Two Fun Snapshots!
As much as I love the humble vintage photo print, I prefer slides. BUT... sometimes you luck out and get some really nice snapshots, like today's pair.
It's September, 1962, and Pops has decided to take a photo of his pretty daughter and cute/dorky son, next to the Disneyland Hotel's putting green. Why go to the park when you can practice putting all day? The "garden apartments" are in the distance - removed in 1999 - for a parking lot. It's hard to believe that the Hotel had (at various times) an actual nine-hole, par 3 course, the putting green, a driving range, and even a miniature golf course.
This next example is from November, 1965 - 54 years ago this month! - with folks posed at the base of the Douglas moon rocket. Are the two ladies in the foreground supposed to be part of the picture? Or did they just refuse to move along? Even at 1/3 scale, that rocket was an impressively large prop. The updated Space Bar with its pleasing mid-century design can be seen in the distance.
19 comments:
Major-
I feel quite confident that "cute/dorky son" grew up to be none other than Brad Pitt. And even though those two ladies hogging the second image are not on the Putting Green, I see they're still "observing golf etiquette"-!
Thanks, Major.
TM! Redhead alert!
Sue
In the 2nd pic: Is the photographer trying to snap a picture of the three in the middle - far back, or of the two stylish babes to the right??
Sue
Maybe those kids were pointing to the sign and laughing on the inside, because they were NOT accompanied by an adult. Perhaps another sibling took the pic.
Sue, I wonder if Miss Henna Rinse and her friend were trying to ruin that family's photo? I've seen people do that today. Once they realize you are trying to take a pic, they deliberately hang around and won't move out of the way.
People should get more excited about simple stuff like the "Disneyland Hotel Putting Green." Big fun in simple pleasures!
I realize that the Moonliner was probably so large in person when I see pictures like this.
Major, you definitely lucked out here.
I have always loved that Douglas logo, which survives today (after a couple of mergers) as the logo for the Boeing Company.
Check out that orange, lei-boa-looking thing attempting to strangle the boy seated on the Moonliner platform to the left of the probable target of the photographer. And directly above him, behind the rocket's leg - is that a brand-new, shiny, red, square Skyway bucket?
TM!, there are jackasses everywhere (except in Frontierland, where they were removed in 1973).
It's always interesting to see how people dressed to visit DL, though pretty girl in the Prom dress may be at the hotel for an event.
Happy belated Thanksgiving to you all! I was shoveling snow to make room for the kid's visit.
Two firsts yesterday. I grilled a turkey and I did in the snow!
I gotta ask... Are ANY of you robots? I'm not, but they ask every time I post..
dz
Yes
Nanook, I was thinking the kid might be a young Duane “The Rock” Johnson, but hey, what do I know. And I’ll bet both of those ladies are wearing high heels - a “golf etiquette” no-no!
Lou and Sue, is she a witch??
Lou and Sue, I’m pretty sure that poor family in the distance is supposed to be the main focus of that photo, but they are so tiny and overshadowed by those ladies.
TokyoMagic!, not only were they not accompanied by an adult, they were both completely drunk. I have a feeling that those ladies were just standing there unaware that they were in anyone’s way, but it sure is too bad that they are there - at least for the family in the background.
Andrew, I’m always excited about ANY putting green! It’s little short grass, like green velvet. And yes, that Moonliner was big, I wish they didn’t destroy it when they removed it from Disneyland.
Chuck, I agree, that Douglas logo is awesome - I didn’t know that Boeing continued to use it. Is it more or less unchanged? What the hell IS that orange thing around that kid’s neck?? A giant plush boa constrictor? I think you’re right, that looks like a square Skyway gondola.
dzacher, I suppose the girl could be there for the prom, but I’ll bet she just liked dressing more “grown up”. “I’m not a little kid anymore!”. My brother in law has grilled Thankgiving turkeys for the last few years, it works great. But he’s never had to do it in the snow! As for the robot question - do robots necessarily know that they are robots?
HAL, how are things in Urbana, Illinois?
By this point the Moonliner's thrust vector vanes had been replaced by a simple cone. It's interesting that they actually updated the (simulated) technology! The vanes looked a little cooler, though.
Major, the only change to the logo is the removal of the rocket at the upper end of the "swish." Not sure why the did that since they are still very active in the space industry, building launch vehicles, satellites, and manned spacecraft components.
I was going to say that looks like Patty Duke in the hotel grounds pic, but Patty's only seen the sights a girl can see from Brooklyn Heights.
Nice and unusual pic of the Disneyland Hotel area. Thanks, Major.
Andrew, Back then, that Moonliner rocket seemed to loom over Tomorrowland and "touch" the sky from my child's mind/point of view. And yes, sometimes simple pleasures can be as much fun or more than the more sophisticated high-tech adventures.
@ Ken-
Well then, if she's more "worldy" - perhaps it's 'Cathy'-!
Dog butt !!?? Behind Brad Pitt's head - way back there - is that one guy walking a dog? (Or is it a sign that's sticking up?)
A shirtless guy, no less...with another shirtless guy. Headed to the pool, maybe? Or to one of the shops to buy a shirt?
I can't believe we all missed the high-tension power lines in the background of that first picture. You're slipping, Ken! :-)
Thank you for today's Master Class in Vintage Posing. I think Patty/Cathy must have grown up to be Vanna White's Mom. I love the guy in blue doing the Extreme Lean at the far right of the second picture.
@Nanook-
Yes, it must be Cathy who's lived most everywhere from Zanzibar to Berkley Square.
@Chuck-
I've had a lot of slippage lately. It's bound to happen sooner or later.
stu29573, I don’t think I really knew about the “vector vanes” until I saw one amazing closeup photo of the exhaust-end of the rocket. And I didn’t notice that they had been removed! I basically don’t notice anything.
Chuck, I looked it up, and I agree… why remove that little rocket? It was cool! I’m sure the decision to get rid of it was a corporate coin toss. “With it? Without it?”. “Ummm, errrr… without it!”.
K. Martinez, so funny, the only thing I really remember about the Patty Duke Show is the opening credits. And that it had William Schallert. I couldn’t tell you one thing about any of the episodes. I really miss impressive landmarks like the Moonliner (or the Rocket Jets), these days I almost feel like they build things with the idea that they will probably tear them down in 15 or 20 years, so don’t go too exuberant.
Nanook, ….?
Lou and Sue, dog butt to you too! I guess that’s something people say in Illinois? Like my cousins in Boston said that things were “pissa cool” (that must have morphed into “hella cool”). I think that the “dog” might just be a leafy tree branch, but I could be wrong.
Chuck, nope, the Disneyland Hotel was one of the first “clothing optional” hotels in Anaheim. I feel like Ken was less interested in the high-tension power lines than he would have been if they were telephone poles/wires.
Melissa, my favorite pose is to have one hand in my pocket, while the other is shading my eyes as if I am searching the horizon for a ship. It’s served me well all these years. Wow, is that guy actually leaning on the one of the legs of the rocket??
K. Martinez, has Cathy been to the Orange Empire Railway Museum? I’ll bet she hasn’t! Zanzibar isn’t so great… no McDonalds.
Faint memories of a round of Disneyland miniature golf with Dad in the early 60s. It was suitably themed -- I remember one hole where a well-hit putt would fly out of Mr. Smee's cannon and land in the crocodile's open mouth. Unfortunately, I also remember various of the concrete figures were severely damaged, revealing what looked like rebar inside (Mr. Smee's backside was largely missing).
Equally ancient Tomorrowland memory: The Bell Telephone exhibit had kid-sized phone booths, with Disney characters instead of numbers on the dials. Mom helpfully dialed Snow White before I could make up my mind, and there was a fast-paced recording of Snow White. She wrapped up with something about a nice old lady at the door with an apple. Mom later claimed I got agitated when I couldn't get a word in edgewise, and at the end was yelling "DON'T EAT THE APPLE!" into the phone.
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