Tuesday, March 21, 2023

Beautiful Night Scenes, September 1971

Back in January I shared some of Lou and Sue's rare night photos, and today I'm going to share three more!

I love this shot of the Mod Hatter souvenir hat stand in Tomorrowland, with the comforting lights showing off a dazzling selection. "Hand me your floppiest hat, my good man!". "Are you sure, sir?". (Laughs theatrically) "Sure? Why I've never been more sure of anything in my life!". In the upper left, the bluish fluorescent lights from the Skyway terminal can be seen. 


The elongated diamond shape for the Autopia sign is pretty striking, especially when lit up at night. And its glow allows us to see the crowd of guests - is it just me, or do they mostly appear to be young folks? 


And oh man, do I love this photo looking up at the Carousel of Progress building. Just look at all the people up there, relaxing and taking in the sights from the second story! Plus it's nice knowing that we could go inside and see the original Carousel of Progress show, and finish up with the impressive "Progress City" model.


THANK YOU for these beautiful scans, Lou and Sue!

24 comments:

Nanook said...

Major-
"... is it just me, or do they mostly appear to be young folks?" Actually, it IS just you. In reality it's yet another sighting of the Singer Midgets - this time practicing their driving skills.

How often do we get a glimpse of the Carousel building at night - and looking so lovely, too-? It sure looks inviting.

Special thanks to Lou and Sue for all this nocturnal, extra Tomorrowland goodness.

JB said...

Amongst the hats, I can see one of those bucket-type hats with the red tinted lenses cut out of the hat, so you can see the world all rosy. We've seen a couple of them here on GDB. Also, there seems to be a poodle(?) hat in the upper left. And whatever that thing is to the left of the poodle. The photo evokes Hopper's "Night Hawks" painting.

In the Autopia photo, You're right, Major, they appear to be mostly teens. I guess Disneyland After Dark is when most families with young kids have already gone home, leaving the teens to run amok to their hearts content. I love that retro-future font.

The CoP photo looks like a futuristic Mark Twain with folks lining the upper deck. Wow, the lighting is perfect! Good work, Lou Perry. Do you suppose they're watching the nightly fireworks? Or maybe just taking in the magical atmosphere of the Park at night.

These really are special photos. Thanks, Mr. Perry. And thanks to his daughter, Sue and Maj. Pepperidge.

"Lou and Sue" said...

"The photo evokes Hopper's "Night Hawks" painting."

JB, I agree. And I just noticed that the CoP image looks like a reel of film, laying on its side - starting to unravel.

Thanks, Nanook and JB, for the nice comments.

I'll stop back later today.

TokyoMagic! said...

I love the New Tomorrowland (of '67, that is), and it looked even more beautiful at night. That Carousel of Progress view is gorgeous!

I see that Darth Vader (sans cape) is waiting his turn to pick out a hat at The Mod Hatter.

JB, Amok! Amok! Amok! And if those folks are watching or waiting for the fireworks, then quick....somebody charge them $50! Okay, okay, it was 1971...so only charge them $10, and instead of a single Zinger®, give them a four-pack!

Sue, I saw your $50/Snack Tray/Zinger reference, late yesterday! :-)

Thank you Lou, Sue, and the Major, too!

MIKE COZART said...

That illuminated Carousel of Progress is BEAUTiful!!! It’s also unique in that shortly after these pictures the energy crises kicked in and the Carousel Theater’s ( and the rest of Tomorrowland) went every other light …. And remained that way for many years. I’m sure while GE was still there this energy conservation was probably embarrassing.

Chuck said...

I would also guess that the folks on the upper deck of the CoP are probably waiting for the fireworks. Probably no view of Tinkerbell from this angle, and I can guarantee they can’t see the House of the Future from there.

JB, I originally read that as “The poodle evokes Hopper's ’Night Hawks’ painting” and was a bit confuselated for a moment. That thing to the left of the poodle reminds me of Orange Bird, although I doubt that’s what it is supposed to be.

TM!, pretty sure Vader is wearing his cape; he just has it wrapped tightly around himself to ward off the evening chill.

MIke, interesting about the every other bulb in Tomorrowland thing. The Air Force did something similar in ‘73-‘74, and they still had every other fixture deactivated in places as late as 1987. I can remember dimly-lit bathrooms with old signs in early-‘70s graphics that explained that the fixtures weren’t broken and the bulbs not burned out but had been intentionally disconnected to save energy. There were also still some worn stickers in faded yellow and black on light switch plates reminding everyone to turn off the lights to conserve energy, a lingering reminder of a different time.

Chuck said...

Forgot to thank Lou for having the foresight to take these. There is an art to producing correctly-exposed time exposures on slide film, and unlike with negative film it’s very easy to blow out all detail on brightly-lit subjects. You can get a sense of the difficulties with the first two photos that make you appreciate the third one that much more. And now I’m wondering if Lou used a fluorescent filter to keep the lights from looking greenish or if those lights around the CoP were daylight balanced. Since the place was sponsored by GE, I’m sure anything is possible. It was Disneyland!

JG said...

Thanks Lou and Sue for night shots! Rare birds.

I’ve always been interested by the lighting pattern of the CoP, it can’t be random, but I can’t make sense of the pattern. Here it looks pretty regular. Upstairs canopy is pretty jiggy.

I left two anonymous comments yesterday, I saw them print, and yet they don’t show up today. I guess I’ll try again.

Cheers all, and Thank You Major!

JG

DrGoat said...

Lou and Sue,
Great photos. Three beautiful night pics. Love all the pics and the Autopia photo really is a sight. The hat booth is a really lovely image.
Thanks Major and thanks again Lou And Sue.

Anonymous said...

The magic was always more "magical" at night. Great shots and kudos to Lou. As for the Autopia picture...Major...at our age EVERYONE looks younger! And actually all those people on the top deck of the CoP are getting posing instruction from Lou! Thanks to Sue for sharing. KS

Melissa said...

Nanook, when I read "Singer Midgets" I was immediately picturing miniature sewing machines.

These are truly the Magic Hours. Thanks to L&S&TMT!

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook, I am unfamiliar with the Singer Midgets, but I’m sure they loved Disneyland at night! I do particularly love that Carousel Theater photo too.

JB, I think those hats had green tinted lenses too, and maybe even amber? I need the whole world to look green! And YEAH, what the heck is that poodle thing? IS it a hat? I’ve never seen anybody wearing one of those. After dark, the teens rise from their graves and terrorize Disneyland. Actually, there was a time back in the 80s when I think that young locals were considered a problem in Tomorrowland, maybe they showed up for Videopolis and stayed to be sassy to their elders.

Lou and Sue, interesting, I never thought about the “reel of film” resemblance, but now that you’ve pointed it out, I’ll never unsee it! Darth didn’t need his cape on hot summer nights. He had a “warm weather” outfit that had shorts.

TokyoMagic!, would Darth Vader put a hat on TOP of his helmet? The very definition of a “hat on a hat”? Hmmm, I wonder if those people really were waiting for fireworks. I could just imagine a Disney “suit” thinking “We should be charging them to stand up there!”. A four pack of Zingers is a luxury I can hardly imagine. Today I might want a vanilla Zinger.

Mike Cozart, whoa, I did not know that they used every other light in Tomorrowland during (and after) the energy crisis. Crazy.

Chuck, I wish I could have experienced the classic “Fantasy In the Sky” fireworks from that upper COP level! That other hat is the Florida Orange Bird’s cousin, Tangerine Timmy. Evening chill? In September? Ha, I say! Well maybe, you never know in SoCal. I’m going to go around the house and unscrew every other lightbulb, I hate feeling left out. I also enjoy eye strain.

Chuck, I of course know that there are many issues with taking good night photos, especially in the days of film, but I never considered needing a filter for fluorescent lights. This is why I have my servants take all my photos, I’m much too busy being wealthy.

JG, I agree, I’ve seen other photos of the COP building (by day) and it seemed like the arrangement of the lights was somewhat haphazard. Here they look very orderly. “Jiggy”, you must have a rap career, just like me! I was away from my place most of yesterday, I might have missed some of the later comments, for which I apologize.

DrGoat, I can’t help but think of balmy summer nights at the park, and how happy I was to be there. Adventure Thru Inner Space is nearby, I’m heading there right now, want to come along

KS, GOOD POINT. It’s true, I now go to almost anyplace and probably look older than most. Booooo! I love the thought of Lou shouting instructions to the people. “You on the left! Stop picking your nose!”.

Melissa, aw, miniature sewing machines! I want to hug them and give them kibble.

Nanook said...

Major-
I thought everyone knew of The [infamous - based on all the shenanigans on set...] Singer Midgets (or, apparently: Singer's Midgets...) "Leopold von Singer (May 3, 1877 – March 5, 1951) was an Austrian-born American manager of an entertainment troupe called Singer's Midgets, that were a popular vaudeville group in the first half of the twentieth century. He was responsible for casting many of the Munchkins in the iconic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz".

MIKE COZART said...

The carousel of progress’ exterior mural design is an abstract representation of some kind of extro-wave pattern from a eltrinic viewing screen of some kind …. John Hench thought the electronic wave patterns were intrinsic inspiring the pattern of the mural. The blues were chosen to compliment GE corporate colors as most you probably guessed … Tomorrowland 1967’s other murals were also designed to compliment the sponsors logos - like the Mary Blair Corridor murals highlight red (energy - Monsanto) silver-blue ( sky- satellite communication AT&T ) reds - orange (Blair’s Coca cola service murals )

Dean Finder said...

Poodle Hat, like the Weird Al album

At this point, I'm surprised that the CoP building hasn't been turned int an exclusive desert/fireworks viewing area (at an upcharge, of course). If feels like something that they would do when they can't come up with an IP to fill the space.

I also find the light array on the canopy to be off-putting in an attraction that otherwise seems very ordered. I still find those stickers on light switches in disused rooms. It would be weird explaining to someone from the late 1970s that we now have bulbs that typically use 5 watts or less, but server farms to automate them

Anonymous said...

Am looking at that round light at the top of the CoP....is that the moon?? It looks rather small to be the moon(?)—but I know that Andrew’s current post has some beautiful nighttime shots with the moon and the Matterhorn [and Haunted Mansion]—and the moon looks ‘smallish’ in his photos. Or am I seeing a light that’s on the top of the CoP building?

Sue

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook, you can’t think of “midgets” (I know, not a PC term) without thinking of The Wizard of Oz. I wonder if Singer’s Midgets were ever on Ed Sullivan?

Mike Cozart, wow, I never knew that the pattern on the outside of The CoP was anything but a nice abstract design. The blue does look nice though! What were the “Coca Cola service murals”? And do they still exist?

Dean Finder, OH YEAH! I’ve heard so many rumors about the CoP building’s imminent demise that if it happens I won’t be able to pretend to be surprised. I’m certainly old enough that I should remember those stickers, but… I don’t. There were so many good cartoons on TV!

Sue, I guess that must be the moon! We’ve all seen how lenses can affect the size of the Moon, as far as I know there were no big lights on top of the CoP building (not counting the giant GE logo/sign).

Melissa said...

Makes me think of Robert Frost's Acquainted with the Night:

"And further still, at an unearthly height, one luminary clock against the sky proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right."

MIKE COZART said...

That should have been ELECTRO-WAVES and ELECTRONIC DISPLAY SCREEN. The angled back wall behind the service windows of TOMORROWLAND TERRACE featured a Mary Blair designed tile mural. I don’t think it had an office name but was sometimes referred to as “space bubbles” …. But they were probably bubbles from the carbonation in Coca Cola !! If you looked closely however you would see some of the “bubbles” looked like satellites and sone were little peace symbols . These were done by the same tile company that did the other tile murals in Tomorrowland as well as the black tiles flanking the “foil fin” murals . 1967 tomorrowland featured all kinds of art murals … there are the famous ones like the foil
Entry fins , the Blair theme murals , the Blair coke mural , the carousel of progress building mural …. There were others too .. like the Bell pavilion “confetti” murals … they were located in the entry , exit and as well as the bell pavilion PeopleMover entry portal … I know who has (most) of that one! (:}. In actuality those three BELL Telephone murals didn’t represent confetti, but information & data being broken down and transmitted via satellite !!! Flight To The Moon featured a wall mural of stylized space rocket exhaust done in swirls and curls of rocket jet exhaust plumes … dispersed amongst the “smoke plumes” were various sized silver illuminated windows protruding from the wall .. sone with backlite images from McDonnel Douglas , some with space craft prototype models .

Adventure Thru Inner Space featured a mural visible from the PeopleMover of stylized crystal snowflakes and groups of Atomobiles in cut layers of lucite. This location was always intended to have a mural but it was added a few years AFTER the new Tomorrowland ‘67 opening .

Today they would not create such abstract art murals but would go for cliche scenes direct from Toy Story or whatever studio EGG that is being forced down the throats of Disneyland guests . But I guess it doesn’t really matter since the guests are all looking down at their phones … probably checking their lightening lane purchases or ordering their dinner for their visit in a week.

“A reminder that the world of tomorrow will be built by the poor eye sighted , crook neck humans of today”

Anonymous said...

Mike, LOL! Your last paragraph is sooo true. Speaking of “crook neck humans,” I see one on the upper deck of the CoP—in the middle.

Sue

JB said...

Sue, it DOES look like a reel of film!

Sounds like Tokyo! was a bit over caffeinated last night. ;-)

Chuck, why would you be cofuselated? Clearly, the poodle is the focal point in Hopper's "Night Hawks"! At least in the version I've seen... I think it was in Mad Magazine.
That thing to the left of the poodle looks like a cross between a "Dots" candy and a Water Wiggle, and Santa.

Major, that poodle thing looks real enough to make it creepy. Someone in the crowd, "THERE'S A SEVERED POODLE HEAD ON THE SHELF!!!". Little kid, "Mommy, I wanna go home. This is NOT the Happiest Place on Earth!"

MIKE COZART said...

Another great detail Lou has captured in the Carousel of Progress shot — that I have never noticed before is the fine blue line than runs through the larger shapes of the mural . That mural is mid century SPLENDOR!!! John Hench had a concept of an earlier version of this mural …. From when it was going to be a single storey mural …. But centered across the mural was what appeared to be radios, TVS .. and computers … I’m glad they left those off!

I’m not sure how many of you have seen the current Carousel of Progress mural completed a few years ago to the Walt Disney World version. This is the 3rd Florida version of the mural : It’s a based on the Disneyland concept art from 1965/66 rendering by John Hench for the brochure “PROGRESSLAND at Disneyland” …. I think it looks great! …. But nothing tops that glorious 1967 version!!

TokyoMagic! said...

Back in October of 2021, I posted five different versions of those light switch plate stickers, reminding people to turn off the lights and "save energy." They were cereal premiums from boxes of General Mills' "Fruit Brute" cereal.

JB, I don't drink coffee! Your "run amok" comment just made me think of the line from Hocus Pocus......"Amok! Amok! Amok!"

Chuck, I think you're right, Darth is wrapping himself up tightly with his cape!

Bu said...

Not sure why a poodle had would be a thing at the Mod Hatter..."Mom, I want a poodle hat" (?) And how do the girls embroider that? Where does "Millie" go? On the poodle nose? I'm confused. The Mod Hatter ALWAYS had a MOB. Always. I'm remembering that the embroidery people got paid better than the standard merchandise person. Pay rates and scales were always a topic especially in the land of unions. "Shift Diff" "Double Back"...there were a lot of terms. I agree that the Carousel of Progress looks awesome all lit up. I do remember not every light being lit even in the 80's. The Autopia sign is very stylized: wasn't there a "thing" about that particular font being used (?) Someone knows. Another area that was ALWAYS mobbed. The Skyway bucket lighting takes me way back...that was also a "thing". That station was so utilitarian, and at night even more so with the low watt institutional lighting. I can hear the clanking and the "Skyway noise" in my mind. The sound of the door opening, and then slamming, and the big wheel. It always smelled kind of like grease up there too. The guys seemed to always be shouting over all of the goings on, which I suppose they had to. As soon as you got out of the cacophony of the station, you took a little "dip" of the rail, and as soon as you got on the wire...soooo peaceful. ...until the shouting and noise when you got to Fantasyland :) Thanks Lou and Sue for the photos!