It's time - unfortunately - for some Blurzles. They're like Snoozles, only blurrier. And these are all the more disappointing because they could have otherwise been nice slide scans.
This first one is dated "11-28-73", and we're aboard looking at a Tour Guide and her flock of ducklings, aboard the Disneyland Railroad. I think that's the parking lot in the distance, completely blown out by overexposure. Thanks to "Jason's Disneyland Almanac", we know that November 29th was a Wednesday, the park was open from 10:00 AM until 6:00 PM, and the high temp was a warm 77º, with the low down to 43º (there are no attendance figures for that day).
Next we head back in time to August, 1960, looking up Main Street from Town Square. A Streetcar heads toward us while a Horseless Carriage chugs northward; overhead is a banner advertising the additions of "Nature's Wonderland", "America the Beautiful", and "Art of Animation".
Major-
ReplyDeleteI'm ready for Nature's Wonderland right now-!
Thanks, Major.
I wonder if KS will know today’s cute tour guide?
ReplyDeleteI think I see 13 Blurzle trash cans! That may be a record??
Thanks, Major.
Blurzles and Snoozles and Guests. Oh my!
ReplyDeleteThese "ducklings" look like foreigners to me; New Zealanders maybe. (just guessing). Actually, only the pretty, prim, and proper Tour Guide is out of focus. Is the photographer on the Main Street Station loading platform?
It's amazing to see the Main Street street almost completely free of guests; they're all on the sidewalk, where normal people would be. It makes me wonder if I would stick to the sidewalks if I were at the Park today. "Art of Animation"... Was this "Art" guy one of Walt's chief animators? ;-)
Nine trashcans for sure... maybe ten... or even eleven. They're awfully hard to see on the blurry shady side of the street.
Sue, I was wondering if KS knew her too. And 13 trashcans??? I thought I was stretching it at 11!
Pretty nice pics for a Sunday. Thanks, Major.
Hmmm, now I seem to be having a problem with Blogger. I left a comment just now, but it's not showing up. Let's try that again......
ReplyDeleteI was only pointing out that the couple next to the tour guide were wearing name badges. I was wondering if there was ever a time when guests who took the guided tours were given name badges. I somehow doubt that though, otherwise we would have seen them in other photos.
Interesting how the tour guide has wrapped her arm around the vertical post of that 300-series excursion car. I wonder if this was a normal safety procedure since she might be standing to address her flock while the train was in motion or if she simply suffered from siderodromophobia.
ReplyDeleteI always found it odd that Disneyland had an exhibit about Art Babbitt, particularly after the intense acrimony between him and Walt after the 1941 animator's strike.
Note the wires strung across Main Street to keep the buildings from moving apart from each other due to continental drift and the Coriolis Effect. This is no longer a concern today as the combined weight of all the merchandise contained in those structures prevents them from shifting apart, although they are now slowly sinking at the rate of a quarter of an inch each year.
It IS interesting that the TG is hugging the pole...looks like she's trying to get away from creepy old guy, and has the expression to match. This WAS at the Main St. Station...it's interesting how 40 years later, all I need to do is see the overall lighting and I can tell where things were...the memory is an odd thing as I don't remember my name sometimes. Guests never did get name tags, however their "Tour Tag": the multi-color w/string attached tag DID have a place to write your name. Some did, and most didn't. They were the triangle shape at this time, and it's odd that I don't see them here: which leads me to believe that this was a bus tour that included a Disneyland Official Guided Tour...which explains their own name tags. One of the top bus tour companies was "Tauck Tours"...still around today, and I've written about these people before. Since they all were traveling together for sometime before arriving at Disneyland they were quite the "animated" group of "characters". There was always the chatty ones, the grumpy old man, the trouble makers, the wander-off'rs, and a "green meanie" or two. "How long is THIS line going to be" and "I thought we got to the front of the line" and "It's hot!" and "when do we get a break?" were the questions of the day...not "what type of plant is that?...or "when did Disneyland open?"....we all rolled our eyes a little bit with bus tours, but there were a couple of us to keep them wrangled: which made it kind of fun. On to Main Street and the trees that do not have scale. OK. They have scale. I've said it. I still like them though: and these are only 5 years in. They should have taken the time to move them instead of incinerating them...so expensive to do...but in today's market: they SO would have sold. I still harbor bitterness around that, but in the world of 1980's TRE...it doesn't compare to 2020's TRE. Just saying. Thanks Major for a Snoozley and Blurzley Sunday!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTour guide not exactly emanating “charmth and warmth”, but it’s probably not a fair picture. Like those stills of politicians taken from movies so they have their mouths wide open. No one is photogenic all the time, except possibly Catherine Deneuve.
ReplyDeleteSue, I can only make out 11 trash cans on parade, but I will take your word for 13 which would be a record. The most I can recall offhand was 10 in a pic of 1955 Tomorrowland, which included some bullet cans in the Autopia queue. This is a striking promenade, demonstrating a serious commitment to sanitation.
I know I’m old fashioned but I prefer the street paved in asphalt to the shiny new brick one, more like a real street.
Thanks Major for these views of the Park without my glasses.
JG
I'm surprised that the open sides on the DLRR and WDWRR cars survive today. With the liability lawyers nixing the chain railing on the drawbridge, I'd have guessed that they would have insisted on a conductor-operated side rail to keep passengers from falling out (or more commonly jumping out at the station before the train has stopped.
ReplyDeleteThe newer train at WDW's Animal Kingdom has side-facing cars with doors facing the platform that are opened by the crew,
Nanook, ME TOO!
ReplyDeleteLou and Sue, That would be very cool if KS knows her! Boy, I can’t see 13 trashcans, but maybe I’m looking in the wrong places.
JB, New Zealanders of all people?! Do they have a “look”? I do admit that the man with the flat cap looks like he could be from England or someplace peopled by British citizens. I assume that, yes, the photographer is on the platform. It always astonishes me to see pictures of Main Street in which most people stick to the sidewalks - today everyone just walks in the street. The poor Main Street vehicle drivers, they have to constantly honk their horns. Just run people over, I say! This is why I don’t have a theme park. I’ve always wondered about the Art of Animation exhibit, did it change constantly, especially when a new film was out? Or did it stay the same for years?
TokyoMagic!, I’m sorry you are having trouble with Blogger, it seems as if that is not an uncommon experience, sadly. Those name tags don’t look like anything I’ve seen at Disneyland, not sure what they would be for. I have a small collection of paper tags that tour group members would wear, they are colorful and easy to see.
Chuck, the arm around the post seems like a good safety habit, especially since the guide seems to need to deal with the guests sitting behind her. I’ll bet it was one of the many rules that guides had to pay attention to! Disneyland had an exhibit of Art Babbit’s work, but it was all of his most embarrassing stuff. That’s how they got him! I thought that the wiring across the street was to snag strafing Messerschmitts? Or Stukas (see the Dickies album, “Stukas Over Disneyland”).
Bu, the creepy old guy is sure pleased that the cute TG is sitting next to him! I’m sure that doing the same general task (i.e. giving tours to hundreds of groups) would make anyone form “sense memories”; certain smells or lighting can transport you right back to those years. I still smell orange blossoms and I’m in my grandparent’s backyard again (torn down for developers years ago). I have a group of triangular tour tags, there were several different types over the years, a friend of mine has some that I’ve never seen anywhere else. Mine are in about six different colors. Your descriptions of the various “types” you might have rings true, there is always the complainer, or the loudmouth, or the quiet types, etc. I would be the guy saying stupid things and waiting for everyone to laugh at my jokes! Those trees are 5 years old in 1973? I’m sure the thought of anybody wanting a Disneyland tree was completely alien to anyone, back then.
K. Martinez, she can’t smile ALL the time! After all, she has a lot of responsibilities, and a whole spiel to recite. Not to mention Creepy Grandpa, next to her.
JG, yes, I think our TG was just caught as she was (perhaps) checking on the members of her group, making sure they were safely seated, or maybe she was about to tell them some interesting facts about the Disneyland RR. Catherine Deneuve, and maybe Debbie Harry - both photogenic all the time! I can’t find 13 trashcans in that first photo, and I really looked. I agree about the asphalt, many people say that some streets (especially ones with streetcars) in old midwest cities had brick cobblestones, and maybe they are right, but it looks too “Six Flags” to me. It just doesn’t ring true somehow.
Dean Finder, I agree with you! You can’t underestimate the stupidity of some people. However, I got scolded when I leaned forward to take a photo as our train went around a bend, and my rear hadn’t even left the seat, so they are definitely watching!