Anaheim Convention Center, May 1984
Today's images are something of a departure from the usual, but that's OK! They are from Lou and Sue, so you know they'll be good. As I have learned from recent conversations with Sue, Lou really did take pictures of nearly everything, and in May of 1984 he decided to stroll over to the wonderful Anaheim Convention Center, which is just south of Disneyland.
Right out front is this giant "A" which also conveniently serves as a sign board. Anaheim loves their giant A's, since there is a "Big A" outside of Angel Stadium as well.
This striking building, looking like a flying saucer that has just touched down, was designed by Adrian Wilson and Associates, and construction was completed in 1967. We can sometimes see it under construction in the distance in photos such as this one and this one. It opened on July 12th of '67.
I am taking notes about details of this building, it is giving me inspiration for my Palm Springs compound.
I really wish you wouldn't buy those artificial dairy products. Buy real ones! No more hyper-yogurt or astro-cheese, please. I see that the Amway Corporation will be at the convention center on June 1st, so you'll know where to find me.
I'd love to know what other designs might have been considered, but I'm glad that they settled on this one. Over the years the convention center has undergone many expansions, and it is now the largest exhibition facility on the west coast. The last time I went there was for the first D23 Expo in 2009, though that was held in one of the newer additions. Apparently this building stood in for Star Fleet Headquarters on "Star Trek: Picard".
The architectural style of the old convention center is known as "Populuxe", a portmanteau of "popular" and "luxury". The style evoked a sense of luxury with the design of consumer goods such as radios and clocks typically featuring pastel-colored plastic in curved and angular shapes and metalized plastic trim that simulated chrome. Structures commonly used pastels geometric shapes, and surfaces of stucco, sheet metal, and often stainless steel.
MANY THANKS to Lou and Sue!
22 comments:
I have always loved the design of the Anaheim Convention Center. I'm glad they haven't torn it down. I hope it is protected!
I have only been inside for Disney-related things. One of those was "Disney On Parade," in 1970, and then again in the 1980s for "Disney On Ice."
(Chuck, "Disney On Ice" wasn't what I was expecting, when I bought the tickets.)
Oh, I forgot that I went inside the Convention Center once in the nineties, for a convention. Parking was horrible and they ended up parking us in the old Disneyland Parking lot.
Thank you Lou, Sue, and the Major, too!
In the 4th pic, is that another Senegal Date Palm in the foreground?
I suppose the "Buy real..." sign is sponsored by the Dairy Products Association (or something similar). Seems odd that the sign isn't for a specific brand named product.
The 6th photo is my favorite. The Convention Center does look like it belongs in the Star Trek universe; gleaming white with odd (but elegant) curvy bits. Very futuristic, but not well-known to anyone outside SoCal. As we all know, Lou really knows how to get the best, most interesting angle of his photographic subjects.
Thank you, Lou & Sue and Major.
Anybody else find it ironic that they defied convention when building a center for conventions?
The Convention Center opened within weeks of New Tomorrowland. With such striking, Star Trek-y architecture going up just outside the Park in the “real” world, an amazing future must have seemed like it was just on the verge of arriving. And then it did and, um, well, here we are. But we have social media and 24-hour commercial news, so, uh, hooray, right? At least it’s not Blade Runner or Logan’s Run.
Actually, we really do have so many things to be thankful for that have been developed or widely realized in the last 55 years - advances in medicine, communications, agriculture, and civil rights, just to name a few. The change has been gradual enough, though, that we don’t necessarily notice the change. And unlike in the shining depictions of the future we grew up with, humanity still manages to drag all of its problems along with it into whatever Utopia we try to build. Still, without the dreams and the vision, we never try, and thankfully, there are always those among us who try.
I’m reminded of a poster I saw on a classroom wall in high school - “Reach for the stars. You may not get there, but you won’t come up with a handful of mud, either.” It was right next to the poster of the kitten that said “Hang in there!” @truth.
Thanks, Lou & Sue!
Chuck, there is nooooooooo sanctuary!
TokyoMagic!, a few weeks ago I was feeling nostalgic about the old Disney On Parade arena shows and found myself, not for the first time, on your blog entry about the 1970 show you caught at the Anaheim Convention Center. I saw several of the DoP shows but my memories are hazy – I wish I could remember them as well as you! Given that the point of the show was to bring a little Disney magic to places without it, it must have been a little strange for it to turn up at the Anaheim Convention Center within sight of Disneyland itself!
Thanks for the great pics, Major. Does anyone know if the building does have any sort of preservation order (or whatever it's called in CA) to prevent it being torn down?
I have a few memories of the Convention Center...most importantly though that it was always looming there across the parking lot..generally in a haze...at night it almost glowed green...to me it was just as Disneyland as Disneyland was. In later years, our team at Disneyland would "work" the Disney Annual Stockholders Meeting. We manned the microphones for the shareholders to ask questions. Most of the time they were kids...and I'm not sure it was as serious as they wanted it to be. There were many people there with their "one share"...that one share would get you free tickets to Disneyland for the day after the meeting...hence..the very large turnout at the Convention Center. I suppose the purchase of one share and the basically free Disneyland tickets for life was worth it. The certificates were pretty, and some kids brought them with them. Another memory was "SkyFest" in 1985 a celebration of Walt's birthday, given by the city of Anaheim. It was a one million balloon release. It was very spectacular up close, kind of "meh" from the press photos. A co-worker and I volunteered to blow balloons (if you were a career oriented pion, you volunteered for all of these things as it "looked good".) So we blew up balloons, watched the release, then walked back through the parking lot and went back to the Park for lunch at the Club. She had a membership- not me. When the stars aligned we would go for a "ladies lunch". However, generally it was a bunch of guys in suits in there. I think everyone got good press out of "Skyfest" Most employees referred to it as "Skyfarce"...there was something odd about it as Disney did not have really much to do with it...it was all Anaheim's doing. It was very organized by a professional balloon company, and there were the Guiness people there (the book, not the beer) to ensure that the million balloons were used to mark the event in history. The record was broken a year later by the United Way in the city of Cleveland. That has some no so great press attached to it. The Anaheim Hilton...there in pic #1 was a big deal when it opened. It was the first really "corporate/upscale" hotel to be built in the area. I'm not sure what I was thinking, but I interviewed there and was offered a job as bell captain. I didn't take the job. I interviewed for Assistant Manager. For another time. I did enjoy cocktails in the lobby from time to time, however you felt you had to "behave" there. The lobby was cold and stark. I'm sure it still is. There were no dark corners to hide in there. Back to the Sheraton Anaheim! Thanks Lou and Sue for the morning memories!
Oh boy, I love these! I’ll leave more comments later, posting from my phone :-/
JG
TokyoMagic!, admit it, wouldn’t it look better if they painted it pink and blue? With gold accents? I’ve been in the gigantic newer portion of the Anaheim Convention Center, but never inside the curvy spaceship part.
TokyoMagic!, wow, that’s kind of amazing. You’d think that by the 1990s, they would have figured out any parking issues, since the whole point of the place is to deal with large crowds.
JB, that sure looks like a Senegal Palm to me! There are probably more of them in Anaheim than there are in Senegal. “Buy real…” reminds me of those old ads: “Meat; it’s what’s for dinner”. Not many people know that, in case of killer asteroids, the old “saucer” part of the convention center can lift off and fly (using automatic pilot) to our Earth base on Rigel 7.
Chuck, I remember being near Disneyland with relatives, and they saw the Convention Center. “What ride is that?” they asked. Of course I laughed and pointed my finger at them and rolled around on the ground (not easy to do while driving), which they appreciated. The future didn’t turn out so great big or beautiful, but dangit, we all have flying cars, so there’s that. We literally had the “Hang in there, baby!” poster on our classroom wall (along with the posters that were inserts in Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” album)!
TokyoMagic!, that’s a bummer, because I was looking forward to Carrousel.
Pegleg Pete, I think that there is a Viewmaster packet for the Disney On Parade show, it’s not particularly rare, maybe you can get it and jog those memory cells! My brother insists that we saw a Disney On Ice show, but I have completely forgotten it. Maybe I fell asleep? Doing a quick look, I didn’t see anything about the Convention Center being declared an architectural landmark, but it’s very possible that I just missed the relevant info.
Bu, did they really have green lights on the Convention Center at night? If so… cool! I’ve always heard about the people who would buy one share of Disney stock just so they could go to the shareholder meetings at the CC. How interesting could those be? Unless they gave a preview of the upcoming movies and park additions? It’s funny how those gigantic balloon launches were once such so ubiquitous, you couldn’t have a major event without releasing tens of thousands of balloons. Bon appetite, sea turtles. I love the phrase “professional balloon company”.
JG, I’m glad you liked these!
From what I remember those shareholder meetings had the obligatory "number dump" and then multiple executives led presentations of "upcoming projects"...movies, parks, etc. It wasn't a terribly long meeting, and I remember passing out comp tickets as well...very fuzzy memories....lot's of folding tables around, and tablecloths, etc. I remember after the meeting we would have to get executives to this or that place in the Park. Not that it was needed, but a matter of protocol. I suppose everyone likes a handler or two hanging about. For some Board members that didn't know the Park well and had to find obscure meeting places/rooms/etc. it was needed. They were all very talkative and asked many questions. Then there was lunch at the Club for some, and some not. We weren't invited but merely walked them to destinations, or met them at their cars at the gate...or backstage...etc. I'm also remembering a sort of gathering at the Plaza Inn for some people..table service. It wasn't a Summer day so there were no crowds to contend with. Those were the last few years of the old regime, with Card Walker, Donn Tatum, and Ron Miller at the helm. It was very much "old school" in feel. Shortly thereafter things got dark...and the lights may have not been ACTUALLY green, but they had the florescent/strange lighting that "read" green from afar. This is where the "Greenroom" and "Limelight" came from...not the Anaheim version but many decades prior. The Green Room is where you got used to the lights on stage in a "green" atmosphere. Stage lights were green due to the calcium lights...there are soooo many versions of this story, so believe what you will. Limelight refers to the calcium, not the color...Green Rooms had been around years before...so who knows...The spaceship on Katella at night looked green to me.
Wow, great pictures of the Spaceship. Not that we would expect anything less from Lou Perry.
That sign must have been around for some time before these pictures, because I remember it, and never visited during the 80's. JB, there are a number of industry "marketing organizations" in CA that are paid for by assessments on the farmer's output of various crops (you cannot opt out, it's like a tax). Dairy is one, there were others for walnuts, almonds, citrus and most familiar, raisins (remember the dancing singing Raisin commercial? Paid for by the Raisin Marketing Order).
When this building was new, I used to wonder if the roof would roll back like the Diamondback stadium in Phoenix does now. Also, if it were possible to skateboard down that big ramp, and how one would recover from the drop at the end. Parachute maybe? Weird thoughts that kids have.
Yes, Major, the main part of the new additions to the CC have featured in both seasons of the "Picard" series (for a few seconds), and this building shows in the background. I have been to several events at the CC but never went inside the Saucer. I have wondered what the interior layout is like, since it looks like a sports arena for basketball or something like that, not a convention.
I've stayed in the Hilton too, Bu is right, the bar and lobby are very nice. Some rooms have excellent views of the Park for fireworks, and those cost plenty extra. Other trips I have gotten rooms at nearby smaller places because of price. The whole Center complex is very nice for Convening in, and Disneyland right across the street makes it very popular. I'm sure my group would have been back before now, if not for the plague. Maybe another year.
Thanks Major, Lou and Sue, for this detailed and interesting post and all the comments.
JG
I forgot to mention that Daveland has a nice blog post (or maybe several) about the Hilton, where he has stayed. Pictures of the lobby and amenities etc.
JG
Saw that structure being built. It was ahead of its time...still is in some ways. And it so fit with the Disneyland resort before it became that. Much like HoJo's. Green, red, purple, it still looked like an alien spaceship standing alone. Now it's dwarfed by all the high rises. Sure didn't see that coming in 1967. Interestingly, one of my former Disney co-workers is working the Center. He's essentially the "Ops 1" while on duty. I stayed at that Hilton years ago (for a convention at the Center). The views from the room were great but they didn't charge extra for it. Times sure have changed. In the late afternoon, I walked through the Katella Gate and through the parking lot to spend the night at the Park. KS
Major, I remember those "It's what's for dinner" ads. Aaron Copland's "Rodeo" playing in the background.
Major (and Chuck and Tokyo!), "because I was looking forward to Carrousel."
RENEW! RENEW! [ZAP] Aw dang... maybe next time... Yeah! Next time for sure!
"releasing tens of thousands of balloons. Bon appetite, sea turtles."
Mama sea turtle," Eat your balloons, Billy."
Billy (young sea turtle), "But Mama, these balloons are PINK! I want green balloons!"
Mama sea turtle, "They all taste the same. And they all clog up your intestinal tract the same. Besides, there are sea turtles in the Sahara who don't have ANY balloons at all! So, eat your balloons... You're not leaving the coral reef till you do."
Billy, "Aw geez. I bet the Saharan sea turtles wouldn't eat PINK balloons, either."
JG, now that you mention it, I have seen generic TV commercials for the things you mentioned, and others (Florida citrus, etc.).
Wow - this is how I will always think of it - very cool photos!
Bu, I think I probably would have enjoyed Disney shareholder meetings way back when. Now, I could happily skip them. I never really thought about CMs having to deal with the Disney executives, babysitting them and making sure that they get to where they need to go! I like the idea of green lights on the Convention Center, it seems like a humorous nod to the spaceship resemblance, but you could be right, it might just be those nasty old greenish fluorescent lamps. Yuck!
JG, After JB’s question, I realized that I hadn’t seen those Dairy ads for a long time. Maybe they need to air those again, since milk consumption is supposedly way down? Of course we all remember the dancing raisins, they were weird, but hey, I was into Will Vinton stop-motion animation, so it was cool. It never occurred to me to even consider skateboarding down the curved roof of the Convention Center, so I guess I lack that daredevil gene. I have never watched “Picard” because the reviews from my regular sources have been pretty dreadful, and I admit that it sounds like a train wreck. Maybe season two managed to course-correct? It seems like they wanted to do something drastically different, but I don’t really want that from my Star Trek.
JG, Daveland loves hotels!
KS, between the Convention Center, and the old Melodyland Theater, it felt like Disneyland somehow spilled outside of the park’s borders and into the rest of the city. Which is pretty cool! Your sea turtle mini-script will soon be turned into a $250 million-dollar CGI movie from Pixar. Crush could make a special guest appearance, with a song about his favorite balloons. IN 3D!
Chris Merritt, it really is a wonderful building.
Pegleg Pete, I do remember that it was a little strange to be right across the street from Disneyland, and not be going inside the park. I think after seeing "Disney On Parade," that desire was satisfied just a little.
Major, yes....the Convention Center would look better if it were painted in pink and blue with gold accents......and a giant rotating head of Darth Vader mounted to the roof.
I have that "Disney On Parade" set of View-Master reels. I posted the cover of the packet, but I need to get a better scanner before I can post scans of the individual transparencies.
We're glad you liked these!
Lou & Sue
Major, don’t feel bad about not watching “Picard”.
The best thing about it was the few seconds showing the Anaheim Convention Center.
There were a few nice moments at the last episode end with John DeLancie and Patrick Stewart, but season two was largely a dumpster fire of incoherent reliance on special effects. Much like season one.
Also thanks for the definition of Populuxe, I get it, it is a style all its own, I’m going to venture that Tomorrowland 67 was an exemplar as well. It isn’t really Modernism or Googie, much less Frank Lloyd.
JG
The convention center was promoting real dairy, and yet California would become the epicenter of non-dairy milk just a few decades later (with all of the resulting water use issues for growing almonds in a desert).
Though for me the inescapable agricultural board ad was the California fruit ads of the 1980s with that earworm jingle that still plays in my head when I least expect it.
Dean Finder, I remember that jingle! One of the "food grower" jingles that sticks in my head is, "The Incredible Edible Egg" from The American Egg Board.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfU2n17O1jE
And then there was the slogan from the California Egg Commission, "Give Eggs A Break."
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