Today I have three more scans of vintage slides, graciously shared with us by "1937Fan". These pictures were taken by her Aunt (who took the photos in 1964). It's hard to resist taking a picture of Dumbo as he happily soars through the air. You wouldn't think that he would be able to fly, but the aerodynamics of an elephant's body might surprise you.
Here's a beautiful photo of Skull Rock and the surrounding tropical lagoon, with a hint of the dining area to the left.
A second photo makes it look like the Chicken of the Sea mermaid is going to grant the Skull's wish and turn him into a prince. This feature proves that there is no such thing as too many waterfalls.
Many thanks to 1937Fan!
As of this writing, I think I will be home tomorrow, but I'm not 100% certain!
Major-
ReplyDeleteWow - what wonderful images - all. Thanks, 1937Fan-! (Actually Major, the mermaid is going to grant the Skull's wish and turn him into a real boy-! Although, I might be conflating my fairy tales...)
Thanks, Major.
Casey Jr. is playing peek-a-boo with us, in that second pic!
ReplyDeleteAll three of these shots are postcard worthy!
I hope you have/had a safe trip home, Major.
These are two of the best Skull Rock photos I have ever seen. I miss it. It was one of the best and coolest attractions at the park. I like to think of Major, up to his elbows in boxes, in the wee hours, searching for rare photos of Disneyland and other cool places. Thanks Major for all that you do.
ReplyDeleteI know I don't have the authority, but I'm calling "postcard worthy" on the second Skull Rock pic! Rules be darned! Great shots need to be recognized!
ReplyDeleteSkull Rock has a homemade look, which I think is part of what makes it so cool. All of the plants (real?) hanging out complete the scene.
ReplyDeleteTokyoMagic, Casey Jr. is sneaking by in both pictures!
Thanks, 1937Fan! These are great!
ReplyDeleteI was just reading last night in my favorite Christmas present, the new Marc Davis book set (thanks, Mrs. Chuck!), that the mermaid was based on a Marc Davis drawing, turned into a three-dimensional study by Blaine Gibson, and then finally sculpted by Chris Mueller. Some people thought that the merm looked too much like Tinker Bell; Marc's response was "when you have to do a cute, young blonde with a bun hairstyle, I guess you naturally gravitate to the same ideas!"
That book set is simply amazing. It's chock full of photos and drawings and is mostly told in snippets of interviews with Marc, Alice, and a host of the usual suspects, including Blaine Gibson, Rolly Crump, Mary Blair, Wathel Rogers, Richard Sherman, Marty Sklar, Walt Disney, and others. Pete Docter and Chris Merritt did a phenomenal job putting it together, with contributions from a host of others including Werner Weiss (Yesterland), Jeff Baham (Doombuggies), Matterhorn1959 (Stuff From the Park), Todd James Pierce & Paul F. Anderson (Disney History Institute), Didier Ghez (Disney History Blog) FoxxFur (Passport to Dreams), Kevin Kidney & Jody Daily (Kevin Kidney Blog), Jim Korkis, some familiar names from the GDB comments section like Mike Cozart Mike Cozart Design and Model, Jason Schultz (Disneyland Nomenclature, Drop In Again Sometime), and our very own Major Pepperidge.
Christmas afternoon and evening is one of my favorite times of the year because it's quiet and I can curl up with a new book and really enjoy it. I spent hours reading this thing yesterday and am only about 3/5 through the first volume. I'm not a slow reader, but there's so much detail to sift through with photos (thanks, Major!), documents, and original Marc Davis artwork that's never been published before. Oh, and it's 749 pages and weighs 10½ lbs.
I guess you can tell I like the book. :-)
Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!
Have memories of standing behind the waterfall of Skull Rock enjoying its cooling mist. Looking through the waterfall made Fanastyland seem magical. Another one of those hidden gem experiences that are so hard to find today. KS
ReplyDeleteThe lone Dumbo pic is super cool. Thanks, Major.
ReplyDeleteChuck, That is indeed an amazing book set. One of the best in my opinion.
How did I never notice the rock formations behind the skull that look like the collar of a Dracula cape? That instantly makes him 33.3% cooler.
ReplyDelete1937Fan, 1937Fan's Aunt, and Major: Thank you for these fantastic pictures/scans!
ReplyDeleteChuck, after reading your enticing book review (above), especially about all the folks involved (including our Major!), I went on-line to order a set . . . but it looks like it's sold out til the end of next month. I don't necessarily trust some of the other sites (that ship from outside of this country) that are supposedly selling this set of books . . . can you or anyone recommend where to order the set from? Amazon? (Thank you!)
Sue
Sue, my wife bought it through Amazon.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Chuck! I'll pre-order through Amazon now, for their next "batch" due out in 4 weeks.
ReplyDeleteChuck, weren't you the one that told me (us) about the tea-cup mug? I got mine and LOVE it - thanks, again!
Sue
P.S. Major, I think elephants are like bumble bees. They don't look like they could fly, but they can.
There's something about the second pic (maybe shallow depth of field) that makes it looks like one of those "tilt-shift" images. (The ones that were popular a few years ago that made the real world look like a diorama.)
ReplyDeleteThese are all wonderful! Thank you Major, and 1937Fan!
ReplyDeleteI want "all" the pictures of the Skull Rock Grotto. It was the best.
@Chuck, thanks for the tip about the Davis book. Apparently it has affected research on lots of things. The "Long Forgotten" blog has many updated posts based on new info from it.
Let me throw in a pitch for Disney Plus streaming. The "Imagineering" program would fascinate all the readers of GDB. And there's plenty of other fine content as well. Highly recommended.
JG