coveting my neighbor's copper toned Stingray all over again. It was sweet. I remember on Christmas morning, seeing him ride it down Lamaida St. He was the first kid on our block to have one. I love it when Disneyland is used for adverts, the unintended result is the park frozen in time. What's cooler than Schwinn at Disneyland?! Thanks to Nanook and Major for sharing these awesome scans.
ReplyDeleteNow I understand why I never got a Sting Ray bike. According to the inflation calculator, the basic model in today's money would be in the neighborhood of $412! For a family, that was real money back then and today too. KS
ReplyDeleteThose 'Gals' are in their seventies about now. I hope they're still riding bikes.
ReplyDeleteMy bikes were more of the 'Frankenstein' model, from Dad's work shop. I don't remember ever having a new bike until I was 12. But then, no one in the neighborhood did either.
Any advert with Monorail Yellow is OK by me.
Thanks Nanook and Major,
dz
This just keeps getting better. Thanks Steve and Major.
ReplyDeleteOh golly, I wanted that copper tone bike in front of the monorail with the handbrakes and shifter.
Thanks Anonymous 1, @KS for the inflation calculation, easy to understand now why I never got one.
Some years later I did get a knockoff version similar the bottom of page 17 in purple, similar color to the kid in front of Miner's Hardware. I guess I was lucky because I never knew anyone who had a Sting Ray, no one to envy except the Boys Life ads.
Riding the bike in Disneyland would have been an amazing experience. But as the Major poignantly points out, I would trade it all and then some for another couple of rides on the Nature's Wonderland Mine Train, one in the daylight, and another at night, with my modern camera. No, make it four rides, one daylight for photos, one for a video, one just to enjoy, and the night ride.
Somehow, this post manages to make me happy and sad all at once. Thank you.
JG
Oh, and I the the yellow monorail might have been selected to coordinate with the yellow Schwinn logo on that page, but maybe it was the other way around.
ReplyDeleteJG
Major and JG, I agree. I would trade almost any of my possesions for a ride or 100 on the MTTNW. Like the decision to cancel Star Trek, eliminating the Mine Train will go down in history as one of the dumbest moves ever.
ReplyDelete@ Mike Cozart-
ReplyDeleteI was just talking with someone at work who owned a Sting-Ray "Apple Krate" - the one with the smaller front wheel, along with front disc brakes, front fork spring, and the 'full-floating' bucket-style saddle seat. It was also available in the 'Orange Krate', and 'Lemon Peeler' models - All brand new for 1968 [thru 1973].
@ Chuck-
I'd have to assume those sailors were a part of the shoot, in spite of the both of 'em about to be blurred-off the page.
@Ken-
I hadn't given much thought to the juxtaposition of the [rectangular] Skyway bucket and [earthbound] Astrojets, but you are so right. "Old meets new".
@ JC Shannon-
I can just imagine that feeling of seeing a brand-new Sting-Ray moving down the street and not owning it. Child envy is so cruel.
@ KS-
They did cost some money, even back then; but it still somehow feels well worth it.
@ David Zacher-
You just know those "gals" are still riding their bicycles, and no doubt doing complicated 'tricks' with them-! I love the idea of a 'Frankenstein bike'. If nothing else, it sounds ghoulish.
@ JG-
A 'knockoff version'. I don't know if that's a good thing, or a constant reminder of never owning the "real deal". (At least it was in purple). I have to assume that 'some' CM's use bicycles to do some maintenance/transport around, at least, the backstage areas-? It *seems* as if it would make sense. I see I have another taker willing to swap his Sting-Ray (real or knock-off) for more journeys on the MTTNW-!
And as for: Somehow, this post manages to make me happy and sad all at once. Yet another example of Walt's "hard facts"-!
@ JG 2-
You just know it was all about the color-coordination...
@ JC Shannon 2-
Just take a number, and stand on-line - the Mine Train thru Nature's Wonderland is about to embark on its journey-! Although you and I might feel its removal was one of the more dumb-ass ideas at Disneyland, sadly I'll bet, when everything was taken into account, it made far too much sense to remove it and "move forward" - no matter how tragic the end result. Looking back in time, it's hard to imagine waning interest in the attraction - but from what I hear-tell, that's just what was happening with it. Personally I would've figured out a way to "layer it in" with new attractions, but either that thought seemed to expensive, or just downright silly to the powers-that-be. You never know - had it somehow survived, intact, it may very-well have had a huge renewed interest that would continue on to this day. But, we'll never find that out.
Just like Star Trek. ;-)
ReplyDeleteMike, my Dad took the training wheels off my Schwinn while we were staying at Grandma's cottage at the lake. He thought the private road would be a good place to practice. However, I had only gotten a few yards when a big, growling Doberman cane running out from nowhere and started to chase me. I lost control, swerved, broke through the guardrail, went over the cliff, and landed in a rowboat on the beach below. I got some bumps and bruises, bot not a scratch on the bike's Sky Blue finish.
ReplyDelete@ Melissa-
ReplyDeleteThat was back in the days when paint was really tough.
@Nanook, after thinking about the yellow color, it jumps off of almost every page. Clothes, monorails, skyway buckets, walls, graphics.
ReplyDeleteA good clear red used a lot too; traffic signs, rocket jets, clothes, bikes.
Noticeable once you are sensitized to it, but otherwise quite subtle coordination.
Good design.
JG