Friday, November 06, 2020

Some Rescans

I tried my hand at some more rescans, with pretty satisfying results! But don't take my word for it. Ask a trusted adult. 

Back in 2011 I shared this scan, a neat view from a Skyway bucket; our photographer was actually heading toward Fantasyland, which is behind us, but they snapped this photo giving us a nice overview of Tomorrowland. Everything looks a little brownish, though.


Here's the unrestored scan - that brilliant magenta is pretty tough on the old eyebones.


Here's my latest restoration attempt, and I am reasonably happy with it. The hardest part was the trees, which wanted to stay a reddish-brown. But a little fiddling at least got them to look somewhat greenish. The blue of the lagoon also gave some problems, and it looks kind of "warm", and I could have continued to fuss with it, but decided to leave it be.


Way back in 2007, I posted this photo of Sleeping Beauty Castle, circa 1956. Looking at it today, it has an unpleasant gray cast, and it's also too warm in tone.


Here's the redo! I'm much happier with the colors now, and it's just sharper and clearer.


You probably noticed the princess waving (I think she's looking directly at us!) from the upper level - not something that appears in any other Castle photos in my collection (and I have a LOT of 'em). Some have speculated that it could be Annette Funicello, and as much as I would like that to be true, I don't believe it is her. However, Daveland does have a picture of Annette on the second level of the front of the castle.


I hope you have enjoyed today's rescans!

20 comments:

Nanook said...

Major-
Gotta love those rescans-! I think I'm gonna get me a rescan on me. After all, we all can benefit from a little "improvement"-!

Thanks, Major.

TokyoMagic! said...

Major, your rescans are beautiful!

There are so many people in that Castle shot, which allows us a chance to do some really good "people watching." The odd thing is, it appears that nobody is noticing or paying any attention to the poor princess up there on the balcony.

There is an open door with a curtain in it, on that upper level of the Castle, so I assume that is how the "princess" got out on the balcony. I wonder if the Sleeping Beauty Castle walk-thru was closed at this time, or if guests who were up there could have poked their heads out from those curtains?

TokyoMagic! said...

Hey, maybe that Castle pic was taken on the opening day of the Sleeping Beauty Castle walk-thru, and that is Shirley Temple Black up there!

Andrew said...

A couple of days ago, when JG mentioned that the Matterhorn picture might show it still under construction, I wondered... how long did the Skyway operate when Matterhorn construction started, and how soon was it reopened? If they really wanted to give guests a preview, they should've built the mountain with the Skyway still operating. Giant steel beams would be soaring overhead on a crane!

Thanks for these nice rescans, Major.

DrGoat said...

Really great job on the rescans Major. That Skyway bucket shot is beautiful.
Thanks Major.

Melissa said...

Lookit that sub water sparkle! And I never would have spotted the man in the red checked shirt and necktie in the second picture!

The balcony girl does resemble Shirley.

Anonymous said...

I love a good rescan in the morning! I, too, am intrigued by the princess on the balcony. It IS definitely weird that no one seems to notice her. My theory is that she's a gho... gho... GHOST! (said in my best Goofy voice) She wasn't there when the icture was taken and only showed up in the print! creeeeeepy!
Or, maybe folks just weren't conditioned to freak out over people wearing costumes and pretending to be royalty quite yet. That sure has changed! Now it's "Welcome to "Meet and Greet Palooza!""

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook, yes, I wish I could Photoshop myself!

TokyoMagic!, thank you. You know me, I always enjoy looking at the people in these vintage pix, I make up little stories about some of the folks. I agree, it is weird that nobody is paying any attention to the princess! But she does really appear to be looking directly at us, so she knows she is having her picture taken. I would assume that there must have been a door that guests could not access that led to the outside upper area - though it seems I have read about lax security and adventuresome guests winding up in places they shouldn’t be.

TokyoMagic!, I wonder, this could have been from around when the Sleeping Beauty Castle walk-thru opened. But I am positive that the girl is not Shirley Temple Black!

Andrew, I believe that for at least some of the Matterhorn construction, the Skyway was operating. Probably in the later stages, I doubt they had the gondolas going when they were moving the large heavy girders into place though. Too dangerous!

DrGoat, thanks; I do like a good photo looking out from inside the Matterhorn “caves”, whether it is Tomorrowland or Fantasyland.

Melissa, I have “restored” some old slides and my results look almost exactly the same as they did 10 or more years ago. It seems kind of pointless to share those again. But it is nice when there is a clear improvement!

Stu29573, you’d think that they would have made an announcement. “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, please direct your attention to Sleeping Beauty Castle, where Princess Aurora greets us!”. Or something like that. “…maybe folks just weren’t conditioned to freak out over people wearing costumes…”; I have a photo I just scanned of Town Square, and Mickey is leaning against a wall - absolutely nobody is even looking at him.

JC Shannon said...

I'm with Stu, definitely a ghost. Every castle has to have one. Why, in Britain I think it's a law. She needs a name though. The Lady in White, maybe. She is pointing to the spot where her body is buried in Fantasyland. She can only be seen on film, that's why no one is looking at her. On stormy nights, she roams the park looking for Annette. I really need a hobby. Great job Major, thanks for today's spooky scans.

zach said...

That first scan opened a whole can of nostalgia in me. Remember how amazing the park was in those days?! The winding Monorail track, Monorail in the station. The train across the park. Astro Jets, space Bar, Sub Lagoon, all from a swaying Skyway bucket. This made my day. I'm sorry for the photographer who lost this photo.

Great rescans! I could use one, too. Maybe we can get a group discount.

Thanks, Major.

zach, looking forward to rain or snow today in parched California.

JG said...

Major, these are splendid work. Thank you for the extra work.

I'm with the majority on this, please re-scan me too.

The shot of Tomorrowland is just wonderful, right down to the bubbles in the Sub Lagoon.

And the Castle pic is very special. I have always loved the courtyard elevation of the Castle and it is rarely seen in a comprehensive view. In Herb Ryman's original rendering, this side was planned to be the entrance with the drawbridge, and later the design was reversed to the version we have now.

I never knew that Shirley Temple officiated at the opening of the SB Walk-Through, nor that anyone ever appeared to the crowd from the roof. Thanks Tokyo for pointing out the curtains in the doorway. I'm sure the woman in the photo is someone special since she is not made up as Sleeping Beauty (not blonde).

I did see some CM's visible on the roof at one point, I think it was our 2008 visit. For a brief while, there was a gaudy gold tracery railing added behind the "stone" parapet on the moat elevation (south). This can be seen in this pic from Dave DeCaro's wonderfully organized collection.

https://www.davelandweb.com/castle/images/marypoppins/DSC_4169.jpg

I think this was some OSHA fall protection for roof access workers. The garish tracery was later removed, and I think that some kind of harness tie-off anchors were probably added down where they can't be seen. The rooftop workers would wear a harness like a mountain climber and tie cables to these pegs for security moving around on the roof. The gold screen was a "quick and dirty" solution and I am glad it is gone.

Seeing a human figure on the building sure ruins the forced perspective, everything looks so small, even beside the petite Princess.

JG

"Lou and Sue" said...

Always love the re-scans and before-and-afters! The lagoon blues make you smile! I notice there are less rocks around the edge, back then - or is it my imagination?

I'm standing in line for Major's re-scan, too! He does great work!

Remember, back in the 60s and 70s, when it was a thrill to bump into a character that was walking around - unscheduled? And sometimes they would sneak up on you...

Thanks, Major!

Melissa said...

She needs a name though.

Princess Boogedy
Lady Scaryknickers

Major Pepperidge said...

Jonathan, even though I don’t believe in ghosts, I love the idea of a haunted Disneyland! It’s like Bigfoot or visiting aliens or the Loch Ness Monster, I want to believe. Because it’s fun! And there’s something about a haunted amusement park - as the makers of “Scooby Doo” can tell you.

zach, I think all of us remember the park as a place that was so wonderful in so many ways. It’s why I started collecting old slides and photos, and why I like sharing them with all of you! I’m glad you liked the rescans.

JG, I always thought that the use of “bubble curtains” as transitions underwater was so simple, but so brilliant. And it just looked cool - especially when we were passing undersea volcanos, and the bubbles were colored by red lights. I’ve read that it was Walt who supposedly took the top part of the model of the castle, turned it around, and placed it on the base. I wonder if that’s true! I wondered if the princess was just a pretty local girl, only instead of a “walk around” character she was there to wave and smile and just add to the atmosphere? It makes sense that you would see CMs on the castle sometimes - they decorate it for various holidays, after all. And for big anniversaries, they paint part of it a tacky gold! I don’t mind the tracery to prevent people from falling, but it doesn’t have to be gold. Let it be subtle! That’s not their jam these days, however.

Lou and Sue, I know you like the before-and-afters, I try to make a point of saving the “before” part now, just for you! I think you’re right about the fact that there were fewer rocks back then. They probably added more when they could afford them, since they make a nicer barrier than a metal fence. I never had a character sneak up on me, but I do remember seeing them just walking around, often not being followed by a crowd!

Melissa, those are both good!

"Lou and Sue" said...

JCShannon said,
I really need to get a hobby.

You mean there’s something other than GDB?!?!

;)

DrGoat said...

JG, That princess does ruin the perspective, but it works perfectly with my Sleeping Beauty Castle in the desert single family residence pipe dream I've had since I was a kid. Unfortunately, never to be realized. Toad Hall in the desert would do, also put on the back burner.
Lou and Sue, it was always a thrill to bump into characters wondering around. Never too old to get a snapshot with Goofy. Got a pic of me and Roger Rabbit on our last trip, several years ago.

Anonymous said...

@DrGoat, that's a pretty fine pipe dream. I often thought about a hacienda in the desert with a big pepper tree and a fountain in the courtyard, but that never happened either.

Just read your harrowing experience with a pizza, good grief. You're a lucky man that the pizza was all that was taken.

Major, that's a fun idea that the young lady was just there as eye candy for the castle. I saw the bubbles in the lagoon and immediately thought of the cinema transition, but I forgot the red lit bubbles! About once a year, I play my Submarine Voyage soundtrack and remember that ride.

I went back to Daveland to get that photo snip and almost retched at how the castle looked in 2007-2009. Walt would have taken that design proposal and ripped it up. I like the story that he turned the model, it's even plausible, depending on how the model was built.

JG

Chuck said...

I may be a newer model than some of you guys, but I could use a rescan, too. Not a full up one - just a trim up over the ears and take a bit off the top. Tapered in back, if you don`t mind, and watch the cowlick in the middle of the widow's peak - it grows back towards the part.

IIRC, the Sleeping Beauty Castle model in that story was on display in the mid '90s in the Disney Gallery over the entrance of POTC. Mike Cozart will gently correct me if my memory is off, but I thought you could see how that part of the model had been turned around.

I agree that that doesn't look like Shirley Temple Black on the castle balcony, but the costume the princess is wearing appears to be the same one worn by the princess at the far left of this GDB photo of Queen Shirley's entourage at the rededication of Sleeping Beauty Castle on 29 Apr 1957.

Anonymous said...

Here's another photo from the same event that shows the two "end" princesses more clearly.

https://cdn2.lamag.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2016/08/00095402.jpg

I think there's a good chance that our mystery princess is the lady on the left.

(PS: Sorry if this entry repeats but Blogger would not cooperate with my posting anonymously.)

Anonymous said...

@Chuck, that's some fine research there. Undoubtedly, the young lady in today's post is the princess on the left in the two linked photos.

Does this mean that the Major's photo was taken on April 29, 1957 and not some time in 1956 as he conjectured?

I wish there were color photos of Shirley with Walt, I'm wondering if the princess entourage dresses were a red (on left)-blue-yellow (in the center)-green (on right) color scheme, similar to the three fairies in the SB film, although one of the younger girls looks like she is wearing an Alice-in-Wonderland-like costume that just has to be light blue.

Do we know who the younger kids were, two little girls and the confused little boy in the cowboy hat?

JG