Beautiful Fantasyland, 1950s

I almost always love photos of Disneyland from the 1950s, and today's examples are nicer than usual. I hope you agree.

The Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship was definitely one of those landmarks that just made people want to get a closer look. A pirate ship! Well I'll be! The level of detail on this galleon is impressive, any pirate who can afford to maintain his ship like that must be quite the marauder. "No need to fire your cannons, Scurvy Bill, just take my spices from the Indies and be on your way".

In spite of the slightly overcast sky, business is booming at the ice cream vendor's cart. You can see how proud the cast member is, he's the most popular kid in town. "But do they love me for ME?". Doubts can creep in. Luckily the little girl to the left just wants his autograph, which makes him feel better. To Dottie, don't take any wooden nickels. Love, Ice Cream Chris. He always underlines his signature with a flourish.

That one boy is carrying a magnificent and authentic spear, adorned with colorful feathers. Is the spear from Adventureland? Those feathers look like they are from various Birds of Paradise. But it might be from Frontierland too. The kid with the yellow sweater is frankly a bit jealous. "If I had that spear and a lion got loose, I'd save everyone". And he would, too.

Next, a view of Fantasyland as seen from the deck of the Pirate Ship. Skyway gondolas glide back and forth as if by magic, while Dumbo and his clones fly in circles. Timothy Mouse is holding a whip, but he only uses it to swat away tsetse flies (more common in Anaheim than you might imagine). 

Favorite detail: the costumes on the two cast members near the monkey cage. With those striped overalls and similarly-striped caps, they are ready to do some poppin' and some lockin'. Just like your old pal Major Pepperidge.

DLRR & Main Street, 1950s

I sure seem to have a lot of photos from Disneyland, circa "some time in the 1950s". That's not a bad thing! Most of them are nothing super-extraordinary, but I love them anyway.

This first one appears to have been taken from just outside the park, with that chain link fence - the finest chain link available - looking very "hop-able". Why pay admission when you can just climb the fence? The wife can make a cup with her two hands and hoonch you over. How will she get over? She'll figure something out. Now I'm trying to imagine where you would have wound up if you did hop the fence and climb up that bit of the berm. What was on the other side? A tropical jungle? A land of tomorrow? Love this view of the end-car of the Disneyland Railroad. 

Gosh, what a beautiful shot of Main Street USA on what appears to be a lightly-attended winter's day. So wonderful, with Main Street Station looking surprisingly far away. The Tobacco Shop Indian is just visible, way down there near the transition to Town Square. Some familiar signs can be seen, for the Swift Market House, Gibson Greeting Cards, and the Wonderland Music Store. I wonder what treasures would be found in the Art Gallery? Original animation cels for $1.00? As always, the variety of architectural styles and details are very pleasing to the eye.

Stuff From the Box

OH YEAH, it's time for more Stuff From the Box! All the cool kids love it.

First up is this tiny (about 1 inch tall) brass pin from the 1933 Chicago World's Fair. "A Century of Progress", now that's a motto. I love the hint of Art Deco design.

Next is a badge that any boy would be proud to wear (sorry girls, this was the 1930s after all - it was dolls and toy stoves for you). This brass badge signified that the bearer had been officially certified by the Department of Aviation as a FLIGHT COMMANDER. The highest civilian honor! I love that the plane resembles The Spirit of St. Louis. 

I love these little advertising pins, referred to as "celluloid flips" by some. This one is an ad for "Junket", and features "Little Miss Junket". Junket is a company that makes prepackaged powdered dessert mixes and ingredients for making various curdled, milk-based foods, such as rennet custard, ice cream and rennet tablets. It was founded in 1874 by Christian Hansen in Hansen's Laboratorium in Denmark to make rennet extract for the cheesemaking industry. Later in 1878, he opened up operations in the United States. Hungry yet? I didn't think so. Notice that the flip has a tiny 1906 date at the bottom of the back panel.

When World War II loomed, even the Lone Ranger did his part fighting the Axis, as evidenced by this 1942 badge. "Lone Ranger Victory Corps" - I have read that this was given out as a General Mills premium, but also found sources that said that this item was sold in stores. Which is correct? Maybe both!

The next two pieces are part of my "employee badge" collecting phase. It's another tiny pin, just over .5" in diameter. I am guessing that it is from the 1930s. It's nice to be a part of the family!

And finally, an employee badge from United States Rubber Co. (Shelbyville Mills), with a photo of a pretty girl who looks like she is no older than 14 or 15. I guess that they needed everybody to work in the factories during WWII.

 It will not surprise you to learn that there is lots more Stuff From the Box!

Cute In the Plaza, March 1962

Today I'm continuing with a batch of slides from 1962, in which a large percentage of the images feature a charming young woman - presumably the photographer's wife. Man, he was crazy about her, daddy-o! 

As you can see, she has already made a stop at a souvenir stand, where she has purchased a guide book and a "straw" boater. Those overcast skies can produce a lot of glare! We can see a few of the classic horse hitches that have since been removed (I believe). So if you bring your own horse to Disneyland, you'll have to hobble him. As usual, the Matterhorn makes for an impressive background.

Sorry about the weird color on this one, I just couldn't get it to look right. Our gal is standing right in the middle of the Plaza, with the entrance to Frontierland behind her. I'll give you one guess as to where she will be heading next. There appears to be a construction wall to the left, I'm not sure what that was for. Any ideas? To our right, one of those drinking fountains, though it is missing its C&H sugar bag.

A Pair From May 5th, 1980

1980 was a pretty good year at Disneyland. The 25th Anniversary, as many of you recall. I can picture the silver and blue signs all over the park! Of course, being 42 years younger than we are now would make everything LOTS better.

This late afternoon shot of Frontierland shows the Mark Twain, snuggled up in Fowler's Harbor, ready for sleepy time. But the Columbia isn't ready for night-night, it's still zipping around the river, honking its horn and looking for a party and some brewskis. You'd think it would have grown out of that phase, but no such luck. Tom Sawyer Island closed at dusk, maybe that's why three rafts were moored to our left. 

I'm not sure if this next photo was taken from the Disneyland Railroad, but... it's possible? I'm looking at the considerable number of people to the left, at first I thought they might be waiting for an upcoming parade. But maybe they are actually waiting in line for It's a Small World? If so... wow! Still, what a beautiful day to be there.

Superior Snoozers

I'm sorry to start your Sunday on a sad note, but Sue B. informed me that she has spoken to our friend Irene's husband Paul and her daughter Jennifer. Some of you may be aware that Irene has been fighting cancer for years; she recently returned home from the hospital, and is on hospice care. Let's all send our love and prayers, I know this is a terribly difficult time for her family and hope that they might find some comfort knowing that Irene brings happiness to so many people.

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It's "Snoozer Sunday™" again, though I think that these photos might be a teensy bit nicer than some of the Snoozers that I have inflicted upon you. You be the judge!

Both of these slides are from the 1950s, and both are from the Storybook Land attraction. Let's start with this photo of the Practical Pig's house of brick, it looks about as cozy and wolf-proof as any building I've ever seen. I like the whitewashed split rail fence, and the charming stepping stones leading to the front door. It looks like the Practical Pig even has telephone service, pretty fancy!

Next is this nice view of part of the village below Cinderella Castle, including some nice half-timbered buildings, and even a little vineyard (I think) in the lower left. The bridge with the Romanesque arches is lovely with its simple shapes and varied stonework.

As Sue noted months ago, it is likely that the tiny pumpkin coach has been there from the beginning (I originally thought that it wasn't added until sometime in the later 1950s), but it was just much lower down on the winding path to the castle. We can see it here! Is it going up? Or down? I can't tell.

Bob, the Large Boy (with Special Guest STU)

Sue B. has been so generous, sharing tons of photos taken by her dad, Lou Perry. But she's been scanning other stuff too, including a batch of slides and snapshots from her cousin Stu, who was a manager of a Bob's Big Boy restaurant. Who doesn't love the Big Boy, with his magnificent cowlick, his red and white checked overalls, and his cheerful smile? The fact that he's holding a hamburger the size of a car tire doesn't hurt either.

There's Stu, posing with Big Boy himself! Sue gave me a little background on Stu: Stu graduated from high school in June 1962 in Chicago, then moved to southern California with his family, shortly thereafter. 

He started as a fountain man for Bob's in June 1963.  After two years, he was drafted into the army, and then returned to Bob's in 1967.  He worked for different Bob's Big Boy locations over the years, retiring in 2004 as a manager.

Some of you may recall this photo of Stu (on the left) with his brother Steve. I don't recognize the location, but I'm sure somebody out there will know where it is.

Why, YES, Mr. Big Boy, I will have a double-decker burger, with fries, a side salad (ice cold, with blue cheese dressing of course), and one of those thick milkshakes that I loved so much!

While Stu worked at several Big Boy restaurants, we know that at least one of them was in Glendale. I don't know if this photo shows that location, but it's possible.

Aha! A different Big Boy, holding on to his overalls and greeting us with his trademark smile. It looks like the location might be the same as the previous two photos? But why would they change out the Big Boy? WHY??

Here's Stu's wife, posing next to yet another Big Boy. By now the cloning procedure had been perfected, and you could see him everywhere! Bob's turquoise shoes are très chic.

And finally, one more photo of Stu posing with the biggest boy of all. Gosh, now I'm thinking of all the time I should have spent in a Bob's Big Boy restaurant, instead of playing video games and breakdancing!

Many thanks to Sue for sharing these fun photos. There are lots more pictures of Stu and his Big Boy restaurants, I will definitely be posting more of those at a future date.

Scenes From June, 1970

June 1970 was a great time for Disneyland, as evidenced by today's photos! Just look at this beautiful view of Tomorrowland, with the Skyway (and the Tomorrowland Skyway terminal), the Carousel of Progress, the Richfield eagle, and the Autopia (which has people waiting at the curb, but not a single vehicle).

And oh yeah, the Peoplemover, let's not forge that. You can just see a Peoplemover train emerging from that tunnel up above, the passengers have just seen that magnificent model of Progress City. Down below, The Mod Hatter does brisk business.

I love this late-afternoon shot of the Mark II Monorail gliding along the beamway as a group of groovy kids heads out to the parking lot. Perhaps the guy with the sideburns and plaid shorts is old enough to drive? I don't know why they are leaving when there is still so much fun to be had in the park, presumably they were locals who could come back whenever they pleased.

It's a 1970 fashion parade! Plaid-shorts looks like he is Mike Nesmith's younger brother. And of course I have to mention the posters on the Monorail pylons. I wonder what's in that psychedelic merchandise bag? Maybe a souvenir shirt. Several people are carrying Mickey-ear balloons.

That dress on Striped-girl can't get much shorter. Meanwhile, her friend to the right is going for a much more quirky, eclectic look. Those dark green Mickey balloons are the same color as the green Monorail. COINCIDENCE? 

Fun Random Pix!

It's time for a random selection of photos, courtesy of the DREAM TEAM! That's right, Irene, Bruce, and James. We have retired their jerseys, and those now hang high up in the rafters of the vast atrium of Gorilla Industries Inc. It's quite an honor.

First up is this rare shot of the Disneyland Kennel Club. Sponsored by Friskies! For those folks traveling with their pets, it is nice to know that they can be cared for in a comfortable, safe environment. Click HERE to see an older photo when the Kennel Club was sponsored by Kal Kan.

I'm sure that when this photo was snapped, Bruce (or was it James?) had no inkling that Cascade Peak would soon be razed. Even with the Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland being gone, Cascade Peak seemed like a permanent landmark along the Rivers of America. It just goes to show you something something.

Disney Feature Animation's "renaissance" in the '90s was an exciting thing for Disney fans, and The Lion King (1994) was another huge hit (following "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin"). It's fun to see this sign above the turnstiles, a reminder of those fun times.

And finally, here's a shot that had to have been taken shortly after the opening of Toontown, at the northern perimeter of the park. While there are many things to like about Toontown, I confess that I have always been a little bit underwhelmed by it. Maybe it would be more to my liking if I had small children who wanted to meet Mickey and Minnie? Years later, Roger Rabbit rarely appears in public, so it's nice to see him here.

MANY THANKS to the Dream Team!

Inside the Golden Horseshoe, 1950s

Here are two more scans from some oversized, glass-mounted transparencies, featuring the interior of the Golden Horseshoe building. These had turned pink, unfortunately, but Photoshop helped me to correct that problem. Mostly.

I usually think of the Old West as being pretty rough, with hotels and saloons built from rough, weathered lumber. The only fancy features were those swinging doors, handy for throwing scalawags out when they misbehaved. But look at the Golden Horseshoe! So elegant, with its ornate columns and balustrades, lamps and moldings, and yes, the horns of longhorn steers. I'm going to ask the barman for a glass of redeye, but I'll class it up with a twist of lemon. Ooh-la-la!

Looking toward the stage, we are reminded that Pepsi Cola sponsored the show. No self-respecting cowboy would drink Coca Cola, am I right? Hopefully we will be able to come back to watch the Golden Horseshoe Revue, with Betty Taylor, Wally Boag, Donald Novis, and a whole bunch of pretty gals.

 

Lenticular Pinback Buttons

In an attempt to add more kinds of "content" to GDB, I recently photographed a whole bunch of pinback buttons (mostly non-Disney). That's right, buttons! I love them, and hopefully after you see some of them, you'll love them too. Most of the examples that I took pictures of were larger than usual - often over 2.5" in diameter, and sometimes as large as 4" in diameter.

Today I am sharing photos of some Disneyland pinbacks; these are all lenticular varieties, also known as "flashers". You've probably seen these before, but hey, it won't kill you to see them again. I wanted to be sure to get pictures of them with both of their images, which was not easy. But they turned out pretty good!

Let's start with possibly the most popular of them all, Mickey Mouse. There he is, looking very much like he did on the Mickey Mouse Club TV show.

"I Like Disneyland", you can't get more concise than that.

I liked to get the presumably earlier versions of these buttons with the blue backs that say they are "From the ART CORNER"!

Mom from GDB's "first family" is wearing one of these Mickey pins!

This next one seems to be a little harder to find than some of the others; it's Tinker Bell, looking adorable as always.

I "Tink" It's Great!

Another Art Corner back. As you can see, these were produced by the Vari-Vue company.

Here's a classic image of Goofy...

...who happens to be Goofy about Disneyland!

I don't mind that somebody wrote "1964" on the back of this pin!

Another lenticular pin that is a bit harder to find is this example featuring Donald Duck.

"Disneyland is Ducky"? I don't even know what that means!

I have never seen a version of the Donald Duck flasher with a blue Art Corner back, which leads me to believe that the Donald pin was introduced later. As far as I can tell, all of these lenticular pins were sold at the park at least into the 1970s. 

I hope you have enjoyed today's LENTICULAR pins!