Today I have two very nice photos of the old Flower Market, circa 1963. The very finest flowers in silk, rayon, and plastic. Better than nature, if you ask me.
The lady in this photo reminds me of my kindergarten teacher, who was very nice - so I automatically like her. Behind her are more women who just like pretty things. "These would really brighten up the breakfast nook!" (my grandma's house had a breakfast nook, and a "phone nook" - both little rooms off of main rooms). The lady's dress has cloaking technology, and (via artificial intelligence) it anticipates her movement toward those blue blossoms; for a moment I'll bet you thought there was just a floating head. Don't be embarrassed.
See? Floating head! Where's the rest of her?? Ignore the purse, but notice the triangular tag, indicating that she had enjoyed a guided tour. To the right is the Carnation Milk Truck, possibly my favorite of all of the Disneyland motorized vehicles (though it is hard to choose). I wish they'd made scale models of it back in the 60's (like they did for the Global Van Lines vehicle), but as far as I know, it didn't happen.
Major-
ReplyDeleteThat lady looks so 'stern' for a kindergarten teacher. But clearly she means business, as she wisely chose 'sensible shoes' for a day at Disneyland.
I love houses equipped with a phone nook - undoubtedly many held candlestick phones in their early years. "Number, please-!"
Thanks, Major.
Funny that you mention the woman reminds you of your kindergarten teacher because she reminds me of my second grade teacher, Mrs. Bjorkland.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Major.
Does anyone recognize that tag hanging from the school teacher's sturdy chest? Not sure if it's park related or some secret society of kindergarten teachers.
ReplyDeleteThe Flower Market is such a beautiful backdrop for all the ladies in their soft, pretty dresses. My grandma's special occasion dress at around the same time this was taken looked a lot like Mrs. Bjorkland's.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Mrs. B., I can't help admiring her awesome posture. I bet she never has a sore back at the end of the day, whether it's standing in front of thirty grubby school kids or walking around Disneyland. I love that she's standing in the fourth ballet position* in picture #2.
Major, I knew someone whose phone nook had a bifold door, so it was like a little phone booth.
*(Anecdote: I remember when I was a bridesmaid, the photographer was setting up a shot of just us and the bride. He lined us up and was going into this long, convoluted description of how he wanted us to stand. We all had at least *some* theater and dance background, so as soon as the bride caught on what he was trying to do she just called out, “Ladies! Third position!” and we all snapped into place like a line of toy soldiers. I thought his eyes were going to pop out.)
Melissa - that is a great story! Our teacher looks a lot like some of my teachers in elementary school :) The only one that wasn't "nice" was my second half of year teacher (yes, we had two teachers a year back in the 50's!)in sixth grade. She always scared the crap out of me because she had a wooden arm over which she always wore a long, black leather glove and her last name was Wood! The house I grew up in in Los Angeles was built in the 1930's. We moved in in 1949 when I was 1 year old. It had a phone nook and a breakfast nook and a service porch and an ironing board that came down out of the wall. I loved that house.
ReplyDeleteIf she isn't a teacher or a school principle, I would be very surprised. She has the don't test me look down pat. I think Tonka should have offered a Carnation Milk Wagon. It would have been very collectable today. After viewing these scans, I suddenly feel under dressed. Thanks Major.
ReplyDeleteNow where did I put my red blazer?
@ Dr. Goat-
ReplyDeleteAs The Major mentioned - that tag is from a Guided Tour our 'teacher' must have been a part of.
@ Irene-
Our house, which my dad had built in 1960, also was equipped with a built-in ironing board, and the attendant, single-gang electrical box containing a set of despard [interchangeable] devices: receptacle; switch and red, neon pilot light.
Nanook, that lady saves her smiles for the kids who can recite a poem, or who turn in the best crayon coloring of a blue jay, or who always combs their hair. Which rules me out on all counts.
ReplyDeleteK. Matinez, My first grade teacher was my all-time favorite. Mrs. Cole! She left halfway through the year because she was going to have a baby - I remember kids crying when she announced it.
DrGoat, in my description for photo #2, I noted that the triangular tag was worn by people who paid for a guided tour. We’ll see photos of the tour guide in a future post!
Melissa, clearly the Flower Market was a very popular place to take photos - it’s hard to not be impressed when surrounded by so much intense color. “Fourth ballet position”! That’s above my pay grade. If only there was a video of all of the bridesmaids snapping into “third position”. I am more of an interpretive dancer. Sadness! Ennui! Joy! Jealousy! Plus I get to wear my unitard. My grandma’s phone nook had a little alcove for the phone, with a drawer to hold your phone book and note-taking paraphernalia, and a little woven-seat chair. Sadly, it didn’t have its own bi-fold doors.
Irene, the teacher who replaced Mrs. Cole (see my comment to K. Martinez) was a meanie, and I had her again for the entire next year! Mrs. Wassahaly (I might be spelling that wrong) actually yelled at me for coloring outside the lines. Then my mom and I ran into her at some store, and she was all smiles, which weirded me out. My grandma’s house was built in 1947, so it had some of the same features you mentioned from your grandma’s house. I also remember a “flour drawer” in the kitchen that was lined with metal, and had a curved bottom to facilitate easier scooping, because didn’t everyone make fresh bread every day?
Jonathan, it’s a funny thing about stern teachers; they were scary, which I suppose was a motivation to study or behave, but when I had a teacher I liked, I wanted to please them and make them proud of me, so I think I actually worked harder. I could totally see a little Matchbox Carnation Milk Truck!
Nanook, some time ago I scanned a similar tag, but I’m way too lazy to find the link. Built-in ironing boards were the source of hundreds of gags for Tom and Jerry cartoons! And your mention of the red light reminded me of the heating system in my grandparent’s house… it had buttons that glowed green and red. We drove my grandpa crazy because we could not control ourselves and kept pushing the buttons to see them light up. I was sad when they had that system removed!
Came for the "grade school teacher" comments, and also the tour tag. Not disappointed. Thanks GDB team.
ReplyDeleteShe looks like my third grade teacher, Mrs. Youngman.
I do love the flower mart, reminds me of my Mom.
Thanks Major.
JG
Major-
ReplyDeleteI think the first time small children 'run afoul of the law' is when they are caught "coloring outside the lines". It's a BIG deal-! Although our house was too modern to use those red/green pilot lights, I remember many a house which did have them. And pressing the buttons on many of those systems produced a loud 'clunk' emanating from the basement, where most of heating equipment was located - much of it "gravity-fed heating". Incredibly simplistic in operation, but amazingly energy-inefficient.
@ Dr. Goat-
LOOKIE HERE to see a close-up of that tag, that The Major posted back in September, 2016.
I love the rendition of the Castle on that tour tag; it's in a similar style to the it's a small world facade.
ReplyDeleteKinda looks like my grandmother...but they all seemed to look like that back then. And I rarely saw her smile...probably because of the false teeth which always freaked me out when I saw them on the dresser. KS
ReplyDeleteJG, actually, the lady in today’s photos looks like several of my teachers - I guess that was just the look for women of a certain age at that time.
ReplyDeleteNanook, I was kind of the Pablo Escobar of my school! “Gravity fed heating” sounds like a joke. Heat sinks, right? At least when houses have floor registers you can stand on them and feel warm right away. Thanks for finding the link to the guided tour tag!
Melissa, yes, it is definitely stylized, and very different from any other graphic depiction of the castle that I can recall.
KS, false teeth… reminds me of my shock when my grandpa popped his partial bridge out of his mouth before he went to bed. WHA?? Turns out both he and grandma had dentures, and it really was freaky to see them brushing their teeth (by holding them in their hands).
"At least when houses have floor registers you can stand on them and feel warm right away."
ReplyDeleteUnless you have cats, in which case they turn into furry meatloafs the exact size of the register and block them off, the little heat-sucking so-and-sos.
@Melissa, indeed. My cats look like they have been molded in a loaf pan over the heater vents.
ReplyDeleteJG