Knott's Pitchur Gallery
It has been over a year since we last visited Pitchur Gallery photos from Knott's Berry Farm. Let's look at some NOW!
All of these are from Knott's Berry PLACE, which means they are from 1946 or before. This first one certainly feels like the 1940s. Two sweethearts pose in a pastoral scene; rolling hills, trees, a rustic fence, and a big sky full of puffy clouds. Love that pinstriped suit! The guy should be flipping a quarter and ending every sentence with the word "See?". I wonder if he was back from the war ("What war??") and was anxious to marry his gal?
This one is interesting, mostly because we have seen this same tableau before, with the Drug Store in the background. Except that every other time we've seen it, there was a guest or two posing with a burro. As you can see, a grandma and her granddaughter are about to be hugged by a black bear. Aw, so fuzzy!
I love the folks in this picture, they remind me of my family in the Midwest. And like the first photo, it really feels like the 1940s. I'm not sure I've shared a Pitchur Gallery photo with this particular scene before; there's not much to it, but it works for larger groups.
I have more Pitchur Gallery photos coming up!
12 comments:
Major-
All I can say is fashion and hairstyles certainly have changed-!
Thanks, Major.
Major, you didn't mention the guy's white shoes. They've got "gangster" written all over them (Really, if you zoom in, you can see "gangster" written all over them!). Oh, and a fedora; he needs a fedora. She doesn't look like a gangster's moll though. She looks like she's on vacation from Vassar College. Sophisticated, and very proper-like, see?
The bear ate the burro. The granddaughter looks very charismatic for her age. I bet she had a career in show biz. She looks sort of like Pia Zadora, circa "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians". Grandma looks like a sturdy farm wife. Gets up before dawn, milks the cows, makes six loaves of bread, and stuffs ten pounds of pork sausage links before the sun comes up.
More farm people. This time they've got the whole family. Nice photo; everyone smiling, no eyes shut. Very pleasant. Looks like Dorothy Gale's family, with Auntie Em and Uncle Henry (and all the rest).
Some 'feel good' photos today. Thanks, Major.
In the 3rd photo, the lady & gentleman on the right (next to the tree) almost look like they could have served as the stunt doubles for Walter & Cordelia...
Nice Knott's photos today. Thanks, Major.
-DW
….regarding the 3rd picture : I thought the exact same thing … I had to look close to see that WAS NOT the Knott family! They probably could have fooled some people back then!
BTW- a follow up to yesterdays “electrified Autopia” : Disney did not confirm the electrification of Autopia …. A Disney spokesperson made vague responses to a writer at the LA times and Disney then officially came back with more vague responses one needs to re-read “we have considered” …. “Someday” …. “The possibility” ….”for the future”…. are not “NEW ELECTRIC AUTOPIA OPENING SPRING OF 2029…..”. Infact there is a bluesky plan underway that proposes a replacement of AUTOPIA all together ……something similar in a way but pretty fun and exciting too and much more FUTURE…. but the vehicles will be electric.
Electrified AUTOPIAS I’VE BEEN STUDIED FOR DECADES, DISNEYLAND PARIS and HONG KONG DISNEYLAND have ( HK HAD) electric autopias … the batteries are a problem and do not do well to bumping and Jostling of the vehicles so spacing govenors were used … while loading the cars get quick charges to keep them moving through the day. They also make no noise so sound effects Facts are used to create futuristic space like sounds for the vehicles. There was a proposal for Tokyo Disneyland to electrify its grand circuit raceway but the oriole and company opted to remove the attraction altogether and they decided that the attractions time had come incidentally, all the 1983 Grand Prix Raceway cars were sent to Walt Disney World where they now operate in Florida replacing the 1971 in 1975 Walt Disney World, Grand Prix race Way cars. And it’s possible the current plans will never be greenlit … and AUTOPIA may remain … I have no problem with future Autopia cars being electric … someday.
The original 1971 and 1975 Walt Disney World GRAND PRIX RACEWAY cars have been replaced with the 1983 GRAND CIRCUIT RACEWAY cars from Tokyo Disneyland. The ORIENTAL LAND COMPANY - the owners of Tokyo Disneyland opted not to electrify their version of the attraction and removed it all together ( with STAR JETS too!)
Hong Kong Disneyland removed its electric AUTOPIA attraction.
Also the TOKYO DISNEY SEAS attraction BIG CITY VEHICLES - the fleet of limousines , touring cars , delivery trucks , Jitneys, tour used and Taxi cabs of the 1910-1915 period are actually electric and at one time the attraction was sponsored by TESLA.
- I have a sore finger and tried using the microphone for my response above … which didn’t work very well!!
These are certainly vintage folks and clothing. I can’t wait for Melissa’s notes on style and hair-dos.
The young lady at left in photo 3 has a hairdo much like my Mom wore in photos about the same time.
Happy Eclipse Day for all who can celebrate!
Thanks Major!
JG
"I ain't been hugged like that since your Grandpa passed away!"
All the clothes are great, but I think the VFA has to go to the lady in the third picture with the wrinkled stockings; she's the one who set the trend for those slouch socks the Japanese schoolgirls wear. Very forward-thinking!
Nanook, I guess you live in the Big City, but where I’m from, we still dress like they did in those photos!
JB, it’s true, the white shoes are a dead giveaway. I assume the fedora is on a chair out of frame. As for the little girl, I think tow-headed children always look a little weird/alien. I should know, I was one! An alien, I mean. I do love these humble photos of regular people from nearly 80 years ago, you get a little sense of what they were like.
DW, you are right, they DO look a bit like Walter and Cordelia!
Mike Cozart, ah, if only I found an unknown photo of the Knott family. But no such luck. Gosh, I’d have to go back and find the story that I read about the electrified Autopia, but I could have sworn that they talked about it as if it was a done deal. Only a few years away. If that’s not the case, a whole lot of people were misled. I have no doubt that the electric cars will have fake engine noises - hopefully not the “flying saucer” sound that electric vehicles make in the real world. I have always wondered how they chose that sound out of all possibilities. I did not know that Tokyo Disneyland removed their Autopia, maybe it wasn’t that popular there? Driving cars does seem like such an American thing.
Mike Cozart, so Tokyo Disney Seas essentially has an Autopia-style attraction? “Big City Vehicles”, not the most creative name in the world, but I guess it gets the job done. I’ll have to look for pictures of that one.
JG, the thing I noticed was the sparkles on some of the clothing in photo #3. Just the ladies, of course. I love how all the gals look like they made sure their perms were perfect before they went out into the world! The Eclipse, I’ll use a piece of punched paper to see if I can see our partial view.
Melissa, that lady should have bought LEGGS panty hose. Now all these years later, we can see her shame.
Hooray, Pitchurs! Aw, the first one has a heart carved in the tree behind them. I like her giant ring and his sweater vest. The bear pic is fun, Grandma’s really leaning in to that paw! In the third one, I thought the front left lady had a pillow in her lap but it must be her purse. Those perfectly arranged curls on everyone! I wonder what in Grandpa’s pocket — it almost looks like it says Be Sure; “Be sure to drink your Ovaltine”? Thanks for the Gallery pics, Major.
They sure do look like Mr. & Mrs. Knott! Maybe they're Knott's next-of-kin - what a STRONG resemblance. Or maybe those two were hired as decoys, to throw the crowds off when the real Mr. & Mrs. were trying to avoid crowds when exiting buildings. ;oP
Thanks for these FUN Pitcher Gallery photos, Major.
They look like Walter & Cordelia, but they're Knott. Thank you, thank you, I'll show myself out.
I think the lady in the last pic was Cordelia Knott's fraternal twin, Ophelia. She was know for hanging around the Pitchur Gallery and trying to "horn" in on guest's photos.
Major, the "Big City Vehicles" at Tokyo DisneySea are not an Autopia type of ride. They are much more like the Main Street Vehicles at Disneyland, offering transportation from one section of the park to another section. In addition to the vehicles that Mike mentioned, they also have a "paddy wagon."
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