As part of my community service, I promised to rescan a bunch of old slides. Think of the benefits to society! And I really tried. I tried, you guys! I poured my heart and soul into the project. No half-assing it for ol' Major P.
Example numero uno: this scan, which first appeared on GDB way back in 2008 (the slide is dated "December, 1960"). What was I thinking? It looks like they had one of those food-warmer heat lamps just out of frame, keeping the guests hot and crispy. I'd chalk it up to drugs, but I'm just not that cool.
Here's the rescan, and it looks a lot more normal! In fact I could see this photo appearing in a vintage guidebook. Maybe it's even POSTCARD WORTHY now? I redid this scan weeks ago, and looking at it now, I feel like I could have retained a little more of that rosy glow seen in the first example, since the picture was clearly taken just as the sun was setting. But I'm not going to lose any sleep, don't you fret none!
Numero dos is this pretty nice view of the Rocket Jets and Peoplemover, circa 1974; I wound up cropping off some of the sky, for better or worse. It has an overall warm cast, which I don't really mind, but the bottom third of the photo went really dark.
Here's the rescan, and it just looks sharper and nicer in my opinion. Should I have cropped it again? Either way, what a wonderful scene of Tomorrowland!
Major-
ReplyDeleteNice work, as per usual. Especially glorious in the first image is the lad's turquoise socks. (Or are they aqua-??)
In the second image, it appears we have a Dad, along with two sons, all wearing [almost] matching suede jackets. AND, perhaps twins, too boot-!
Thanks again, Major.
Nanook, my vote is ‘aqua.’ Love those socks on Billy Mummy! There are a lot of aqua/turquoise things happening in that shot. Very popular color from that era...I was glad to see it make a big comeback, in recent years.
ReplyDeleteMajor, you know I love the before and after pictures - thanks for posting these!
Correction: Billy Mumy
ReplyDeleteI should’ve looked up the spelling before I commented...but I’m sure you knew who I meant. :)
Excellent job, Major! Thank you for paying your debt to society!
ReplyDeleteIn that second pic, it looks like there is a very large white patch on the wall of the Carousel Theater (lower level). I wonder if it was in the middle of it's transition from Carousel of Progress to America Sings? The year is right, for that.
“Half assed major P” just happens to be the name of my band.....not really.
ReplyDeleteI like the “frozen” runner on the curb just behind the driver in that first picture.
I’m thinking the guy in the extreme bottom right of the second photo (with the shiny ring) wished you had NOT brightened that picture up.
Thanks for going the extra mile on these pictures. They look much better.
One thing lightening up the crowd did was make me notice just how darn chilly it must have been! I mean, those folks actually look like they're all hunkered down and cold! Also, extra points for the kid walking away from us in the plaid outfit. Plaid makes everything better! (This is a public service announcement from Citizens Adoring Plaid). Good work!
ReplyDeleteWow, nice rekerjiggering! Nice pictures before, gorgeous pictures after.
ReplyDeleteIt does kind of look like the trolley conductor is holding a woman's head under his right arm. And it bears a strong resemblance to that of the woman in the front seat.
Is that a dark-colored babushka I spy in the lower right of the second picture?
Nanook, I definitely noticed the turquoise socks! Much more colorful than anything I own. My grandma once went to New Zealand, and bought suede & shearling jackets for all three of her grandsons. The jackets would have fit us if we were still 12 years old.
ReplyDeleteLou and Sue, what’s the difference between “turquoise” and “aqua”? I sure don’t know. I’ve always liked that color though. Not too long ago I took my niece to the Museum of Natural History in Los Angeles, and we visited the gem room. We wondered why clear diamonds were so valuable when the stones that WE liked were pink, blue, aqua, yellow, orange, purple… so many wonderful colors.
Lou and Sue, I knew who you meant! I’m sure Billy is used to that spelling of his last name so he won’t wish us into the cornfield.
TokyoMagic!, it just feels good to know I did the right thing! Good eye on the white part of the Carousel Theater, very interesting if this was taken in that brief transition period. I wish I was more of a fan of “America Sings”.
Budblade, I was about to offer to do be a guest vocalist at your next live show, and now those hopes have been dashed. I’m especially good at butchering “Don’t Stop Believing”. It took me a moment to find the frozen runner - I also like his laughing buddy to the right. And now I notice that in each scan, I managed to crop a little of the image off one way or the other. Mr. Shiny Ring seems OK, he knows that showing up in a photo is one of the things that comes with being at Disneyland.
stu29573, YES! Not a short sleeve in the entire crowd, and that’s unusual. It seems that even in the colder months you’ll see at least one bada** toughing it out with short sleeves. And that kid (a girl?) is wearing maximum plaid, it’s not physically possible to be more plaid. It IS kind of awesome.
Melissa, I assume that the conductor just told a knock-knock joke, why else would everybody be laughing so heartily? It’s the only logical explanation. Gosh, even in the lightened version, I can’t tell if that is a babushka, or if the woman just has “Cher” hair.
Budblade, my dyslexia has kicked in again, the frozen runner's laughing friend is to the left!
ReplyDeleteYou beat me to the socks Lou & Sue. I would say that the socks were turquoise and the shirt aqua. Just a gut feeling. Always thought Turquoise was the darker of the two, and more rich.
ReplyDeleteGot nothing else this morning, busy morning at work.
Wonderful job as usual Major. Thanks!
Personally I would put up with freezing cold temps to visit Tomorrowland again in this configuration.
ReplyDeleteVery nice job on the rescans.
One vote for cropping #2.
Major, if you keep up this quality of work, undoubtedly you will soon be allowed to wear an ankle bracelet tracker and go outdoors.
ReplyDeleteReally fine re-working of these classic images.
I think the two boys in photo one are chasing each other. Billy is examining the skirt of the young lady on the bench, he notices the color is matching his socks.
It's nice to take the time to study the fine detail on the streetcar. Those old Imagineers did good work.
The Rocket Jets shot takes the biscuit though. One of Disneyland's finer vistas, and this version is excellent. As always, the people are the real show, for example, the bouffant hair on the lady in the middle center. She almost perfectly masks the directional sign for the PeopleMover, her hair makes her head twice normal size.
JG
Major, I think the correction on the first photo is perfect. The streetcar itself is warm enough, balanced nicely against the cooler background and you still have the warm highlights and reflections from the sunset.
ReplyDeleteThe Tomorrowland photo is fantastic. I love everything about it - including the turquoise (aqua?) Peoplemover cars. For some reason the people in the shadowy foreground makes me think of some of Syd Mead's illustrations. Perhaps it's the way they are grouped together. Maybe it's the line for Adventure Thru Inner Space?! ...the photographer standing in line and suddenly being inspired.
Nice work Major. Have to say, I'm still waiting for a Tomorrowlnad better than the one we had back then. KS
ReplyDeleteDrGoat, maybe the shirt is periwinkle? (I admit I just wanted to say “periwinkle”). I do think that aqua, or at least the gem known as “aquamarine” tends to be lighter as a rule, while turquoise (the mineral) can vary widely in hue. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteAlonzo, yeah, I kind of realized why I cropped it way back when, since the additional sky adds no “value” to the image (if you know what I mean). But what’s done is done. I would be happy to go to Disneyland on a very cold day!
JG, the important thing is that I learned my lesson and will be a law-abiding citizen from this day forward. Yes I agree, one boy is definitely chasing the other. Darn kids! It’s interesting to look at the streetcars at Freedomland - they are very similar, and yet they lack the elegance of the Disneyland versions. Can you believe the hair on that lady? It’s six or seven inches tall at least. How much aquanet did she use each day? Funny you should mention Syd Mead, I’ve been looking at a lot of his artwork recently. Amazing stuff. He came to my school to give a talk years ago, I feel privileged to have seen him. I saw Saul Bass there as well.
KS, ME TOO!
Omnispace (oops, almost missed you, sorry) thanks for the nice words re: the restoration. I somehow combined your comment and JGs comment (scrolled too far), which is typical of my brain. Arg. See what I said to him about Syd Mead! I still don’t know how he did what he did, making things look so futuristic and elegant. One of my favorite things is the way he added items that looked cool, even if you had no idea what their purpose was. I always wondered if HE knew what their purpose was??
ReplyDeleteI dated a girl in high school whose mother told me they used to wrap their hair around empty tin cans to give it more body when they wore it like that in the late '60s/early '70s.
ReplyDeleteNote that it took two cast members to operate each streetcar back in the ticket days (three if you count the horse). Going to guess that this attraction probably didn't turn much of a profit if any at all. And yet they kept it running and beautifully maintained. That speaks volumes about...something. Oh, look - a squirrel!
KS, word.
That's okay, Major - nice to get your feedback anyway. What made me think about Syd Mead is that he sometimes adds incredible details to the shadows of his illustrations, thus the people in the shadowy foreground of the Tomorrowland photo. I would have loved to have gone to one of his lectures.
ReplyDelete