Leftuggies™

Here's a pair of Leftuggies™ for you - left over, but still worth a taste! 

First up, from April, 1972 we have the west tunnel entry into Town Square, with the Ernest S. Marsh overhead. A tour guide strolls through as if she was just a normal person, and not a superstar! Such humility is inspiring. As a die-hard collector of vintage Disneyland postcards, I am drawn to that postcard rack to the left of the guide. I am assuming that the camera that captured this image had a cheap plastic lens (Kodak Instamatic?), it leaves a lot to be desired.

Next is the last photo from a batch of 1974 slides, this time we get a pretty good look at New Orleans Square, with that wonderful wrought iron. The folks upstairs sure love their flowers! The Blue Bayou is behind our striped temptress, I finally had a chance to eat there a while ago, and my jambalaya was pretty tasty. If expensive! The Jolly Roger flying above the rooftops is probably just for laughs, there can't possibly be any pirates in Disneyland.

Carnation Ice Cream Parlor, 1996

I have some nice images of the old Carnation Ice Cream Parlor, circa 1996. These are courtesy of Mr. X!

Opening as the "Carnation Cafe Ice Cream Parlor" on opening day in 1955, this location was a place where you could get ice cream in various forms. Sundaes! Sodas! Milkshakes! Cones! Rhomboids!

You could also get simple lunch options, such as a grilled cheese or ham sandwich, a hot dog or hamburger, and soups and salads. Give me one of everything! It's great to have some especially clear pictures of the place before IT happened.

Nestlé acquired the Carnation Company in 1985, and in 1997 they decided to phase out the Carnation brand, resulting in the closure of the ice cream parlor. A few months later (and after some extensive remodeling), it reopened as the Blue Ribbon Bakery (while the Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor opened just up the street).

And then, in 2012, the Blue Ribbon Bakery closed, and the Carnation Ice Cream Parlor reopened in its original location - obviously with no relation to the namesake company. I believe that Mr. X had been warned that his beloved ice cream parlor (with its magnificent soda fountain) was in danger of closing, which is why he took these photos.

THANK YOU, Mr. X!

More Photos From Keith

I'm happy to be able to share more photos from Keith Schad! Today I decided to mix things up and post some photos from the batch that is from 1971-ish. Don't worry, there are still plenty from the 1958 batch! Keith believes that these are from the very end of 1971 (they were developed in January, 1972); the photos were taken by Keith's father in-law Ed.

First up... Main Street Station. Any visitor practically has to take a photo of it. It's exactly noon, I hope that they weren't just arriving! Of course back then you didn't have to worry about hitting as many rides as possible before the park got super crowded.

I love this pretty shot of a horse as he waits in the spotty shade (those leafless trees tell us that this is from sometime in the Winter). The Streetcar driver is on a break, if anybody approached him to ride he would just glare at them until they backed away.

And finally... balloons! I want a yellow one, but not just any yellow one, I want a specific yellow one that will take the vendor five minutes to determine which string belongs to it. The customer is always right!

THANKS so much to Keith Schad!

 

Snoozles™

It's official! "Sunday Snoozers" are now "Snoozles". I've notified the Library of Congress. But don't worry, it's the same iffy photos for the same great price. Both of these are from "sometime in the 1960s".

Who doesn't love a nice double-exposure? Our photographer took two photos of the Disneyland Band as they circled the flagpole in Town Square, but evil spirits intervened, and the film did not advance like it was supposed to. The results remind me of when I've had too much cough syrup. Vesey Walker can be clearly seen to the left, in spite of the psychedelia.

Next is this "too dark" image from the entrance to Adventureland. Skulls aplenty! Not to mention carved masks and shields, probably purchased from Oceanic Arts in Whittier - a legendary store full of Polynesian/Oceanic-inspired arts and crafts. The restrooms are straight ahead - I'll wait. The almost-glowing eye of the mysterious tiki can be seen to the left. 

Colorado, 1970

I love old photos of cities, towns, and especially hamlets. Today's photos are from 1970, which definitely qualifies as "old" at this point. Both of today's photos are from Colorado. Denver, that is! I've been to Colorado, and they commemorated the occasion on one of those quarters a few years back. 

SO... here's the first photo. Looks kind of cute and small-towny. That's because it is east of the juiciest part of the city, by a couple of miles. We're on E. Colfax Street (at the corner of Xenia), looking east. This one was easy to find because the Lazy-C Lodge is still there, 53 years later! From the looks of things, they expected plenty of visitors to pass through, but it's the Lazy-C for me. Give me the Presidential Suite, and three extra towels! We can go across the street to the Apple Tree Shanty for dinner - I'm already hungry. I have to say, this looks like a very appealing place to live. 

Google Maps "street view" shows us how things look today. It seems to be missing some of the prosperous look of 1970, but that's not unusual when comparing vintage photos to modern views. Maybe it's just the remnants of snow.

Next is this view of a mighty clock tower in Denver. The Daniels and Fisher Clock Tower, which puts on on Arapahoe Street, perhaps near the intersection of 16th street, or thereabouts. It's funny, I'll bet long-time residents of Colorado thought that things used to be better, but as in the first photo, this part of the city looks clean, prosperous, and very pleasant.

Here's a "today" view. I wanted to know more about that tower! Built as part of the Daniels & Fisher department store in 1910, it was the tallest building between the Mississippi River and the state of California at the time of construction, at a height of 325 feet (99 m). The building was designed by the architect Frederick Sterner and modeled after The Campanile (St. Mark's Bell Tower) at the Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy. The 20-floor clock tower has clock faces on all four sides. May Company purchased Daniels & Fisher in 1958, and the store vacated the tower. When the store was demolished (ca. 1971), the tower was saved and renovated into residential and office space in 1981. A 2½ ton bell occupies the top two floors of the building, above the observation deck.

I hope you have enjoyed your visit to Denver, Colorado.

Fabulous Fitties

I have two randos from Disneyland, 1950s-style. Won't you join me?

Who doesn't love parking lot view? I mean, I love a penthouse view too, but that's another IP. Here we are, standing on acres of blacktop, with the sun setting in the west even though it appears to be around 5:48 PM. So perhaps it's mid-March, or thereabouts. Medical Parking? Why yes, I'm a doctor. What is that green machine to our right? 

While this photo is undated, we can see the posters in front, so that places it post-June 1956, I think. Hey, it's something. It surprises me to see folks showing up as the day is waning, but perhaps the park was open until midnight (if this happened to be a Saturday). There's that black and white curb, scientifically proven to lull guests into spending money.

Next is this very nice view of the Plaza, also as the sun was on its way down. The guidebook held by the woman to our left helps to date this to either 1956 or 1957. The man with the sunglasses is carrying a magic wand, don't ask why. It looks like it was another beautiful day to be in the park.

NYWF Construction Pix, March, 1964

You know I love the 1964 New York World's Fair (though I was really too young to see it in person). What a place! And I've been fortunate enough to get some scarce construction photos, in this case from March of 1964, mere weeks before the grand opening (which was on April 22nd)! 

We'll start with the look at the Austrian pavilion. The pavilion, fashioned from laminated Alpine spruce, is suspended 15 feet above the ground from three soaring A-shaped supports. Pretty cool, although I would have preferred birch. Spruce is the "poor man's birch", you would agree. To the right is the Solar Fountain: A central dome supports a 30-foot high column of water while a starburst circles around the dome. Wobbling jets of water surrounding the dome simulate the sun's gases. And the tall arched thingamabob behind that is art of the Johnson Wax pavilion, the arches supported a 500 seat theater in the shape of a large golden disk.

Here's a vintage postcard view.

Here's the Japan pavilion, looking very much like a large house. Maybe that's why it eventually said "House of Japan" on the outside. The pavilion buildings combine the graceful architecture of ancient Japan with contemporary designs. Rockets for space research, model trains and tea ceremonies, and an array of consumer products are part of a presentation which emphasizes the differences between the new Japan and the old. Side by side with some of the world's most advanced microscopes, cameras, automobiles and industrial machines are charming evidences of the quiet, cultured but totally nonindustrial Japan of only 100 years ago.

Here's one of my own slides so that you can see how it looked when completed.

Over on the shore of Meadow Lake was a replica of Christopher Columbus's ship, the Santa Maria. And while the ship itself had not yet been delivered, we can see part of what was known as the "Spanish Pier". From the guidebook: A full-sized replica of the flagship of Christopher Columbus' discovery fleet is moored at the end of a 15th Century-style floating Spanish wharf. Termed by the exhibitors "Space Ship - 1492," this Santa Maria is the product of a distinguished intercontinental collaboration that insured authenticity.

Here's a second view. I guess I should have tried to merge the two images, but I am too lazy, and kind of itchy too. I wish I had some ointment. Across the water, construction for the Amphitheater, which had been part of the Billy Rose Aquacade during the 1939/40 Fair. It was refurbished for 1964, a show called "Wonder World" was performed there. It was a tremendous flop.

The only halfway decent photo of the Santa Maria at the completed Fair that I could find is one from World's Fair scholar/expert Bill Cotter, who has thousands and thousands of incredible photos from that Fair, as well as others. You should check out his website if you are interested!

I had this next photo in my own collection, but it leaves a lot to be desired.

I hope you have enjoyed these rare construction views from the 1964 New York World's Fair.

Stan Kenton, Carnation Plaza Gardens, August 1972

I have a batch of photos taken by Mr. X, from the days when he would get off work at one of the popcorn wagons, and then stay after work to watch the big bands as they performed over in the Carnation Plaza Gardens. Pretty neat!

On this August 1972 evening, Stan Kenton and his Orchestra were on the bill. Wikipedia's brief synopsis says: Stanley Newcomb Kenton (December 15, 1911 – August 25, 1979) was an American popular music and jazz artist. As a pianist, composer, arranger and band leader, he led an innovative and influential jazz orchestra for almost four decades. Though Kenton had several pop hits from the early 1940s into the 1960s, his music was always forward-looking.

Was Stan standing on a table? Was Mr. X on the floor? We'll never know, but Stan looks like King Kong here. Only nicer!

My dad was into Big Bands, and I remember a number of Stan Kenton records in the beloved cupboard full of LPs (and even one "album" of 78rpm records with a wonderful Dali-esque cover). I wish I could remember the name of my dad's favorite Stan Kenton tune, but I was too busy rocking out to The Partridge Family. Yes, I was a degenerate. (The song might have been "Tampico", sung by June Christy).  

I have a photo of Kenton and his band performing at Freedomland U.S.A. in 1964. Check it out HERE!

 THANK YOU, Mr. X!

Big Thunder, July 1979

Today I have more scans, courtesy of the Mysterious Benefactor - all of these feature the soon-to-open Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. The Wildest Ride in the Wilderness! These are dated "July 1979", and the ride debuted on September 2, 1979. 

Chugging past on the Mark Twain gives us a nice elevated look at the impressive rock formations. Some call them "hoodoos", but that's a very silly word. I would have been itching to ride this, based on this view of the ride! A little bit of the repurposed Rainbow Ridge can just be seen if you look carefully.

Our photographer zoomed in on the main load building - the smoke from that chimney shows that there are some signs of life over yonder - though some of the foreground "smoke" might be steam from the Mark Twain. Not sure. Hey, there's Cinderella's Castle! 

From ground-level the minarets of stone (not hoodoos!) look even more splendid. A sign blocks the entrance, and on that sign is what I assume is concept artwork, or else it is photos of somebody's kids eating pasketti. 

The dreaded queue, extending way out to here! Has this area been redone between 1979 and now? The current line twists around various rocks and mining equipment, maybe that part is out of frame. 

And... one final look from the outer queue. Man, those rocks are so convincing that it would be easy to forget that they were made by talented craftspeople. Hey, I have a question about those wood-rail fences! Are they actually cast resin? Or are they resin-treated wood? Or something else altogether? Asking for a friend.

 THANK YOU, Mysterious Benefactor!

MORE Bupix!

Hooray, it's time for another installment of Bupix™! Photos from the personal collection of GDB pal Bu (you know him from the comments), from his days as a Disneyland cast member. Not only has he provided the pictures, but he has included amazing commentary that I know you will enjoy. Enough of my blathering! Here's Bu:

This is Yumiko.  I’m pretty sure Yumiko was at the park for at least 15 years. She started in ’72.  This was her last day of employment.  Later Yumiko had some involvement in the official Disneyland Alumni Club that Van France founded.  Not sure if it’s even around anymore, I haven’t got an email for quite some time.  The area Yumi is in is the “new” Tour Guide lounge, after the old lounge behind Tour Guide Gardens was turned into offices.  

This lounge is the room commonly seen in Early Disneyland photos as the “Police Station” next to City Hall.  They decorated it for us, before us, it was where Guest Communications offices were.  You can see in the distance how un-glamourous and kind of messy backstage was: fan, dust pan and broom, boxes with who knows what…you can see a door there that was a very small employee bathroom where I brought Michael Jackson to when he was unable to escape the mobs on Main St.  From there, we exited through TG Gardens around the back, and he left the Main Gate with nary a fan in sight. 

They were still standing outside City Hall waiting for him to emerge.  He couldn’t use the bathroom next to City Hall as he was being mobbed.  I was in City Hall and heard a bunch of screaming outside, and he was there sitting on the bench.  The other TG there is Linda, who you probably have seen in an old photo with Ringo Starr strolling through New Orleans Square in the early 70’s.  The costume is the “new” Hostess costume.  The only one was a bit out of date, but in retrospect, now, I liked it better.  I don’t think plaid should be on a Hostess costume.  Some previous Hostess costumes were off the rack things- one by Evan Picone, etc.  Boys did not have a “Host” costume until much later.  Until then, we wore our plaids.  Want pizza?  No problem.  Order it, and they would drop it off at the Main Gate.  Really.   We had many pot luck events and parties, etc. in this very small space with the old furniture from the old TG lounge, which was much more spacious.  The walls were covered with photos and official proclamations and Walt-type-era things from years past.  

There was also a glass tube with a miniature Tour Guide statue/doll (I called it “test tube Tour Guide”)in it mounted on the wall, and a plaque that had moved around with “Though these doors pass the most lovely ladies….et. al.”  There is a photo somewhere with this plaque in the background: I think when it moved to City Hall.  I wonder if any of these things are still around: like the “Tour Guide of the Year” award, which you probably have seen photos of Walt and (whoever TG it was...) in front of the Animation Bldg. at the studio.  There was a TG of the Year award until I left, awarded at the annual Tour Guide Banquet which was at the end of Summer.  It was a fun time, and I was on the committee for more than a few years to plan it.  It was kind of a big deal, but NOT Company sponsored.  We were allowed to do fund raisers like fashion shows, selling T-Shirts/ sweat shirts…really anything we wanted, and for those we got a lot of help from the creative team for logos, marketing and such.   

The Tour Guide Breakfast kicked off the Summer Season, after the official yearly ‘group photo” which was taken in various places: usually in front of City Hall, the Train Station Steps, or the Castle.  These were taken by Renie the photographer (who famously photographed Walt in “Footsteps”), and although company sanctioned, we had to pay for the print, which was $1.  It was not compulsory to show up to the photo, and the breakfast was a pot luck held in the TG Gardens, all prior to Park Opening of course.   As a side note: Yumiko provided the Japanese “please keep your hands and arms inside the boat” at the end of Small World.  Yumiko also was a major piece of being a liaison/trainer/interpreter for all things Tokyo Disneyland working with Jim Cora.  After these “side jobs” ended, like the Ambassadors, you returned to your “real job”.  Tour Guides worked many side jobs, and we wore many hats as we were not under Union jurisdiction.

I'd asked Bu about some other office images, and he suggested that I might skip the first one (below) because the woman is still with us, and maybe she wouldn't appreciate seeing an unflattering picture of herself on the Internet. But then Bu thought that I might be able to obscure her to the point where she would not be identifiable to most folks. So I pixelated the face! This commentary covers the next two photos: I just bought the camera I am using at the Camera shop on Main Street, so I was asking normal office workers to do extraordinarily out of character poses.  Like screaming.  I think the photo is worthy of a post, if you want to "Tokyo Magic" the face...  The computers are probably “comment inducing”…with the Sperry Word Processor, and the dot matrix printer that was so loud it had its own sound proof booth.  There’s also the Charles Boyer TDL Lithograph.  And the software packet for “Word Perfect”.  This was the latest and greatest of letter writing- this way they could personalize form letters- which wasn’t possible just a year before  EVERY letter received was answered.  Fan mail to characters was huge, and because of the demand the job was delegated to Tour Guides who learned character signatures.  Both of these ladies worked in “Guest Communications”.   A lot of mail was received every day.  Both of these ladies I was great friends with.  The older of the two has passed on, and her daughter also worked at the park in the 70’s.

That stupid dream finder thing!!  Ugh!  This was mounted on the wall behind the desk in City Hall.  It was a “gift from the employees of Epcot to the employees of Disneyland”…blah blah blah.  It was stupid.  I’m sure it would be worth a fortune today.  The reason that the girls are all putting their heads on the bottom of it, was because we ALL smacked our heads on that damn thing reaching down to grab stuff under the counter and then standing up.  People had to go to first aid over this, including myself as I saw stars right before I passed out cold.  They refused to remove this dumb thing even after the multiple cranial injuries.  The nice thing about the counter is that we were always provided with fresh flowers.  A nice touch.  The only thing missing in the photo is me on the floor :) 

Just for fun, Bu mentioned that Linda, seen in the background in the first photo, could be seen in an "old photo with Ringo Starr strolling through New Orleans Square in the early 70s". I was not familiar with that picture, so I did a Google search. Here it is!

I hope you all enjoyed the pictures and the commentary, there are more to come. THANK YOU, BU!

The Columbia, May 5 1980

As "Snoozer Sundays" go, this one isn't too bad, if I do say so myself. I have two 1980 photos of the Columbia as it blurped along the river. They're in focus and everything! 

At this point, they seem to have given up on sails altogether. Hey, those things are expensive, so I get it. Still, it looks a little weird to see a sailing ship moving with no visible means of propulsion. Is that wake caused by trained turtles? I don't want to say "yes", but I don't not want to say "yes" also.

We all know that in 2021 the Columbia was changed to "Darth Vader's Fun Ship", and it is way better now. Yes, it's basically the same, but now there's a college kid wearing a Darth Vader mask (and a t-shirt and shorts) yelling at the passengers. You can't understand what he's saying, it's all muffled, but trust me, it's scary. When he does that "pinching your throat" gesture... terrifying!

Carnivals

On today's "Anything Goes Saturday", I have two photos featuring vintage fairs or carnivals - locations unknown, unfortunately. But they are still fun to look at.

We'll start out with this scan, from a slide date-stamped "September 1963", with a lot jam-packed with classic rids. There's the Sky Wheel closest to us (yes, I can read). 

As for the others, my knowledge is rudimentary at best. Like my tail. I see what I believe is the Paratrooper to our extreme left, jutting partly into the frame. Closer to us might be a Herschell Looper. As for the others... well, lucky for me I have some of the smartest readers. Just sayin'. Notice that the boy to the right is wearing a shirt that says "Register and Tribune", which is likely a reference to the Register and Tribune Syndicate, a syndication service based out of Des Moines, Iowa. It was acquired by King Features in 1986.

Next is this October 1976 photo, showing a happy boy aboard the "SWI...". What could it be? Swine? Swivel? Switchblade? Swirl? No one will ever solve this mystery. In the background, a few kiddie rides, the kind that go around in little circles. And there's a Ferris Wheel. Let's go get some cotton candy! Or maybe a funnel cake.

More From Keith

It's time for another nice selection of slide scans, generously shared with us by Keith Schad. These 1958 views were taken by Keith's wife's grandfather (Harold).

Let's start with this shot of Davy Crockett's Arcade. The three ladies (as Keith indicated in a note he sent me) are (his) wife's great-grandma Caroline Hill, great-great grandma Helen Hill (Harold's mother) and Harold's sister, also Helen.

It looks like one of those smoggy SoCal days that were so usual back then. Sure, we have smog nowadays, but it doesn't seem as frequent (generally). Harold was standing on the top deck of the Mark Twain, and pointed his camera toward the Golden Horseshoe theater. I wonder if he and his group had seen the Revue there (or if they would, later in the day)?

Next is this nice shot of the southwest corner of the Rivers of America, with the Plantation House, a raft heading toward Tom Sawyer Island, and in the distance to the left, the tent that held the short-lived show featuring Professor Keller and his Jungle Killers. Pretty neat!

MANY THANKS to Keith Schad for sharing these great scans!

Main Street at Night, September 1971

I am very happy to be able to share more of Lou Perry's wonderful photos of Disneyland, courtesy of his daughter, Sue B. This time we get to see Main Street at night - as you know, vintage night views are pretty scarce. These are from September, 1971, and I would imagine that it was a warm and pleasant evening.

I love this first one, you can sense the energy from the busy street as folks head toward the castle (I wonder if this was a Friday or a Saturday?). The lights on the buildings blaze here, making Main Street one of the most spectacular nighttime destinations. I see a glowing red tail light, is that from the Motorized Fire Truck?

The Disneyland Emporium, where you could find so many wonderful souvenirs. Just don't buy any books, who wants to read? Nerds, am I right? 

Zooming in, we can see that the Emporium windows are showing scenes from "Pinocchio", which was in fact reissued in 1971. To the left is a scene that had Pinoke skipping to school, before being waylaid by Honest John and Gideon. I believe that the middle scene showed Pinocchio on stage; and then he is held prisoner in a birdcage before being set free by the Blue Fairy.

This one is pretty dark, but we can still see the Magic Shop and the Main Street Cinema.

 THANK YOU, Lou and Sue!