1956 Souvenir Richfield Map
A few weeks ago I shared scans of the 1955 souvenir road map from your helpful Richfield dealer. Today you'll see the 1956 version, which is equally nice, or maybe even better. It's subjective!
There's the cover, featuring the most iconic symbol of Disneyland, Sleeping Beauty Castle. I always wonder if a Disney artist did this design, or if Richfield found their own talented illustrator?
Let's unfold this baby! Like the 1955 version, this one has some sweet artwork, showing the brand-new Skyway, a not-very-accurate Astro Jets, and other familiar sights. Of course they emphasize the fascinating free Richfield show, The World Beneath Us, as well as the Autopia which they also sponsored. And while you're at it, why not fill up at your friendly neighborhood Richfield gas station? You can't buy a finer gasoline!
Inside is a stylized map (as if we are heading to the park in our flying car) showing all of the primary routes so that you can get to the park from anywhere in SoCal.
I've mentioned my love of almost any Disneyland map, and while this tiny graphic might not qualify as a "map", it's still wonderful!
My gosh, I have so much Disneyland paper ephemera, I really need to scan more of it.
22 comments:
Major-
"... and view the world's most unusual diorama". Was the diorama 'upside down-? If one were to believe the size of the SBC on that map - geez Louise - it's BIG-!! (Take that, Cinderella Castle-!!)
I see the new Rainbow Caverns Mine Train appears to be missing from the "Fabulous new rides and attractions..." depicted with those stylized illustrations.
Thanks, Major.
I have no idea if the cover artwork was done by a Disney artist. But it has that same mid-century design with an economy of lines and brushstrokes that we associate with Disney artistry of that period. Very appealing! The yellow sky is an interesting decision choice. Somehow it seems right.
In the fully open view, I wonder why they always show the Skyway buckets swaying jauntily, and dangerously, back and forth? We've seen that in other Disney artwork.
And you're right, Major. The Astro Jets are so minimalist your eye just skims past it, almost unnoticed.
I can't see any representation of the Jungle Cruise, unless it's that little clump of palm trees. But they did think it was important to show the Clock of the World and the 'olives-on-toothpicks' lights.
In the map view, I guess it's not surprising to see not one, but two Richfield stations featured prominently with their giant Richfield Eagle logo. I can see Ma and Pa coming all the way from Kansas to see the world-famous Richfield gas stations. Pa, "Hmm, while we're here we might as well see what this Disneyland thing is all about."
Thanks for sharing your map with us, Major.
Yay! More people with pointy legs and no feet! You have to love the graphics! No, really...you HAVE to love the graphics! I see Knott's does not get a mention on the map. There were some DL maps that would show the close proximity of Knott's. Or am I thinking about how some Knott's brochures would show the close proximity of Disneyland?
Just think, this is the same company responsible for tearing down that beautiful art deco Richfield building, which we saw in Saturday's post.
Thanks for sharing more cool DL ephemera with us, Major!
Note that this map is OFFICIAL. I’m not sure what makes it qualify as such, but it sounds pretty authoritative. ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTES!
(When I was in school, I think we took that last phrase as our motto. I still feel bad for poor Mr. Watkins. OH, THE HUMANITY!)
The World Beneath Us, a title that subtlety hinted at Richfield’s master plan to rule the Earth. Beware, people - BEWARE!
I love the perspective map, and the little 3D Disneyland representation. Only five attractions are depicted - SBC, the DL&SFRR, the Mark Twain, the Jungle Cruise waterway, and the Richfield Autopia. I’m a bit puzzled. Why no Bathroom of Tomorrow? WHY?
Interesting to note that the location of the Richfield Research Center is helpfully pinpointed on the map. Inexplicably, there is no mention of Oxnard anywhere on this document. I WANT MY MONEY BACK!
Thanks again, Major. THANK YOU!
Killer swans, too!
Will be back, later.
Sue
" My gosh, I have so much Disneyland paper ephemera, I really need to scan more of it."
Yes, please!!
Those are stalactites and stalagmites to the right of the train; it looks like the artist mashed up the new Mine Train with Casey Jr's engine, the result of a loco motive.
The Skyway buckets do have a wild swing to them, just like those on the attraction poster. Thanks Major, yesterday's ephemera is today's lasting delight.
Considering the air quality, yellow sky is most appropriate.
Just a guess, but probably all Richfield artists on this. Disney may have supplied a photo of the castle by this time, but the other graphics feel like they were developed on the basis of a phone call and written notes. Still great.
Stefano, chuckle.
Nothing like that rounded triangle to get the anticipation up.
Thanks Major.
JG
That really is a beauty to behold. If you have more like this, please get to scanning, when convenient of course. Something about those mid century maps, and this one is one of the coolest I've ever seen.
TM, I agree. That building should never have been demolished. It was striking to say the least. Got to see it in person in '64 or '65 on one of our trips to LA.
Thanks Major. Beautiful map.
Nanook, the diorama is unusual because it is built entirely from “cheeses of the world”. Not often talked about, these days. I assume that the Rainbow Caverns Mine Train wasn’t listed because it didn’t debut until July of ’56, but it still would have been nice to get a little spot illustration.
JB, I have the feeling (and it’s only a guess) that Richfield found their own illustrator. Those paintings are pretty much the style of the times, so it’s hard to say with any certainty. As for the Skyway buckets, I’m sure that having them at different angles was more visually interesting to look at compared to a line of gondolas just hanging there. I personally love early Disneyland brochures that show rides inaccurately! It’s part of the fun. And as we sort of decided after I posted the ’55 map, these must have been given out at Richfield stations, so it makes sense that they were not just ads for Disneyland, but for the finest gasoline ever.
TokyoMagic!, feet are overrated. There, I said it. I’m assuming that Richfield wasn’t that interested in publicizing Disneyland’s neighbor, even though (as you said) many brochures did so out of courtesy (and maybe giving the impression that Anaheim/Buena Park was a real tourist destination). And YEAH, those jerks tore down that beautiful Richfield building!
Chuck, you don’t want a map from those degenerates over at Esso or Mobil. I’ve heard that they eat babies! I’m afraid I’m not getting the “Mr. Watkins” reference. Sad emoji. I think that the Disneyland map should have JUST featured the Bathroom of Tomorrow, it’s way more cool than that crummy castle. And if the map had continued just a bit to the north and the west, we would have had directions to glorious, glamorous Oxnard!
Sue, if you look closely you can see the blood dripping off of the swan’s beaks.
Steve DeGaetano, I just get lazy, that’s my main problem!
Stefano, hey, you’re right! Good eyes! And a very interesting mashup. It almost looks like you would find Monstro inside Rainbow Caverns as well.
JG, artists and illustrators often try to get away from using blue for skies, when I used to paint backgrounds for animation, we used yellow a lot. It looked sunny and cheerful, and the characters “popped” against it. I agree with you, I’m sure that Richfield artists worked on this (see my comment to JB), though the red wooly mammoth is from a Disney-produced film
DrGoat, I have lots of paper items, but not many are as graphically pleasing as the two Richfield maps. I still love them though! I recently hoped to win a Disneyland menu, but it went for over… $900! Too rich for my blood.
Major-
The brochure managed to 'tip its chapeau' to TSI, with a [possible] homage to Fort Wilderness - which also opened in the Summer of '56 - although I suppose it could represent the entrance to Frontierland; so I don't know why the Mine Train was omitted, unless Stefano is right. (See comment below).
@ Chuck-
The reason for the lack of representation of The Bathroom of Tomorrow was due to limited room in the brochure, and 'they' could never reach a consensus between it and the Dairy Bar-!
@ Stefano-
I was wondering the same thing about those probable 'stalactites and stalagmites'. If so, that's some mighty fine artistic "shorthand".
Love the color palette on the cover! It looks like you could walk the Yellow Brick Road all the way to Sleeping Beauty Castle.
Major, Mr. Watkins was a periodic substitute teacher at my junior high that the students just treated horribly. He was kind of goofy and out of touch, wore plaid pants and coats that didn't match in color, and generally lost control of the class at about the time we walked into the room and noticed that Mr. Watkins was today's substitute. There were others whose names escape me (except for Mr. Vinson, who took a personal - and permanent - disliking to me and was always looking for ways to catch me doing something nefarious, which I never actually did), but he was the one who was treated the worst. We never had a Mr. Garvey.
Nanook, that IS a devil of a choice. Better to leave them both out.
Remembering when I'd make an annual visit to AAA to get the latest local roadmaps, which I'd keep in my car to offset my lack of navigational instinct. Also remember the AAA guidebooks and magazine, which always had ads for hotels and motels close to Disneyland (Swimming Pool! Free Shuttle!).
As a kid, I remember when Gulf was the official gas of Disney. They had commercials for a free-with-fillup Disney magazine during the Sunday night show. Looking back, it seems there were several different gas sponsorships.
Ah, those innocent days when corporate sponsorship was part of the magic. The TWA rocket. The Wurlitzer store on Main Street. And of course the Carnation ice cream parlor. Remembering when movie snack bars had the Carnation malted, a frozen dessert in a paper cup with a wooden spoon.
I'm still waiting for somebody to produce Kodak Picture Spot signs for back yard decor. The ones with a metal silhouette of a man with a camera on top.
👍👍👍
Major, oh I agree. I love those sketchy, impressionistic depictions of the rides. They're just as iconic as the upside-down rounded triangle that is immediately recognizable as Disneyland.
Chuck, that clip was hilarious!
DBENSON: in my years of collecting Disneyland signage I’ve had or come across many versions of the Disneyland Kodak picture signs……. But never the earliest ones with the little cameraman. When a leasee ends their sponsorship certain logo items and materials are tagged “return to ______” the sponsor , etc. but it seems in most cases the sponsors rarely want the material and Disney ends up reusing it ( like the first aunt Jemima pancake house signs were stripped and reused for KENNEL-LAND at Disneyland or sometimes the sponsor will take something they paid for ( like the Delta Airlines MAGIC MOVING MURAL from circle vision) I know some of the 70’s and 80’s Kodak picture spot sign panels were reused after being striped and re-screened with updated corporate logo changes….
If someone makes those vintage Kodak signs ( Disney will never reproduce something so esoteric like that unless they replaced the little man with a Pixar character ) they’ll need to be careful as Kodak , while after going they bankruptcy, still exists as a company and among other things still produces photo film and developing software.
BTW : I saw a tv commercial for GAF the other day!!!
Nanook, I was thinking that the stockade was the entrance to Frontierland (with those teepees nearby), but it very well could be Fort Wilderness too. I have the feeling that Stefano is right about those stalactites and stalagmites, what else could those be for?
Melissa, to me it looks like the castle is floating in the air! I hope folks don’t suffer from acrophobia.
Chuck, well gosh, no wonder I didn’t know who Mr. Watkins is (was). I don’t feel so bad. My dossier on you only goes back 20 years. I didn’t have a Mr. Garvey, but I had a Mr. Boyer, who was so angry all the time that his chalk would snap as he wrote on the blackboard. He was SCARY.
DBenson, I only recently got rid of my small bag full of AAA maps. I kept a few just in case (in case of what?), but it seemed pointless to have 30 of them rattling around. Gulf was definitely the Disney gas station company in the ‘70s! And I agree, for some reason the sponsors from the old days give me the “warm fuzzies”, not the case these days. If only I had a CNC machine, I could make one of those Picture Spot signs myself!
Anon, thanks!
JB, I wish more old Disneyland brochures were full-color and fully illustrated, but many were printed by the tens of thousands, and were changed regularly, so I guess it just wasn’t financially feasible. Now that I think about it, it’s the sponsored exhibits that usually had the best brochures.
Mike Cozart, yeah, I don’t think anybody could go into mass-production of Picture Spot reproductions, but I could see someone making them as a sort of prop repro, kind of like the movie props that people build. Having the Kodak name is an issue worth thinking about, though. Are you telling me you saw a NEW commercial for GAF??
Major, I didn't know the trick of yellow sky, thanks for sharing that. I always used a smear of blue chalk as the sky in renderings I did. Last one was in 1997, won an AIA award for that project. No more pretty drawings for me, alas.
I love the economy of those little vignettes, always envied a loose hand that could do cute little sketches like those. My style was too hard, tight and controlled. On revisiting, they must have had some pictures since the Autopia, World Clock, and even Casey Jr. look like the real thing, while the Carousel could just be "Draw a Merry-Go-Round".
Also loving the "speed lines" on "Full Power Thrust", that kind of writing cracks me up.
Notice the "Black Forest Letter" Disneyland is always accompanied by a little Castle icon, even when it occurs on the same page as a drawing of the Castle. This reminds me of the little castle on drink cups, napkins and popcorn boxes. Is it the same?
JG
Has anyone actually seen "The World Beneath Us" back in the 50s or now?
Nanook, I feel like the trick of using colors other than blue is influenced by art directors and/or teachers; my art directors liked green skies, orange skies, yellow skies... almost anything BUT a blue sky. If you look at old Yogi Bear cartoons, they often have very unusual skies in them (same with Flintstones cartoons). They look great! I'm sure your "smear of blue chalk" was great for an architectural rendering; you want to make the image look attractive for clients. And I LOVE the speed lines on "Full Power Thrust"! They continued to use that little castle graphic at least into the late 1970s, I believe it is the same one that was used on many items.
Anon, sorry, didn't mean to skip you. If anybody saw "The World Beneath Us", it would have been a long long time ago! 55 or 60 years, probably. But it is certainly possible that somebody out there has a memory of it. I'd love it if Disney+ would dig up some of these rare old films and show them on their channel. Maybe the audience is too "niche".
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