New Orleans Square, May 1984

You might not realize it, but today is no ordinary Sunday! Not only will we be seeing more photos from Lou Perry and his daughter Sue B., but I have the pleasure of sharing this great photo of Lou himself when he was five years old. Why? Because today is Lou's 92nd birthday! Amazing. He sure was a cute kid. I'd like to thank Lou and Sue so much for their generosity, and definitely want to wish Lou a VERY happy birthday.

And now on to today's photos. At 144 feet above sea level, many Disneyland guests feel short of breath, or even dizzy while visiting Frontierland Station. But it's one of those "hard facts" that Walt was talking about. In the early days, the park provided coca leaves to chew on, just like the Indians in Peru use to combat altitude sickness. But it turns out that churros work just as well. 

I've mentioned it before, but I was surprised to learn that this station was not renamed "New Orleans Square Station" until September of 1996, in spite of the fact that New Orleans Square had been around for 30 years at that point.

Lou turned 180˚ for this shot of the Ernest S. Marsh, coming in for a landing. The train sure looks spiffy.

The old Frontierland Station was moved across the tracks in 1962; it's out of reach for the guests, but it still look great. We're looking toward the water tower and the tunnel that takes the train past the Haunted Mansion and on to Critter Country (or Bear Country, in '84).

And how about another shot of the Ernest S. Marsh? OK, here you go.

And finally, here's the entrance to (and exit from) Frontierland. I've always liked that the sign overhead is made from two boards with a split in the middle, giving it that authentic frontier look. We've got Davy Crockett's arcade, and the Pendleton shop was still there (until April of 1990).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Lou, and thanks to Sue!

Parade in Flagler, Colorado

What to post on this "Anything Goes Saturday"? It's always a conundrum. Well, I decided to scan a few vintage slides of a small-town parade in Flagler, Colorado (about 100 miles east of Denver). The date is unknown, but could from the early 1950s, or even late 1940s.  

There goes a jeep, heading south on Main Avenue. The banner tells us that the occupants are from the "Class of '27". I love the almost "Old West" look of Flagler. Even in 2010 the population was only around 560 people.

Perhaps this Buick will help in dating the photo.  Any small-town parade has got to show off their pretty girls. Check out the kid on top of Wickham Hardware! He's got the right idea.

This one is my favorite, with a large group of well-dressed school children. Maybe Sunday school? They're following a buckboard that has the local peewee football team (I have a photo of that, but it was way too dark and blurry). Once again, the small-town ambiance is so appealing, and we get a better look at Main Avenue.

Here's a modern-day Google street view; I wonder if the Post Office and the adjoining businesses are the same building as the Maytag appliance store in the previous image?

I had to move quite a way up the street, past the business district, before the Flagler water tower was visible on Google street view; I'm glad to see that it's still there.

I hope you've enjoyed your visit to Flagler, Colorado!

Two Beauties For Friday

I have two very nice photos for your Friday enjoyment! Let's start with this beautiful twilight image from the Plaza looking into Tomorrowland. The sun has set, the sky is getting dark, and the air is cooling off. To the left we can see one of the maps that was placed at the entrance, those were only there in '55 and '56, so we know this is an early view. I wonder why so many people are gathered to the left? Maybe there was a tour guide. 

Next is this (undated) colorful and busy view of Fantasyland. There's that ticket and information booth that we saw last October. The old round Skyway gondolas are still in operation, so this is pre-1965 at least.

Is it just me, or does that kid in the striped shirt appear to be crying? Perhaps he just has to go potty. And hey, there's a young Ed McMahon, to the right!

Disneylandish Matchbooks

I have a few oddball Disneyland-related matchbooks that I thought I would share with you today!

I'll begin with this first one, with a nice color photo of the Kodak store from Main Street USA, and on the other side, artwork depicting a very mid-century Kodak facility of some kind that was located in Whittier (California). 808 Rivera Road, to be exact. I found an article online that mentioned a Kodak distribution center that was located at 12100 Rivera Road (where it handled all shipping, repair and service operations in nine western states, including California). I'd hoped to find a vintage photo of the building pictured below, but it's possible that it was never actually built.

Well, OK, this is from the Disneyland Hotel, so I guess it is actually pretty directly related to Disneyland. As you can see, it is from The Oak Room, which I had heard of, but know very little about. Apparently at one time it was ...a Gentleman’s Private club that was an exclusive member’s-only dining club popular with upper class businessmen inside the Disneyland hotel. Women were admitted only in the evenings and had to be escorted. The club was modeled after an 18th century pub. It did eventually open its doors to the general public, perhaps after Club 33 because available to the wealthy bigwigs.

And finally, here's a neat matchbook from the 1964 New York World's Fair, featuring General Electric's PROGRESSLAND. I'm sure these were not distributed to the the average fairgoer... maybe they were given to Disney and G.E. VIPs and employees who visited the fantastic pavilion.

I have one additional oddball Disney-related matchbook, but it required enough research that I feel like it merited a separate post!

Random Frontierland

Here are four more vintage scans (1978) from the Mysterious Benefactor. As you know, all of hundreds of scans are from Frontierland, and just Frontierland! 

This first one is by far the most interesting and unusual - a look inside the Shooting Gallery, with its targets and rather minimal painted landscape (which was repainted nightly, according to "Disney News" magazine). I don't recall ever seeing anything quite like this before. I'd forgotten about the miniature "lake" that would absorb errant shots so that the pellets wouldn't ricochet all over the place. The ceiling appears to be some sort of soft material that would serve a similar function. The targets include ducks (in the water), flying geese, owls, bison, bunnies, and a few other critters I can't quite identify.

OK, I know this looks familiar, and that's because I've already shared a number of photos from inside this Frontierland shop. But hey, here's one more! 

EXTRA! EXTRA! GDB friend TokyoMagic! found a leather keychain that he bought at the Davy Crockett Arcade leather shop. I love the early Mickey design - if I remember correctly, the horse was named "Tanglefoot" (but I won't bet any money on it). Thanks, TM!

Hoo boy, there are a ton, and I do mean a ton, of Mark Twain and Columbia images coming up. I'm not quite sure how to deal with them. Just share them all? I will probably cherry-pick the best of them. But in the meantime, here's a nice look at the dock, with guests all patiently waiting for their turn to board the returning Mark Twain. Notice the prominent fire hydrant, was that there in case of a boiler explosion?

Old steamboats use drum brakes instead of disk brakes, so they don't stop as efficiently as a modern boat. It's true! I'm kind of surprised to see that there were still so many trees, and some nice grassy areas along the shore in 1978.

THANK YOU, Mysterious Benefactor!

More Stuff From the Box

Yes, it's time for yet more STUFF FROM THE BOX! I feel like I should mention that we are now well into a second box, since it seems (to some people) that my first cigar box was like a Tardis - bigger on the inside.

Let's start with this nice pinback button advertising the 1940 Plymouth Roadking. "Hotter than a firecracker!". I would imagine that there can't be too many of these around, and I like that it still has its ribbons attached (the second ribbon says "DELUXE").

I'd hoped to find an ad for 1940 Plymouth Roadkings online, but could only find a number of nice 1939 ads.

Here's a fun little advertising pin. "How would you like to be the ice man?". Sounds good to me! If I had to guess I'd say that this was from the 1910s or 1920s, but it's hard to know of course. The block of "ice" is actually a chunk of clear glass. My mom has a similar pin, but on hers the ice is plastic.

The adorable Florida Orange Bird (designed by the Disney studio) has been a popular mascot at the Magic Kingdom since the early days. He went away for a while, but now he's back and as beloved as ever. This is a little 2" tall vinyl figure - I believe there are two others that make up the set, but I only have this one.

This little lapel pin belonged to my Grandma or Grandpa, it was in a desk drawer along with a few other "IKE" pins and some Barry Goldwater items (which I seem to have misplaced).

Sinclair Oil used a green Brontosaurus as their mascot, because everyone knows that gasoline is made from the juice of squished dinos. This is a nice brass and enamel hat badge worn by a helpful attendant who would probably wash your windshield, and check your oil and tire pressure.

And finally, here's a nice souvenir pin from New Bedford, Massachusetts. For a time, New Bedford was a whaling town, and in 1857 it was the richest city per capita in the world. A  ring on the back probably held a small metal whale charm, but that is long-gone, sadly.

Yep, there is lots more stuff in the box! Stay tuned.

Three From 1965

I'm using up the last three scans from a lot from August, 1965. And there are some good ones in the final selection - like this fun photo taken inside one of the original yellow passenger cars of the Disneyland RR. I'm trying to figure out exactly where that outside area is. Right between the kid's heads you can make out a little ticket booth that was sometimes located near the not-yet-open Haunted Mansion, so perhaps the Rivers of America is just beyond those benches.

This one's a little blurry, but photos taken from the Pack Mules are pretty scarce, so it is worth sharing anyway. One mule carries two small children as they are about to pass beneath that unusual rock formation. I wonder if the warm summer air smelled of pine?

And finally, another unusual view, shot from the steps that led up into the Swiss Family Treehouse, with one of the water wheels turning right in front of us. It's a busy day, some of those people are waiting for their turn to check out the treehouse, while others are on their way to the Haunted Mansion or Indian Village. The dining area to the right is for the Aunt Jemima restaurant.

I hope you have enjoyed today's scans!

Around Frontierland

Here are a few Frontierland views for your Sunday. Nothing great, but not too bad!

I remember telling Walt that folks would enjoy riding minibikes around Frontierland. You know, poppin' wheelies, doing burnouts, running over people who are tying their shoes, that sort of thing. But Walt said canoes are where it's at, daddy-o (he said it while snapping his fingers). And it chaps my hide to admit it, but he was right. Even though canoes don't do wheelies, they are still a lot of fun, and you can get 15 to 20 guests in one boat. 

Over at the new and improved Dance Circle (in the Indian Village), it appears that the Chief is addressing the crowd, probably educating them about an upcoming dance. Looking at these slides, I somehow dated them "May 1975", which I just realized is impossible, since the Indian Village closed in 1971. The slides are in a box that I have since moved to cold storage (in the Andes), so I can't even check them. Oh well!

Freedomland Civil War Attraction, August 1961

It's time for another visit to Freedomland, U.S.A! In The Bronx, New York. We've been here more than a few times before, but I was happy to find these particular slides because they feature the Civil War attraction, in the "New Orleans: Mardi Gras" section of the park. Here's a previously-posted photo showing the entrance to the ride.

A souvenir guidebook said: "...no one who wants to relive history can afford to miss a trip through the shell-scarred fields of the Civil War. Whether Yank or Rebel, this is your fight, and it lives again at FREEDOMLAND".

I can't find information about any specific scenes, so there is not much to tell beyond the obvious. Here's a Union fort, protected by sandbags and a spiky barricade. 

The guidebook continues: "'Civil War' is FREEDOMLAND's intensely realistic recreation of the great War Between the States. We think of the Civil War as taking place an age ago, but it really isn't such a long time past - the last veteran of those terrible battles died in 1959. On the Civil War ride in the New Orleans area, you will see and experience what the men in the Union blue and butternut gray actually went through. FREEDOMLAND has taken scenes from several of the most crucial battles of the war, and brought them to life".

Dead soldiers lay next to stone walls, while a ruined home burns. Notice the Santa Fe RR passing in the background.

Conditions were grim for most Civil War soldiers. The lucky ones had tents. Some built crude huts out of sticks and branches. "Since you're a noncombatant, a war correspondent's wagon is your transportation on the battlefield, the kind the newsmen and sketch artists of both sides used to cover the fighting fronts. You pass a blockhouse, a derailed train, a tent camp, and burning houses. Suddenly you're trapped by cannon cross-fire; blue and gray are slugging it out - and you're caught in the middle!". 

"But you come through unscathed. you cross over a pontoon bridge, and drive past the house where General Lee shook hands with General Grant, to bring American's most momentous war to and end". Wow, what an attractions! I wish I could have seen it. Freedomland lasted only four years; afterward, some of the fiberglass figures wound up in a local museum. Once that closed, nobody knows what happened to them.

I hope you have enjoyed your visit to FREEDOMLAND!

Disneyland With Cindy, July 1971

Here are two very nice, colorful slide scans dated "July 1971", featuring a groovy young lady named Cindy. 

That's her, in the violet top with red sleeves, her white purse, black belt, and purple pants. She's walking Pop Art! She and her dad are checking out their newly-purchased ticket books. I hope they got the "15 Adventure" books!

Meanwhile, check out grandma in her flaming red outfit, and even the family in front of the Mickey flower portrait; bold hues and patterns were the thing in '71. There are two little girls to the right, not twins, but dressed very similarly, and wearing identical souvenir hats.

Next we see Cindy posing in front of Merlin's Magic Shop. It was busy, but not too busy! The nun is a good omen. It's hard to miss the balloon vendor in his getup inspired (presumably) by Pinocchio, the Little Wooden Head himself. He's clutching some cash, ready to make change for the next customer. And I love the bouquet of balloons!

 I hope you have enjoyed meeting Cindy in Disneyland.

Swift Souvenirs

The Swift Market House was a fixture on Main Street from opening day until sometime in 1968. Go in and play a game of checkers! Get a giant dill pickle from a barrel! Listen to the party line on the olde-timey phones! There were also souvenir items for sale, though there aren't a lot of souvenirs that are specific to the Market House. But today I am sharing two!

First up is this unusual (and somewhat scarce) multi-page brochure, a reproduction of a vintage Swift item. Inside are lists of meat products (and byproducts) that one could order, with prices as they were 40 or 50 years (or more?) earlier. You can't have too much lard, you know. 

I am unsure as to when this was handed out, but it was probably in the early days, and not for very long either. Man, I wish I had a nice cured ham to gnaw on right about now.

Next is this swell souvenir tea towel (or kitchen towel), in amazing condition. This thing is crisp and clean, and no caffeine! I keep it rolled up around a foam pool noodle so there won't be any fold lines.

One half shows the exterior of the Market House, looking rather colorful. Hey, why not.  The red wagon from the Red Wagon Inn (also sponsored by Swift) makes a cameo appearance. Above, a rack displays hams, smoked sausages (?), and a saw for going through those bones. Crunch. 

One of the best parts of this towel is the spot illustrations on the border. A monkey and a giraffe, the Mark Twain, a keystone cop, and so on. Even a man looking at a Mutoscope at the Penny Arcade.

Here's the interior, looking very homey; relax by the cast-iron stove, maybe. In the background, a helpful employee sells a nickel's worth of penny candy to a lady. She'll bring her buckboard around back to haul the 50 pounds of sugary treats away.

There's more great spot illustrations, including the fearsome giant squid, one of Peter Pan's flying galleons,  a Teacup, a Skyway gondola, and the Clock of the World.

Here's a scan of a vintage postcard, with Sheriff Lucky and Black Bart up to their usual shenanigans. Why they are on Main Street, I'll never know. The keystone cop tries to calm things down, while Trinidad (the "white wing") looks on.

I'm also aware of some boxed fancy soaps and a metal lithographed tray from the Market House (I have both), as well as some candy weiners (!), but that's about all I can think of as for souvenirs from this little store. It's now a Starbucks, as you probably know.

Some Instamatics!

Here are two nice Instamatic scans - undated, but almost certainly from the mid-to-late 1960s. Maybe '68?

First up is this cute family photo, with three generations of women standing at the door of the Disneyland Hotel's Sierra Tower. Grandma looks very stylish in her red dress and hat, while Mom sports cool cat's-eye glasses and a bold flower print blouse, and the daughter looks like a typical all-American gal. Notice that Grandma is holding a souvenir wall map - this particular style was first printed in 1966.

Next, here's Grandma again, taken at about 9 AM on patio of Aunt Jemima's.  I love the view of the river, much of it still in shadow, with the Mark Twain and Columbia (which is berthed in Fowler's Harbor) in the distance. Once again, Grandma looks like a movie star, only trying to be incognito while she waits for her pancakes!

Black and White Snapshots, August 1960

I don't know about you, but I am sick of color. What's the big deal? The 1930s were in black and white and everybody did just fine. I propose that we ban all colors. Who's with me?

Meanwhile, here are some black and white snapshots. From August, 1960 comes this shot of East Center Street, where the short-lived "Disneyland Art Festival" could be found. You could have your own portrait drawn in pastel, just the way Toulouse Lautrec did it. Or you could purchase original artworks of various park landmarks, and highlights from Disney's classic animated films. I wonder how something like this would go over these days?

Next is this photo looking along what I believe was called East Plaza Street, between the INA Carefree Corner (to our right) and the Red Wagon Inn (behind that suspicious tree). A bunch of Keystone Cops appear to be impounding the Red Wagon because it was used to move churros across state lines. 

Might as well look around the corner, right? Make sure there's no werewolves or other unwelcome surprises. A stroller can be seen parked in front of the Pablum Baby Center, for all of your baby needs. Unless one of those needs is for "extra spicy" diaper lotion, they never carried that for some reason. 

To the left, the owner of the Red Wagon is begging the cops to give him a break, but churro-related crime is met with zero tolerance. Throw him in the clink, fellas!