I have two scans of Instamatic negatives that I scanned quite a long time ago, but am only getting around to posting now (obviously). These photos were taken by Mr. X when he was but a lad, back around 1965, when he visited the park with his good friend Greg. X is a very private person and I didn't want to post anything that might be too personal, but he gave me permission to share these, so here we go.
We're in Adventureland, with the Bazaar in the background. The entrance to the Jungle Cruise would be behind us, more or less. Notice that Greg is holding his complimentary INA guidebook. I think there was a 1966 and 1967 version with this particular design, but the earliest is from 1965, and that's what I am assuming is in the photo.
Here's a better look:
Meanwhile, back in Town Square... Greg has hopped on to the back of the Motorized Fire Truck (love that sign in the upper right corner!), ready to help out if a conflagration breaks out. At the very least he can ring the heck out of that brass bell.
Small details include the pink/red bag that Greg is holding; City Hall and the Police Station; and a balloon vendor and the DLRR Combine, which you can now see at Travel Town in Griffith Park (California).
As always, many thanks to Mr. X for his generosity, there is more to come!
I always loved shopping in the Bazaar.
ReplyDelete2nd picture: Greg is a sharp-dresser. You don’t see young men looking this good, at the parks anymore. The only thing I would question is that little blue balloon tied to his left ear.
Thanks, Mr. X, Greg and Major!
These are really great pics! Does Greg still have his guidebook? Or that souvenir bag and it's contents?
ReplyDeleteThank you Major and Mr. X, for these pics. I'm looking forward to more!
P.S. I totally get the "privacy" thing. If you have pics of Mr. X in this batch of photos, I hope you have told him that you can put a white oval over his face and still post them! ;-)
I have several of those particular early INA Disneyland guidebooks which I believe are from 1965-67. Love the Adventure Bazaar pic with Greg holding his INA guidebook. He must be getting ready to collect social security by now.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mr. X, Greg and Major.
Out of all of Bob Gurr's retro creations, I think the Fire Wagon is my favorite. Just look at the wealth of details!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm not sure how Greg got my high school letter jacket, but that's exactly it (minus the logo). Weird.....
Lou & Sue,
ReplyDeleteThe Bazaar was one of favorite spots. Could spend many minutes in there, perusing the rubber shrunken heads and other exotic ware.
I was 15 in '65 so Greg looks like about 13? Social security for sure.
Looks like the Mom behind Greg is holding a ticket book, but the girl, I'm not sure. It's blue, not a big clue.
In the Fire Wagon photo there seems to be a very cool looking hat behind Greg. Disney maybe? Like that Greg is a watch wearer. Never could at that age. It would have gotten broken.
Thanks Mr.X and thanks Major for these very personable pics.
Great photos! Was the train going the opposite way that day? Maybe I'm confused on perspective or something.
ReplyDeleteI think I'd be much more likely to buy something from that Bazaar than the one today. In fact, 100% more likely -- they need to bring back more authentic souvenirs.
Many thanks to Mr X for sharing some very enjoyable photos. If I were the blue shirt boy in the first one I'd be scoping out a rubber snake in the Bazaar to shake at my floral pattern sister. I'm also thinking the same thing as Dr Goat: that family to the left sure looks like they are in a ticket book huddle. Just make sure you tear out the right one!
ReplyDeleteI love the fire wagon and Greg is looking spiffy! Lou & Sue - I think those might be actual thought balloons. Greg is relatively carefree but the driver of the fire wagon has a lot on his mind today.
I wish I had kept all my souvenirs from Disneyland. Rubber knives, tomahawks, alpenhats. I had a bunch. So many great memories. Thanks Major and Mr. X.
ReplyDeleteI think that Stu and Greg and I all went to the same high school, since my letter jacket was identical.
ReplyDeleteFine pics, Major. Thanks to you and our benefactors.
JG
That guidebook is pretty spiffy, with all those fonts and Uncle Walt's smiling face. Looks like just about a perfect Disneyland day.
ReplyDeleteLou and Sue, I don’t know if I ever set foot inside the Bazaar! Maybe I did. It’s been too long. And yes, Greg looks much more nicely dressed than I ever did!
ReplyDeleteTokyoMagic!, I asked Mr. X if he knew what was inside the shopping bag, but unfortunately he had no idea. I guess things like that don’t necessarily stick after more than 50 years! I didn’t want to steal your white oval. Maybe another color? Or I could turn him into a bunch of large blocks like I did for Mr. X in THIS PHOTO
K. Martinez, yes, by 1968 (and even by 1967) the INA guides started to be produce in a smaller size with a color photo on the front. I love those guides, and have tried to get as many or the oldies as I can, but am still missing a few.
stu29573, I agree, the Fire Wagon is pretty sweet. Ward Kimball owned an antique fire engine, I can’t help wondering if he didn’t help consult on the Fire Wagon with Bob?
DrGoat, I think I bought shrunken heads and rubber snakes from a souvenir stand next to the Jungle Cruise, it had things in barrels and bins. Rubber-ripped spears too! I honestly don’t know how old Greg was in that photo, I’m bad at guessing ages of kids. That mom is definitely holding a ticket book, but what is that blue thing the young girl is holding? It doesn’t look familiar at all. I wore a watch at that age, and was thrilled to own one. I had to wind it every night!
Kei, hmm, it looks like the combine is sitting there, but not hooked up to a locomotive. Which is odd! But it is facing the right direction at least. And I agree with you about having authentic souvenirs, I struggle to find anything I actually want to buy.
Omnispace, you would have to choose carefully… “Which rubber snake will impress the guys (and scare the girls) most at school?”. I love that eye-popping pattern on sis’s outfit, sort of pre-psychedelic. I wonder if the folks looking at their ticket books are trying to agree on what to ride next? Maybe they’re about to hop on the Jungle Cruise. I wish I had red and blue thought balloons…
Jonathan, ME TOO! And I did save some, but they are so played-with that they are beat up. Including a beautiful metal submarine that was supposed to be able to dive and surface in a swimming pool… pieces are missing. I sometimes see them on eBay in their original boxes, going for hundreds of dollars.
JG, gosh, how many schools had gold and blue as their colors? A lot I guess! I went to three high schools, but the colors I remember best were orange and blue. Which I like because they are also the official colors of the New York World’s Fair, not that I knew it at that age.
Melissa, I do love those INA guides (see my comment to K. Martinez), they are full of all kinds of great info.
Hey, Little Boy Blue in the first picture, stop staring at that dancing figure with the gong(?), I want to buy it! I'd love a close look at all the things for sale at the Bazaar. I think I'll search for some more photos on your site, Major. Mr. X. took way better pictures than I did at that age.
ReplyDeleteBy golly, you folks are right! Those are thought balloons.
ReplyDeleteAt the Bazaar, in the late 60's - early 70's, I remember buying incense (can still remember what it smelled like); an origami kit that came with colored sheets of paper (maybe 6" square) with instructions for making animals and things; and little glass animals (they were piled on top of each other in baskets on the counters). I would save my allowance all year and looked forward to spending it in Disneyland. I remember bringing $25.00 in 1972 to spend.
Fun post today! What a wonderful trip back in time.
stu, All the vehicles that were created really put the finishing touch that made Main Street such a wonderful place. Sure glad that Bob Gurr is still around and among us.
ReplyDeleteLou & Sue, I don't remember saving during the year for our big trip to Disneyland every summer. There were comics, plastic models and other great things to buy all year, but I do remember for about a month before the trip, going into overdrive and mowing lawns and cleaning yards like crazy. Mom and Dad would usually fill in with a little cash when we got to the Park. Marineland and the San Diego Zoo were always on the same trip, but I usually saved most of the booty for Disneyland.
Thanks all
For a minute there, I thought that the young boy in the top pic was standing in front of Pecos Bill Café in Frontierland in WDW. The building has the same Spanish-style rooftop.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention that just beyond "ticket book family," we can see a guy standing at the counter of the Big Game Shooting Gallery (white pants and plaid shirt).
ReplyDeleteSue, I remember the incense burners that were sold at the Adventureland Bazaar. In fact, you can see them displayed on that outdoor countertop. I remember buying my grandmother some incense there, during my 8th grade graduation trip to DL. I didn't save all year for DL, but I did like Dr. Goat. When I knew I would be going, I'd be trying to save as much as I could from my allowance, so that I would have more to spend at DL. And it didn't seem like souvenirs were all that expensive back then, in relation to other prices at that time.
Major, I forgot that we had already seen Mr. X here on GDB....well, sort of seen him. I like your pixelating better than my white oval. I originally wanted to do the pixelating, but couldn't figure out how to do it, so I chose a big white obnoxious oval instead!
I think the first souvenir I ever bought at Disneyland was a set of Pirates of the Caribbean post cards drawn by Marc Davis sold at a vending machine that was in the little arcade area right near the ride exit. Wish I had them now (how many times have I said that!)
ReplyDeleteThanks Mr. X and Major for today's pics.
Misleading advertising. That wagon's not even smoldering.
ReplyDeleteOur local high school also has letter jackets like Greg's. I think there's a Federal law that 44% of all high schools nationwide must use those colors; the actual distribution is worked out in a multi-state compact. I remember wanting one when I got to high school, but we moved. One of my high schools had black wool jackets with fold-over collars and orange lettering and the other had more traditional jackets with raglan sleeves in a solid dark blue with a white letter and striping on the cuffs, waist, and collar. Still have mine, although the vinyl sleeves are sticky.
Major, I remember that stand by the exit to the Jungle Cruise and those bins of treasure that I was never allowed to buy anything from. My best friend in early grade school (before we left CA) had a shrunken head AND a rubber-tipped spear from one of those bins. We used to design amusement parks together. Neither one of us continued on to that line of work. But I still have my letter jacket!
And above the Bazaar was a special spot for Jungle Cruise skippers called JUBA for Jungle Upstairs Break Area. The staircase is between the Gallery and the Bazaar. It's still there but the old gate is now padlocked. Great memories of sitting up there watching the JC boats go by waiting for my next rotation on one of them. KS
ReplyDeleteMy first Magic Kingdom souvenir was also a booklet of postcards. I think I've mentioned here before that it was the picture of the Richard F. Irvine riverboat in that booklet that planted my false memory of having sailed on her even though she had stopped running before my first visit.
ReplyDeleteI didn't buy a souvenir at Disneyland because I figured I'd have the promotional materials from the educational tour we took that day. Of course, they're long gone by now.
KS - Thanks for sharing that information about JUBA! I was wondering if that was an actual space above the Bazaar and what it might be used for. For some reason the Monty Python ward for Long John Silver actors comes to mind, though with Jungle Cruise Skippers ambling about reciting their lines. ;)
ReplyDelete