GDB Thirteenth Anniversary!
It's GDB's Lucky 13th Anniversary! Well, technically yesterday was the anniversary, but I didn't want to celebrate on a Sunday, when all of you were resting. Plus it is just not cool to glom on to Mother's Day. I might as well mention that I have published well over 3000 posts without missing a day - the last time I skipped a post was in October of 2009.
Are blogs passé in 2019? Probably, but whatever. I am very grateful for my readers, and especially the commenters (you know who you are!) who help to make this a small but enthusiastic and friendly community. If it wasn't for all of you, I would have stopped blogging long ago.
ON TO THE PICTURES!
The first of today's images is this nice one (dated "July, 1958") featuring the Tomorrowland Spaceman and Space Girl, hanging out next to the Skyway station. I've seen this specific couple in other photos; they seem to have worked together for a while. Maybe they got married and had moon babies.
Not sure what's going on with that little girl. There is a restroom nearby; let's just look at the passing Disneyland Railroad instead.
The Spaceman gets great wi-fi with that antenna; and the gizmo on his belt provides him with the latest Dodger game. I've always liked the cape on the Space Girl, with its rose-pink lining. It protects her from harmful gamma radiation.
I know we've seen plenty of photos (November, 1958) of the Mark Twain and the Keel Boats, but there is just something about this one; it's got great color, and is particularly pretty. It looks like Mike Fink himself might be piloting that Keel Boat (now that he's retired from river pirating). I don't know if I've ever noticed the poles atop the boat, for pushing when it got stranded on a sand bar or snag.
Next is this great photo (circa 1963) of the Tomorrowland Skyway terminal; our photographer was gliding backward toward Fantasyland when she snapped this colorful photo. There's lots to look at here, with the queue going upstairs, all kinds of machinery, the little ticket booth below, And you can even see some Cast Members in the terminal - it sounds like working the Skyway was one of more physically demanding jobs for CMs.
Hi fellas! Thank you for your service!
So many jars, so little time. I was hoping to clearly see a slimy, disgusting leech in that jar, but they were not swimming around. Presumably those little black things on the bottom are the bloodsuckers. Having spent time at many Minnesota lakes, I've had more than a few leeches stuck to me.
JEALOUS?
And finally, here's a 1963 photo of good old Aunt Jemima over near her restaurant in Frontierland. It appears to be late afternoon, but there sure aren't many guests at the plentiful tables. It's fun to see Auntie J., but I admit that it feels kind of cringe-y, these days - different mores from a different era. Don't worry, we still love you, Auntie.
That's it for today, friends! I've learned to not make any predictions about the future of this blog; remember when it was going to end after 1000 posts? That was about 9 years ago. I believe that I have enough material for at least another year or so - just in time to reach my 5000th post. When all of the slides have been scanned and shared... who knows. Not me!
MANY THANKS to all of you for 13 years of support, friendship, and encouragement!
30 comments:
Major-
What a nice assortment of beautiful images for the 13th Anniversary. If one looks really carefully in the first image, you can spy the left edge of the Frontierland attraction poster, featuring the Mark Twain.
And to think of all my visits to the Park, not realizing I could'a picked up my leeches right there on Main Street, U.S.A. Boy, some Disneyland 'insider' I turned out to be-!
Thanks, Major, for 13 years of fun, education, craziness, and establishing a great community of like-minded individuals who have all added to the experience, making a great package-! Carry on, sir.
Spectacular scans in honour of your 13th Anniversary.
Congratulations!
Happy anniversary, Major! looking back, GDB has been one of the most consistent things in my life over the past few years! It's like a friend you can always count on to cheer you up.
Spacemen are from Mars; Spacewomen are from Venus. That's why they always end up on Earth, trying to meet each other halfway. (Plus, dual citizenship for the moonbabies.)
To the Navy officers in the Skyway bucket: Helloooooo, sailors!
I suspect that's a bust of Hippocrates in the Upjohn pharmacy. I, for one, would welcome more easily-dissolving pills. But they're all friable either enough olive oil and caramelized onions.
Congratulations on 13 years. That is quite a feat these days. It’s very impressive considering you post everyday. I too have made GDB a part or my usual morning routine, and thanks for all the wonderful and even the not wonderful pictures you have posted!
Congratulations on 13 happy years! (well, happy for us, I'm not too sure about you) What will we do with our mornings once this all comes to an end? Personally I plan to start all the way back at Post #1 and work my way through again.
So GDB is a teenager at last! Soon it'll be driving the information superhighway all by itself, and before long you'll be wondering what it's up to and hoping it remembers to call on your birthday. Where does the time go?
It's impossible in this uniform and at this resolution to tell if those midshipmen are enrolled in the Naval Academy or Navy ROTC, but I think I see two diagonal stripes outboard of the anchor on the shoulderboards of the guy on the right, which would make him a midshipman second class, the rank worn during the junior year of the program.
That has me thinking...I wonder how many ROTC cadets & midshipmen put on their uniforms to take advantage of Disneyland's military discount? Through the early '70s, ROTC enrollment was mandatory for medically-qualified, non-conscientious-objector male freshman and sophomores at Land Grant colleges and universities (like the UC system), regardless of whether or not you were seriously considering a military career, and many non-Land Grant schools had similar policies. Of course, that wouldn't have worked if they were also checking IDs like they do today if you are trying to purchase a military discount ticket, but hardly anyone wears a uniform to a Disney Park these days. I wonder if they checked IDs in the early days?
Also - note the cigarette vending machine in the lower right corner of the same photo.
Congratulations on reaching another milestone, Major! I don't know what I'd do each day without GDB, but I bet it would involve arriving at work on time every morning. :-)
Cheers on 13 years! Reading this blog has recently become one of the favorite parts of my day.
Is that one of the original screen-used Keel Boats?
Congrats on the milestone, Major! My mornings wouldn't be the same without GDB. Here's to another 13 years! These are some swell photos today. I'm especially jealous of all those people queuing for the Tomorrowland Skyway – they're in for such a treat!
Spaceman and Spacegirl are waving into the future, at we the lucky GDBers. Many thanks Major for one of the most entertaining (and civil!) blogs ever. I think a lot of us would supply you with material to keep the party going.
Thanks for all of your hard work!
More congratulations Major. Not only do you start out my morning with
the best Disneyland eye candy and commentary, but I also get access to the stories and info from your well-heeled commenters.
Chuck, I was in the group of fellas that required to take ROTC. I've got to say, it was a huge bummer. We had to keep our hair short, which did not go over very big back in '70. I racked up quite a few demerits over that particular requirement.
Loving those Upjohn pics Major. I was attracted to that place for some reason. Could have been the free vitamin samples my mother used too insist we all got.
From space travelers, little girls doing the peepee dance to Mike Fink and store bought leeches. Wow you ran the table today. Thanks for all the years and efforts to make our days. Happy Anniversary!
Happy Anniversary, Major! I, for one, have enjoyed every one of the well over 3000 posts.
I don't know near as much about Disneyland history as the rest of you but if I'd taken notes I would!
Thanks for the community and the hard work putting this thing together. I look forward to more.
dz
Congratulations on 13 years! Wow, what a milestone! And who cares whether blogs are passe? As long as you're sharing awesome vintage photos, I for one will be dropping by every day. Keep 'em coming and thank you for all of your incredible work!
Penna. Andrew, the original boats were replaced by '58 (and probably by '57).
DrGoat, those days must have sucked for both sides of the equation - the students who didn't want to be there and the instructors who would have rather not had to deal with unwilling students. Having been both an ROTC cadet and an instructor, I know my time was much more enjoyable with a bunch of (mostly) enthusiastic students who were in the program by choice. Three cheers for the All-Volunteer Force!
That said, I know my dad, who did his ROTC time from '59-'64, would have never even considered a military career if he hadn't had to enroll in an ROTC program as a freshman. He discovered he enjoyed it, ended up retiring as a colonel and went on to fly for the airlines for another 10 years.
Congratulations! 13 years of great posts and great fun. The Mr Major and all the comments from the GDB family have made my day on many a morning. I have no doubt you will make 5000 and beyond. I have decided that you cannot quit until you have posted all the photos of Sleeping Beauty Castle and the Mark Twain ever taken. I trust you to make it happen!
Today's scans are fantastic and I will be dining out on them the rest of the day. Three big cheers for all your hard work. Thanks Major!
13 years! Amazing and many thanks for all you do. I also enjoy how you can take older, faded, turned a weird color photos and perform magic on them to make them beautiful once again.
Your blog is one I visit every morning (even weekends!) without fail. I so appreciate your posting Bruce's/James photos. I made the right decision to place that album in your good hands. What to me at the time seemed like ho-hum photos turned out to have great observations and comments.
Keep up the good work sir :)
Congratulations, Major, on a major milestone.
Let me join in saying that I start every day with GDB. Seeing the old pictures of happy times are a real boost to morale.
I can't imagine the internet without it, and the comments of my fellow Junior Gorillas often make my day. May GDB last another 10,000 posts.
Thanks so much for doing this.
JG
BTW, the lovely millwork and trim of the Upjohn Pharmacy is still in place (under several layers of paint), the room as I saw it last was still recognizable, although clogged with tacky purses and wristwatches, instead of instructive displays of leeches.
Congratulations on 13 years of GDB, Major. I believe you've outlasted them all as far as vintage Disneyland photo/commentary blogs that are updated on a daily basis. Saying that's an achievement is an understatement. You've truly created something special here. Thanks for all you do.
This just in...Major Pepperidge has just been Knighted by the Queen of Hearts on the Alice ride. The Queen said,"Arise Sir Knight". To which Major replied, "Now I can afford that Peoplemover Car for my castle great hall.".
Nanook, thanks to you of course for your friendly comments nearly every day!
D Ticket, gracias!
Melissa, I like to pronounce Hippocrates as Hippo Crates. Because I have the mind of a four year old. It could be old Hippo, I wasn’t sure if the bust portrayed a man with a wide string tie (like Lincoln wore). Maybe it’s just a nice comfy toga.
Budblade, ha ha, there are definitely some “not wonderful” pictures, I can’t deny it!
Scott Lane, I’m not sure what I will do with myself when I hang up my blogging hat. Ukulele lessons maybe?
Chuck, my guess is that you show up to work 10 minutes early most days, just like my dad did - even I hate to be late to anything, to the annoyance of most of my friends. Thank you for your nice participation and all of the info you provide when I am too lazy (which is most of the time).
Penna. Andrew, Thanks… and I do believe that that is one of the original Keelboats.
Pegleg Pete, even in the dullest vintage Disneyland photo, I am jealous of the people!
Stefano, I would love it if people wanted to share photos from their personal collections!
dis220, you are welcome.
DrGoat, I have been encouraged (by some) to branch out to Facebook or Instagram, but I am reasonably sure that more readers would result in a higher chance of “bad people” ruining the experience. I’ll stay small and keep it friendly.
Alonzo, sometimes I’ll save and extra-nice photo for a special occasion like today - it will sit in a folder for months and months! That was definitely the case today.
dzacher, thanks. I used to think I knew a lot about Disneyland history, but I am a mere babe in the woods compared to many GDB readers.
Tom, I don’t really care if blogs are passé, but I also don’t want to be a Luddite either. I sort of feel like the people who have found GDB were meant to find it!
Chuck, I actually did not know that the boats were replaced that early. If I had more time, I’d look at my photos to see when the Keelboats were painted blue-green - I think that was in the mid-1970s.
Jonathan, I am pretty sure I will make it to 5000, but once all the slides have been posted, I don’t really know what I would post every day. I might just go to a “three days a week” schedule and post pictures of other stuff - some of my many non-Disney collectibles. We’ll see!
Irene, thank you for entrusting your brother’s photos to me, it meant a lot, and I am glad that you don’t regret the decision!
JG, I feel like it is a nice thing for readers to know that there will always be a new post every morning; it can be hard for me sometimes, but I have wised up and prepare posts many weeks in advance as a buffer. It helps! Thanks for the kind words.
K. Martinez, you are one of a very few GDB readers that I have actually met! Thanks to you for sharing your own photos and for all of your comments.
Jonathan, if being a Knight means getting a genuine Peoplemover car, then I will accept!
As usual...I'm coming in late after a full morning of work....semi- retirement has never been busier. That said, a major accomplishment Major! :) I always look forward to your posts to revive my memory and relive even for a moment my times in the Park.
Upjohn.. I got so many free vitamins that I kept the family supplied most of my working time there.
Thanks for the memories and keep 'em coming! KS
"Melissa, I like to pronounce Hippocrates as Hippo Crates."
OMG, me, too! Same deal with old So Crates. it's a small world after all
Hip Hip Hooray! Congratulations Major on 13 fabulous years of creating happiness for readers and viewers everywhere! Don't grow weary of well doing... and I think that girl in the first photo needs to pee.
Always your pal,
Amazon Belle
Congratulations and thank you for the past 13.
But, another 13 is a necessity.
What would I do without my daily fix?
KS, I am glad that GDB has become a part of your daily routine!
Melissa, I’m still not sure what to do with Archimedes.
Matthew, thank you; I’ll keep going as long as I can, but when the pictures are all used up… what else is left to do? Nothin’!
Graffer, oy vey! I can confidently state that there won’t be 13 more years. But I appreciate the sentiment!
Sorry that I missed the day after Anniversary celebration! I was traveling. Thank you Major for all of your hard abd GREAT work!
Speaking of old pictures on social media sites, if any of you happen to be on Tumblr I highly recommend the account Everyday Life in the Past, aka fifties-sixties-everyday-life. Not the same quality or curatorship as GDB, of course, but hits some of the same nerves.
Well, I am super late to this party....NUTS! And what can I say that hasn't been said already? I do have to say THANK YOU for everything you do for us, Major! And congratulations on your big 1-3!
Better late than never.
Not only does GDB show us those beautifully restored photos of the past but Major's commentary is the best. And the posts by the regulars here are all part of the fun experience. It's amazing to me that ANY blog has lasted 13 years of daily posts. From a long time fan - thanks a million Major.
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