Beautiful Tomorrowland, 1958
Here are three more wonderful photos from 1958, taken by Lou Perry (scanned and shared with us by Sue B.)! I've made no secret of the fact that "Vintage Tomorrowland" is my favorite Disneyland category, so these images are particularly appealing to me.
First up is this amazingly unpopulated view from the Plaza looking past the "Avenue of Flags" and a series of attraction posters (including the ultra-rare "Art Corner" poster), with all of the familiar landmarks that we know so well - "CirCARama", the Hall of Chemistry, the Clock of the World, and some rocket thingy. I love the warm tone of these images so much that I didn't try to adjust them.
The next photo shows the rocket thingy as the sun continued to get lower and lower. As much as I like pictures of the park when there are enough people to add fun and energy, there is something very intriguing about a nearly-empty Disneyland, especially during this era. You could probably walk on nearly every attraction. The dream!
This next photo is from the same batch of scans, but the film appears to be different somehow - maybe Lou was still trying to figure out what worked best for him. The view is from Tomorrowland Station (and maybe from the Disneyland Railroad), with a nice view of many attractions. Even the Richfield Eagle gets into the act, as well as the Skyway tower on Holiday Hill!
THANKS very much to Lou and Sue!!
18 comments:
Major-
The POV from the last image is so engaging. I'm ready to run through the pathways on Holiday Hill in search of the abominable snowman.
Thanks to Lou & Sue.
I wonder if Lou deliberately framed that last pic, so that the tallest turret of the Castle, would be visible between the wings of the Richfield Eagle?
I love the shot of the Moonliner, partially blocked by a couple "soaring" Astrojet vehicles.
Thank you Lou, Sue, and Major!
I just realized that every variation of the Astro-Jets, the Rocket Jets, and the Astro Orbiter around the world all rotate(d) in a clockwise direction. Do you think that has anything to do with the Coriolis Effect? Every Disney Park is located in the Northern Hemisphere.
Ah, any day starting with the Moonliner (i.e. "Rocket Thingy") is a good one!
Lou nailed it with these shots. Of course he usually nails it with every shot, but these are particularly good! I really like the last shot from the sideways facing railroad car. Very nice indeed! Who could help but be thrilled by a land such as this. Did I just wax poetic?
Speaking of literary things, someone on another forum asked me where I got my Moonliner dimensions and blueprints. The answer is a book by Jack Hagerty called "The Spaceship Handbook"* that has not only the Moonliner, but quite a few other sci-fi ships of the space variety. Unfortunately, it has gone out of print, and can be very expensive if you find one for sale. (I inherited mine from a friend that passed away a few years ago.) Still, it's worth a look if you want to read up on the great spaceships of sci-fi!
*Actually my Moonliner dimensions came from an article Jack wrote that predated the Handbook, but it is included in the book.
The Rocket to the Moon building is one of my all-time favorites, and the play of light and shadow in the second picture is just exquisite. Thanks to Lou and Sue, and the Major, too, and you, and you, and you, and you, and you.
Like you said, the warm tone really puts these shots into another bracket for me. We've all liked to jump into some of these photos that the Major posts, but these might becthe zenith for me. I'm practically half way in just looking at them.
The POV is indeed engaging, but also lacks the tone of the first two. I like them all.
Thanks Lou & Sue, wonderful photos. Thanks Major for putting them up there for us to see.
Amazing stuff and perfect on a Friday!
Major, Lou and Sue, you continue to spoil us, thank you so much!
I have always liked the view from TL station, and this one is exceptional.
I was completely convinced then that the Rocket was real. I’m not sure now that it wasn’t. If enough people believe something it has to be some kind of true. I think we all went to “real space” (as my very young son said getting on Star Tours) courtesy of Disney, and I’m sticking to that story.
JG
Ahh... 1958 Tomorrowland photos always make the morning better. Especially with Lou's. Thanks L&S and Major.
In the last pic the building with the multicolored windows, behind and to the left of the Jets, housed the Crane Co. Bathroom of Tomorrow where mom worked.
I'm with Melissa about the Rocket building being one of my favorites. Oh how I'd love to step in that photo and walk around.
Grant, I watched the Disney+ program "Behind the Attractions" last night, the segment on Space Mountain.
There was a brief reference to some Opening Day attractions, including the Crane Exhibit. The still photos were in black and white, there was a tall woman in silhouette against the exhibit, she had her back to the camera. I bet it was your Mom. If you have that channel service, take a look! I was pointing to the screen saying "I bet that's my friend's Mom!" My wife was mildly amused, she thinks I'm a little silly.
JG
You aren’t silly, JG. To the rest of us, all of this is so cool and fun!
Will check back later, am now busy at work.
Thank you, Sue, very kind.
In her defense, Mrs. G. only visited Disneyland for first time in the college years, it was never the home-away-from-home for her. She did like my screen backdrop of the Carnation Ice Cream Parlor menu this morning.
I will be back later to count trash cans.
JG
Nanook, at this point it was only an Abominable Snowkid.
TokyoMagic!, I would assume that the castle’s placement is a coincidence, but you never know with Lou!
Chuck, do you consider the Dumbo rides to be variations on the Astro Jets/Rocket Jets? Because the two Dumbo rides in the Magic Kingdom rotate in opposite directions!
Stu29573, I know you love that Moonliner! I’m kind of surprised at the reaction to the final shot, mostly because it was the one in the batch that was a bit faded and needed some love. It IS a neat angle though! I’ve never heard of that Jack Hagerty book, but I’m sure it would be a great reference for those interested in building their own miniature (or full scale?) version. Sometimes old Disney blueprints are available, I wonder if there are any that feature the Moonliner? I wonder where Mr. Hagerty got his info?
Melissa, When the Rocket Jets replaced the Moonliner, Tomorrowland still had a stunning landmark to draw guests in. I’m not sure the Astro Orbiter provides quite the same thrill.
DrGoat, I have plenty of old slides that tend to be too blue or too pink, but the slightly amber/orange hue of these (aided by the late afternoon light, I’m sure) definitely adds that pleasant nostalgic atmosphere.
JG, I think kids were much more inclined to believe in things like the Moonliner actually lifting off. Kind of like how we were sure we were far beneath the surface in the ocean in the Submarines, even though all you had to do was look up and you’d see that we were only a few feet down.
Grant, I didn’t know that the Crane Bathroom of Tomorrow was in that building - I’ve certainly seen enough photos of it! I just thought it was the location of the Art Corner. But I know that there is MUCH that I don’t know.
JG, yes, I saw that too, and am sure that the woman is Grant’s mom!
Lou and Sue, JG might not be silly, but I am.
JG, I'm sure that the Disneyland experience is VERY different for folks who didn't go when they were young kids. Some still wind up loving it, while others scratch their heads, wondering what all the fuss is about.
Major, that is the case in our house,but I think fandom is also a personality thing.
As you know, I spent the formative years of my youth visiting Disneyland multiple times a year, even though we lived a long way off, and I became a big fan.
Both of our kids visited several times in their youth and on into college, but not as often as I did, due to even greater distance and finances.
My daughter is a big fan, Dapper Day, etc., while my son enjoys it, but is not a detail nut, and would just as soon go camping as to Disneyland.
And look at Andrew, he has never been to Disneyland, and he knows more about it than I do.
I'm glad I have fallen in with the GDB tribe.
JG
Someone needs to construct a 3-D computer model of Disneyland over the years. That way, if you wanted to see how things changed, you could just scroll through the years -- a day at a time. But NOT ME, okay? I'm too old, and I don't have the skills or the knowledge. It would probably require a dedicated and coordinated team.
Anonymous, that model idea is definitely what we need, but I can't do it either.
Trash can count:
Photo 1: 1
Photo 2: 1
Photo 3: Maybe 3, can't be sure.
Sue, what do you see?
JG
I hope that day/night sun/moon sphere at the top of the clock of the world kept up as the sun set in those photos.
TokyoMagic! I agree with Major, my dad probably was just snapping away. With all the pictures he took, he was bound to end up with some interesting ones. Just like my avatar of the monorail kissing the skyway bucket, my dad took several photos in a row of the monorail and ended up with the one I use.
Grant, would your mom have been working at the Bathroom of Tomorrow, during the time of this picture? How cool to think she might be in that building, at the time of this picture.
JG, yep, re: Photos 1 & 2 (people didn't litter back then, obviously);
Photo 3: Nothing definite, but possibility of 5 (2 in the middle area, and 3 to the right)
Thanks, Major and everyone!
Late replying to yesterday's comments about the BoT photo.
My sister and I believe the lady with her back to the camera that JG mentioned is our mom. She was the exhibit coordinator so it makes sense she would have been in the photo shoot.
JG,"I was pointing to the screen saying "I bet that's my friend's Mom!" My wife was mildly amused, she thinks I'm a little silly."
Love it! Hey, silliness is a Junior Gorilla requirement. :)
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