It's always a bit of a disappointment to find old slides that have faded to a miserable pinkish hue; and yet, there's always that challenge to restore them! It can be fun when it works. You can usually tell when there is enough color information remaining to make the effort worthwhile. Both of today's examples looked promising.
First up is this shot of the Tomorrowland Flight Circle. I wish our old friend CoxPilot was here to tell us who that person is at the center of the compass rose - he would surely know. It might be his friend Keith Palmer, but that's only a guess.
Well hey! That's more like it. It's not perfect, but I'm reasonably happy with the return of the yellows and blues, and even the whites. Just look at the crowd that has gathered to watch the show! Tiny gas-powered planes, cars, and boats were a bigger draw than I would have imagined.
Next is this lively portrait of the Gonzalez Trio, hamming it up in front of Casa de Fritos. If you look in the shadows above the sombrero to the left, you can see the Frito Kid's smiling visage. Hey, Klondike!
Ah, Carmelita Gonzalez, my retro crush! I'll bet this trio was entertaining as heck to watch, I'm sorry I never saw them (or maybe I did and forgot it, like I forget everything else).
I hope you have enjoyed today's Restoration Corner!
Major-
ReplyDeleteThose are some pretty impressive pennants surrounding the Flight Circle - kinda ruins the 'future' effect. What a great image of the Gonzalez Trio - with the Frito Kid grinning widely from the darkened depths behind them.
Restoration Corner was humming along quite nicely for today's post. Thanks, Major.
The first pic was obviously taken on Mars, due to the reddish hue. Plus, there's that rocket in the background, so that confirms it.
ReplyDeleteWow! You made that Martian photo look just like Earth! There's a LOT of little boats lined up around the perimeter. How come so many? It really is amazing how well this photo cleaned up!
The Gonzalez Trio #1: We know that this one was taken in Mexico because Mexico is closer to the equator which makes it nearer to the Sun so it's hotter hence the red color. I can figure stuff out real good!
The Gonzalez Trio #2: Really nice restoration! This has got to be the best photo of the Trio we've seen here on GDB. Wonderful facial expressions!
Yes Major, I DID enjoy Restoration Corner! I love seeing before & after photos, especially when they turn out as nice as these. Thanks!
Congrats! You did an excellent job with the restorations, Major!
ReplyDeleteI like how the photo-bombing lady in the background of The Gonzalez Trio pic, looks like she's imitating the Frito Kid. All she needs is a bag of Fritos in her hand.
Thank you for sharing these, Major.
These look great - thanks for all your hard work and time, Major!
ReplyDeleteSue
THE FUTURE! CHAIN LINK FENCING IS IN OUR FUTURE....and if that is the case...please curtail the future. Not sure why chain link fencing would be in anyones future except for perhaps a prison yard...I know some people put plastic Christmas Garland in the chain link to make it read "Hedge"....but word to the wise: it does not read "better". Just saying. Planes on string are also part of the future...when the Mighty Microscope shrinks us down to tiny size, so that this "entertainment" is not only a show...it's a ride. I enjoy the TWA logo quite a bit as it reminds me of flight travel of long ago...with cocktail carts, and shiny carts with gloved ladies carving chateaubriand, and serving giant drinks...the did a stand up job of the TWA re-deux hotel at JFK. Fun fact: the (famous) architects son went on to become a cinematographer, who worked on "Symbiosis" the film shown in the Land Pavillion when it opened in '82. And now: that area is most probably shiny and very colorful. I speculate: I have not witnessed it. The Gonzalez trio looks very happy: in fact in any photo I've seen of this tremendous trio, they all look so very happy. I think I post date every coming in contact with the trio, but certainly have seen and heard my fair share of Mariachi's outside of Casa de Fritos. I am enjoying the photo bomber as well. She is doing a Cinderella "screw in the lightbulb" hand wave. Thanks Major for the very fine restorations!
ReplyDeleteHaving attempted a bit of slide color restoration myself, my hat and both of my shoes are off to you, Major. Well done!
ReplyDeleteNever noticed this before, but are the Frito Kid and Big Boy related?
You say the restorations aren't perfect.
ReplyDeleteI beg to differ.
"Of course, in Tomorrowland as in any glimpse of the future, there still remains a bit of today." (The Magic of Walt Disney World 1974)
ReplyDeleteThe "red" slides remind me of the late 1950's sci-fi film "The Angry Red Planet".
These restorations are great! The Gonzalez Trio pic came out beautiful.
Thanks, Major.
I love these!
ReplyDeleteThe flight circle with the Moonliner in the background! What could be better? Nothing! Yeah, I said it! Zip! Nada!
The Trio looks like they're having a great time! That's the secret of performing- always have a great time!
Great restos!
What a great restoration job. And the Gonzalez redo makes a charming historical picture come alive again, worthy of anyone's "The Disney That Once Was" collection. We just don't have enough smiling/laughing faces today. Yes, I too thought of CoxPilot the moment I saw the Flight Circle. I should have asked him years ago how he was able to pilot those planes without getting dizzy walking in such a tight circle. Attempts with my P-39 replica were dismal failures compared to the aerial artistry that was demonstrated there. At least it survived to be a static display, then disappearing, as many now-cherished toys did, when transitioning from childhood to adulthood. KS
ReplyDeleteNanook, pennants aren’t futuristic?? News to me! I do love the photo of the Gonzalez Trio, and the Frito Kid is a bonus.
ReplyDeleteJB, I know that they sometimes brought kids into the Flight Circle to fly the little planes (the planes were on cables, and the operator had to spin around and around), maybe they did something with the little boats too? You could bring in several kids. Even girls!! Part of me wants to keep working on the Gonzalez Trio picture, but I know I won’t do it.
TokyoMagic!, that’s the same lady that was gesturing at the castle a few days ago. What’s her problem??
Sue, restoring is fun - when it works! Otherwise it’s an exercise in frustration.
Bu, Tomorrowland was supposed to represent 1986, and I don’t know about your neighborhood, but we still have plenty of chain link in 2023. I don’t love it, but… it does the job I guess. A school nearby has decorative passionfruit plants growing on their chain link, so it looks kind of nice. I agree with you re: the TWA logo. Same with the long-gone Pan Am logo. I sometimes see photos of seating and service on old airlines, and today it looks ridiculously luxurious. Enjoy your tiny package of pretzels, today! I am so glad they figured out a way to save the TWA terminal at JFK, one of the most amazing buildings ever. Someday I hope to walk through it. Everyone loves a trip to the airport! I hope the Gonzalez Trio was OK “after Disneyland”, something tells me that it was not easy to find a gig as lucrative.
Chuck, you just never know with restorations, sometimes you win, sometimes… you weep. The Frito Kid and Big Boy are fraternal twins!
Steve DeGaetano, thank you!
K. Martinez, oh I know “The Angry Red Planet” all too well, with that big Martian spider critter dripping slobber (or is it venom?)!
Stu29573, as soon as I saw that red Flight Circle slide, I knew I had to restore it. Of course it would be better if it didn’t need restoration at all, but sometimes you have to “zig”. Or is it “zag”?
KS, I have to give the performers at Disneyland credit, they generally seem cheerful, at least when I’ve observed them. It’s still “work”, but they make it look fun. As for the Flight Circle, like anything, practice helps. Those guys flew those planes for hours and hours every day. They couldn’t help getting good at it!
That is one of the best pictures of the Gonzalez Trio I’ve seen. It looks like the photographer caught them in the middle of a genuine laugh. It makes me happy just to look at it. And the colors, wow.
ReplyDeleteI’m currently restoring a bunch of vintage slides and before I start to mess with the colors, it’s always fun to let Photoshop try correcting a slide that has faded into an orange mess. Sometimes it does a pretty good job even on "auto correct".
Beautiful restoration on these as usual Major.
If I didn't know better, I'd say the man in the first pic is taming invisible space-lions. I think I see one of my favorite cardboard "cone" hats on a lady in the background. That's such a good picture of the Gonzalez Trio. Do we know what their usual repertoire of songs was? I like Carmelita's braids. Thanks for the excellent restorations, Major.
ReplyDeleteSunday Night, yes, auto-correct can be a good way to get you halfway there (or sometimes more), though I usually have to remove yellow. For some reason it almost always makes photos too yellow! Glad you liked the Gonzalez Trio pic.
ReplyDeleteKathy!, I always forget about invisible space lions, much to my shame. I have to take a photo of my beat-up Disneyland cone hat, I’ve only seen a few over the years. The only song that I am aware of from the Gonzalez Trio’s sendup of “Cocktails For Two”, changed to “Tacos for Two”.
I guess a “MOONLINER” was a spacecraft name …. Like a Constellation jet plane …. In the first version of ROCKET TO THE MOON … there are rocket’s “ DIANA “ and “LUNA” ….. on the space terminal PA system a TWA flight “STAR OF POLARIS” is mentioned having arrived and it’s passengers are now disembarking …. But never in any of the attractions of Rocket to the Moon is “Moonliner” mentioned …. But for 1967 FLIGHT TO THE MOON there are flght numbers called out on several MCDONNEL DOUGLAS LUNAR TRANSPORT then the DOUGLASS “SPACELINERS” ….. and then by 1975 MISSION TO MARS …. Is the DC-88 MARSLINER…….. ( DISNEYLAND / WDW FLIGHT 295 to MARS )
ReplyDeleteAlso in the early ROCKET TO THE MOON attraction you see an array of other MOONLINERS awaiting lift off……
Always good to see the Flight Circle. I miss Cox Pilot, a boundless well of info.
ReplyDeleteI had a Cox toy plane, but it was tricky to start the engine, and trickier still to keep it running.
It had a little battery to start, which then was disconnected (too heavy for the plane), the motor then ran on compression, sim. to a diesel. Didn’t work very well.
I dismantled the engine & fuel tank and mounted them pusher-prop fashion on a home-made wood car with room for the battery to stay connected, and away she goes!
Beautiful color work, Major. You can tell when a pro is at work.
I wish I had heard the Gonzalez trio, I love that music style.
JG
I agree with everyone else that the color restoration is amazing - I've done a fair amount of restoration myself, and the challenge is real.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I have a perhaps minor quibble with the Gonzalez Trio image - it looks to me, based on the guitar strings, that the image is flipped horizontally. Maybe scanned wrong-side-to?
Mike Cozart, yes, the rocket was a Moonliner, from Chrysler! ;-) I’m trying to think of any Disneyland paper ephemera that mention the Moonliner, but I don’t believe that any used that name. I just scanned a 1955 ticket plan flyer, and it says “Moon Rocket Ride” (yes, it says RIDE)!
ReplyDeleteJG, yeah, I feel like I didn’t have any truly good Flight Circle photos until Cox Pilot was gone. Wow, it sounds like you are pretty handy, mechanically! Very impressive that you built your own toy car and improved on the store-bought version!
Hogarth, looking at it closely, you might be right!