Tour Guide, November 1974

Most of the Disneyland photos that I own that show any of the classic plaid tour guides have them in the background, or off to the side, rarely the subject of the photo. So I particularly like this great portrait of a friendly guide! Thanks to the tag we know her name was Christina. If you're out there, Christina, chime in (yes, I'm sure that will happen)! It looks to me like Christina is at the exit of the Country Bear Jamboree, though I don't personally remember that little bridge. As I've said in earlier posts, I wasn't a huge fan of the CBJ, so I think I only watched the show once.

Here's a nice shot of the waterfall that is behind Christina' this sure looks convincing and not man-made! I'll bet there are some feisty animatronic trout in there. 

SNOOZLES™

It's Sunday, and that means it's time for more Snoozles. The pictures aren't great, but the name is so cute that nobody cares! 

We'll start with the weirdly faded (and soft-focus) photo taken from the Skyway as it passes over Fantasyland. There's no Skull Rock yet, so we can date this to no later than early 1960 (I can't seem to find an exact date for when Skull Rock was added). In spite of this photos flaws, it's still kind of wonderful.

Next is this undated photo from a Jungle Cruise boat. Guests are lucky to see a rhinoceros, they are notoriously shy, even though they are big and strong. What can I say, they have low self-esteem. Is it just me, or does Ronnie Rhino look like he was caught off guard? "Can't a guy just eat some grass? Jeez!" (voice sounds like Arnold Stang). 

San Franshishky Cable Cars

San Francisco! It is famous for its cable cars. The few that remain are mostly tourist attractions, but back in the old days the locals used them as transportation up and down those steep hills. This is before Judge Doom convinced everyone that they needed to drive their own cars.

First up is this photo from January 31, 1943, showing a cable car as it turned around at the end of Powell and Market Street. It seems amazing that one of those cable cars could be turned by three men.

Next is this 1948 photo; I was surprised to read that some residents of S.F. think that the preservation and maintenance of the cable cars costs too much. Let's just remove everything that is cool or historical! 

And finally, a photo from August, 1953. It looks like a scene from a movie. "The Many Loves of Major Pepperidge", starring Cary Grant as me.

Views From a Hotel, November 1979

Hey folks, I just found out that I'm going to be away for most of this weekend (starting today) - sort of an unexpected thing. It's likely that I won't be able to respond to comments until Sunday, but I hope that won't stop you from adding your thoughts! I look forward to seeing what everyone has to say.

I have two nice scans for you today, both featuring distant views of Disneyland (and its parking lot) circa 1979. Both photos were taken from an upper story of a hotel - perhaps the Grand Hotel (formerly Wilbur Clark's Crest Hotel), which stood until March of 1998? It's too far south to be from the Howard Johnson's hotel. 

As you can see, various smaller motels are spread out before us, with Disneyland in the distance. The larger landmarks are plainly visible... Space Mountain, the Matterhorn, the "hoodoos" of Big Thunder, and even the spires of Sleeping Beauty Castle. 

Zooming in, we can see tiny hints of some of the fanciful themed motels, as well as the "Twin Dragon" restaurant. To the left, at about the level of the Monorail track, we can see a tiny "minaret" from the Mecca Motel. That's the only one that I can positively ID. Notice to the right there is what appears to be a faux "hut" themed building, but I have no idea what that was. Chime in if you know! 

Next is this photo showing more of Disneyland's massive parking lot (taken on a cloudier day).

It's funny how Disneyland basically looks like a sea of trees with the occasional building sticking above the tops - it sure doesn't feel that way when you're in the park!

There's plenty of room in the parking lot! I wonder if the cars parked closest to us are employee vehicles?  

I'm sure that there are MANY details that I have missed, so please comment if you see something of interest!

Leftuggies™

Leftuggies™! All of the flavor and nutrition, but none of the guilt.

We'll start with this fun photo of "Betty and Jerry" (circa April 1958), waiting to hop aboard the Disneyland and Santa Fe Railroad. (YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE!). Where is everybody else? could it be that the DLRR wasn't operating? If so I'd assume that guests would not be able to get this close. We do get a pretty good look at the car with the forward-facing seats. 

Next is this pretty nice shot of a li'l yellow Mine Train going through part of Nature's Wonderland - in this case it's about to pass beneath the waterfalls of Cascade Peak - demonstrating that the Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland really was very similar to the Jungle Cruise in many ways. Only there were fewer hippos (only four or five, if I recall). Would people love the Mine Train ride today? Hard to say.

Frontierland, September 1979

It's time for another selection of photos from our friend, the Mysterious Benefactor. As always, these scans show Frontierland - in this case from September of 1979. I don't know about you, but I had disco fever.

We get a good look at the Pendleton Woolen Mills store. A whole store that smelled like wet wool! Just like my grandparent's house in Minnesota in December. I wouldn't mind buying a nice quality flannel shirt; or a nice sweater. "Bring me your itchiest sweater, my good man!" I would proclaim, while stroking my impressive handlebar mustache. Check out those 1979 fashions.

The classic popcorn cart; I almost never buy popcorn, but I like to see these carts around the park. The price has climbed to 40 cents, and believe me, I will complain loudly (for about 15 minutes) to anyone who is willing to listen. I will also keep saying "The customer is always right!", which isn't annoying.

This one was extremely dark - believe it or not, this is how it looks after I lightened it up a lot. But those inky black areas stayed inky black. That's what happens with duplicate slides. Still, it's kind of a nice view, otherwise.

This large lot of slides often has photos of details that others might not notice. How about the moldings and cornices (or soffits or whatever) on the Golden Horseshoe building. I think this building should have been built in the Bauhaus style, glass and steel and concrete. 

In the Old West, Pepsi Cola was preferred by lawmen and yellow-bellied varmints. Of course the varmints would have it served in a dirty glass because they are just that degenerate. They also loved to burp extra loud, which outraged the local schoolmarm. "Heavens!".

THANK YOU, Mysterious Benefactor!

Adventureland/Jungle Cruise Shirt and Toy Boat

Last Sunday I posted some Snoozles™ that included the following photo:

Nanook found this photo on Daveland's blog (used with permission), it sure looks like the same shirt style!

Meanwhile, Mike Cozart left this info in the comments: That Jungle Cruise costume was the Summer version and it was used into the late 1960’s. It was iconic enough that the shirts were sold in Adventureland as “DISNEYLAND JUNGLE CRUISE BOATSMAN SPORT SHIRT”. The tags read: "As worn in Adventureland by jungle Cruise Boatsman, capturing the color and excitement of adventure, lands tropics your casual Boatsman sport shirt was created in style by Walt Disney artist from actual shirts, worn by Boatsman in Sumatra “ sold exclusively at Disneyland. The red is the most common version , but a yellow and a burgundy was also common.

Mike has one of those shirts! Incredible! Here it is:

I can't imagine how rare these shirts must be, and his even has the original paper tag.

I'm not sure I've ever seen the term "Boatsmen" used for Jungle Cruise guys (and they were all guys back then), but hey, it's all good. What a fantastic item!

Sold Exclusively at DISNEYLAND

Nanook found another great Daveland photo, showing a "Boatsman" helping guests to board the launch, while wearing one of the very shirts that Mike owns.

Mike also included some photos of a wonderful toy Jungle Cruise souvenir boat, something that I don't believe that I've ever seen before.

Mike says that these boats were sold around the same time as the shirt …. Mine has blue striped awning but a friend of mine has a green one … so I assume there must have been a red version two.

The jungle boat is wood , metal and cloth and only 5 3/4” long. I WANT ONE!

 MANY THANKS to Mike Cozart for sharing his wonderful souvenirs! And thanks to Dave DeCaro for letting me use some of his photos.

Disneyland, March 1992

Sue B. sent me some scans of photos taken by her cousin Stu, who was an avid photographer. Maybe not as avid as Lou Perry, but he loved to take pictures! These images are all from March, 1992.

This first one is taken from the wonderful Skyway as Stu headed toward the Matterhorn's left nostril. I hope there are no bats in the cave! We've seen many many photos of (and from) the Skyway, but knowing that the attraction would close roughly 2.5 years after these pictures taken (in November of 1994) is sobering. And I need to sober up, I've been sloshed for too long.

This next image is fun, showing a double-bobsled as it was racing from the brilliant sunshine into the dark and mysterious ice caverns - where Yetis dwell! RAWR! Here's an idea: what if the Yeti had a kid, who was adorable and fluffy and had big blue eyes? I'm already counting that plush toy money.

I'm so used to the Fantasyland of the 1950s that it is strange to see the Mad Tea Party moved so far to the east. Even though it has now been there for 40 years! Longer than when it was closer to the Castle courtyard. 

 Many thanks to Lou and Sue and Stu!

Snoozles™

Sunday Snoozles GO! If you don't know what Snoozles are, they are slide scans that leave much to be desired for any number of reasons. Too many parrots? It's a Snoozle. A weird onion smell? It's a Snoozle. An ancient curse? Cool, but still a Snoozle. 

This first one could have been great, but somebody used a camera with a cheap lens (made out of an old Dr. Pepper bottle) resulting in a blurry image. Which is a real shame, because otherwise it's a nice shot of Tiki's Tropical Imports. The imports appear to be mostly hats (and some woven handbags), but I'm sure there was plenty of other stuff too, maybe a necklace made of cowrie shells, maybe a faux snake made of the finest Corinthian rubber, maybe some perfume that made you smell like an elephant. Notice the Jungle Cruise dock worker to the extreme right in his colorful shirt.

Next is this undated photo of the Sub Lagoon, with the Triton vessel so close to us that we can practically taste it! Yes, it tastes like chicken. I like how we can see some of the underwater portholes in the lower right. The Triton appears to be in need of a trip to Earl Scheib, he will paint any sub for just $29.99. Did that pennant in the foreground tie itself into a knot due to a stiff breeze? Or was it those pesky teenagers? 

Florida

Florida! Some crazy stuff goes on there. It must be the humidity. I have two fun photos for you today, both from the Sunshine State. 

First up is this April 1964 photo of a mother and son next to the world's largest Hercules beetle, who was fed a steady diet of Wheaties cereal. But where are they? The suspense is killing me.

Thanks, vintage postcard! They were at the May Museum of the Tropics in Weeki Wachee Springs, Florida, Strangely, Wikipedia makes no mention of this museum when it was in Florida - according to another site, it eventually moved to Colorado Springs (John May loved those springs!) because the Florida humidity was ruining the family collection of thousands of insects from around the world. The name was changed to the May Museum of Natural History, and they brought the giant beetle (named "Herkimer") with them; he can still be seen today along Colorado State Highway 115. 

One story claims that Walt Disney visited the museum in 1956 and offered to buy the whole collection, but John May refused when he found out that the family would get no credit. 

Next, it's the OLD JAIL, In St. Augustine (from July, 1970). The building was designed and constructed by the P.J. Pauley Jail Building and Manufacturing Company of St. Louis, Missouri in 1891. The Old Jail served as the St Johns County Jail until 1953. After the jail facilities were moved to a new, more modern building, the vacant Old Jail building was sold to entrepreneur Henry "Slim" McDaniel who began operating the remarkably well preserved building as a roadside tourist attraction.

Vintage postcards give us a better look at some of the humorous tableaus on display. The Sweat Box was a sort of sauna for the prisoners. The pounds just melted away!

All of the prisoners drank the water, which was high in minerals, and that made their limbs rigid so that they stood like Frankenstein's Monster. Have you ever seen a genuine moonshine still? I haven't, and yet the example on display here looks pretty crude. My grandpappy would be ashamed. Say, that rock pile is pretty big, I'd like to see those big rocks turned into little ones.

Originally built to house up to 72 prisoners, the two-story northern wing of the Jail consists of a general population and maximum security area, a women's section and a lower level kitchen. Maximum Security housed the most dangerous prisoners held at the Jail and includes a Death Row cell, for those condemned to die. A total of eight men were hung from the Gallows on the Jail compound during its history. Overall conditions at the Jail for those serving varying sentences were quite poor by modern standards and prisoners were typically used as free farm laborers during the day. Baths were infrequent, toilet facilities consisted of one bucket per cell and diet was poor and was typically supplemented by any animals that the prisoners might catch while working on the fields. Segregation by race was steadfastly adhered to at the Jail and disease, violence and death were commonplace. The two-story southern wing of the Jail consists of an Office for the Sheriff and living quarters for his family.

Two Leftuggies™

Here's a pair of quality Leftuggies - a feast fit for a king! Let's start with this July 1960 shot taken from the surprisingly long line - I guess these folks are waiting to buy their tickets, why else would they be standing there? It's fun to look at the people, including the little girl with one of those paper hats, much too big for her  tiny noggin. It looks like a nun's wimple - hopefully a stiff breeze won't lift her into the air. 

It's nice to have those pretty rose bushes in full bloom right next to the queue, and it's even nicer to see the E.P. Ripley on the platform (the rolling stock is adorned with patriotic bunting). And as an added bonus, there's the banner announcing the debut of the Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland (as well as "America the Beautiful" and the "Art of Animation" exhibit).

Next is this photo from one year later, July 1961. We're entering Frontierland, and I don't really recall ever seeing that little ticket booth before, much less in that prominent location. It's also weird to see that island of grass and trees, just sitting there not earning any money. For some reason the masts of the Columbia seem especially tall to me, it's probably the altitude. 

If anybody out there remembers seeing this ticket booth before, I'd love to hear about it! Even if it was someplace else within Frontierland.

More Stuff From the Box

Hey! Did you know that there has not been a "Stuff From the Box" post since February 13th? Well it's true. So it's high time that we all get to enjoy some random STUFF. In the name of complete transparency, today's items are from a new box, but it's a boring Samsung phone box (I don't own a Samsung phone), so it isn't worth showing.

Let's start with this magnificent ring that was a premium from the Buffalo Bill Jr. television program, syndicated in 1955 and 1956. Actor Dick Jones played Buffalo Bill Jr.... years before, he voiced Pinocchio in Walt Disney's second (and best?) animated feature. What boy (or girl) wouldn't be proud to wear this magnificent golden ring? 

Wikipedia says: Gene Autry came up with the idea of doing a children's western about an old judge, a teenaged cowboy, and his little sister. Dick Jones was under contract to Autry's Flying A Productions, and was asked to play the young cowboy, even though he was 28 years old in 1955. Since childhood, Jones had worked at rodeos as a trick rider and roper, so he did his own stunts on the show.

The series was filmed at Pioneertown, and the original sponsors were Brown Shoe Company and Mars Candy. The western was sold to more than 100 markets.

Next is this small (but elegant) employee pin from Knott's Berry Farm. I know basically nothing about this pin. When was it distributed? Who was lucky enough to get one? No idea. But they are not common. The pin is about 1" wide, and has a very attractive and appropriate design of a covered wagon, complete with water barrel.

I love this fancy jeweled pin featuring the likeness of one of my top three beatnik fish, Charlie the Tuna, spokesfish for StarKist Tuna. With his beret and vivid blue rhinestone eyes, Charlie has nothing to be sorry about. Perhaps one of these pins can be found in the Louvre?

I'm a fan of little celluloid "flips"... flat advertisements on a simple pin device. These were used to advertise many products, perhaps they were cheaper to produce than the seemingly more standard pinback buttons? As you can see, this one has the date of "1905" on it. Hey, that's old! The flip pictures a fat, healthy pig - he got that way by eating Swift's Digester Tankage. What is "digester tankage", you ask? Well, Merriam-Webster says that it is "tankage for feeding livestock". The end. Thanks, MW, you were barely any help at all.

Here's an appropriately-small tin-litho badge advertising Volkswagen the Beetle. If you study advertising at all (and why wouldn't you?), you'll know that "think small" was a big deal. Think Small was one of the most famous ads in the advertising campaign for the Volkswagen Beetle... in 1959. (The) Volkswagen Beetle campaign was ranked as the best advertising campaign of the twentieth century by Ad Age. The campaign has been considered so successful that it "did much more than boost sales and build a lifetime of brand loyalty [...] The ad, and the work of the ad agency behind it, changed the very nature of advertising—from the way it's created to what you see as a consumer today.

Next is this interesting oddball, given to me by my mom years ago. It's a fancy ribbon and brass medallion from the TPU (Theatrical Protective Union) Ball, from February 21, 1931. As you can see, the pin has the IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) logo in white and blue enamel. I'd hoped to find a vintage article about the TPU Ball, but had no luck. Still, it's kind of a neat artifact!

Oh yes, there will be more STUFF FROM THE BOX.