Mystery Amusement Park, 1950s

I have a set of four vintage slides from the 1950s featuring a small amusement park (or possibly a fair or carnival). I'm always a little disappointed when I don't know the location of one of these places, but there are not many clues - it all looks rather generic. But they're still fun to view!

Two boys enjoy a flight on a rocket. Not a lame airplane, like little babies might ride! Not only are they on rockets, but they have guns to shoot down pursuing UFOs - you can't be too careful. In the distance, two other spinning rides, at least one must be a Merry-Go-Round. 

I'm not sure what kind of ride this is... some sort of kiddy-coaster? The little girl has gotten into the spirit of things. Dad doesn't have a pack of cigs in his rolled up sleeve, I don't know how to process that. I wish I could read that sign in the distance, it might hold valuable clues.

Uh-oh, rockets again. Or still. I'm trying to figure out what is going on in the building to the left, possibly Ski Ball or something like that.

Oh nice, a little train! I get a "midwest" vibe from these (the surrounding land is so flat!), though of course they could be from anywhere. Not California, I'd wager. 

 

Beautiful Monorail - May 1984

I'm still out of town, but will be back soon. Have a great weekend!

Lou and Sue (that's Lou Perry and his daughter, Sue B.) really came through with some exceptional beauties today! There are three gorgeous shots of the Disneyland Mark III Monorail as it passed through the Hotel grounds. Check them out!

Zooooom... well, it's really more of a "shooooooshhhh...", but with a "hummmmmm....". But also like an electric guitar, totally shredding! OK, maybe I've gone too far. But how can I not, when looking at that super cool Monorail??

There it goes, back to its cavern, where it will disgorge the passengers - nutritious food for its young. Sorry, folks! I love the lush greenery, even if the flowers are poisonous oleanders. Deadly but cool. You can't even look at them for too long, or the poison will jump into your eyes. I did my own research.

Just a year or so later, the Mark III trains would be phased out one by one, replaced by the "Lear jet" Mark V trains, which I could never love. Let's take one last look at the Mark III red!

Thank you, Lou and Sue!

Happy Thanksgiving

Wow, it's Thanksgiving again! So soon. I'm still eating leftover turkey from the last one! It just keeps getting more flavorful and complex - quite the taste sensation. I am thankful for my small but somehow-loyal audience, all of you make GDB so much more fun than I would have ever imagined. So... thanks! 

I have a few vintage photos from Thanksgivings of yesteryear - maybe they will remind you of your own family gatherings. First up is this picture (circa 1962) of a boy with a bow tie. I've never worn a bow tie in my life - I am more of an ascot guy, as those of you who have met me can attest.  

The kid is laughing because he wished his family into the cornfield, and now all of the food is his. Can you blame him?  The turkey looks magnificent, cooked to perfection in mom's Hotpoint oven. There is a decorative centerpiece with fruit and vegetables that look suspiciously waxy. My grandma used to have wax fruit, and her terrible grandchildren (not me) ruined it because we, I mean they, could not keep their hands off of it. Look how soft the wax is! We, I mean they, could scrape the color right off with  fingernails. Grandma also had bunches of soft plastic grapes, it was so fun to pull the grapes off and throw them. Fun for my siblings, I mean, I would shake my head solemnly.

Aw, you know what? It's lonely eating all by yourself. Zoltan has wished everyone back from the cornfield, and you can tell that they are still a bit out of sorts about the whole thing (and have lost their appetites after eating so much corn). I'm trying to work out who's who; that's certainly dad in the middle - and maybe that's mom to his right (our left)? But who's taking the picture? Grandpa? The two older ladies wandered into the house, nobody knows who they are. And I can't tell is the young woman to the left is "big sis" to Zoltan, or "younger sis" to the mom. These things are important. 

Next is this photo from Thanksgiving, 1953. I can't tell if that turkey was always small, or if it has been whittled away. Dad is doing a good job, unlike me, to this day I am the worst at carving a turkey or chicken. It is my greatest shame. If you look behind dad, you can see what I believe is a ceramic "Faline" (Bambi's girlfriend) figure by the Evan K. Shaw company.

What do you think?

I hope each and every one of the Junior Gorillas has a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving!

C.K. Holliday, August 1965

Hi folks, just FYI, I will be away from my computer (though I will miss it terribly) for the next few days. As always, there will be new posts for you, even if I'm hanging out with the rich and famous. I'll talk to you all soon!

Here is a pair of scans taken as the sun was setting during perfect August day in 1965. The sky is blue and cloudless, and you can't be sad about being in Disneyland. 

I'm not sure if our photographer was just milling around Town Square, or if he/she was leaving for the day. Hopefully not the latter! There's still plenty of fun to be had, and if they leave, they'll miss out of the beauty of the park when it gets dark. Whatever the case, lots of other people seem to be filing out, and perhaps taking one last opportunity to buy a Mickey balloon for the kids. It will make for a fun reminder of the day as it hovers up at the ceiling for a few days!

I love seeing the C.K. Holliday stopped overhead, as passengers board back at the station to our left. Notice the signs for the "Tencenniel" up by the Train Station. 

The engineer is leaning out of the window, possibly enjoying some cooler air - I've heard that it could get very hot in the cabs of the locomotives. Through the archway we can see a sign for Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, on NBC! 

Frontierland, November 1968

Frontierland photos are certainly nothing new here on GDB, but today's first example is a little bit unusual. We get a nice view (from the Mark Twain?) of some of Rainbow Ridge's buildings on the very edge of town before civilization ends and THE WILDERNESS begins! Brake for critters. Some of these small structures appear to be homes, while others are "last chance" hotels (clean sheets just 25 cents extra); I wish I had a detailed map of Rainbow Ridge with official Disney identifications of all of the buildings! I'm not aware of any such map being made for the public, maybe a blueprint would have all of the callouts.

Less unusual is this shot of the Mark Twain (is there such a thing as an unusual shot of the Mark Twain?) sitting at the dock as passengers boarded. As usual, everyone rushes to the foremost parts of the boat (on all three levels), but there is still plenty of room for us. It looks like it was a great day to take a voyage along the Rivers of America!

Welcome to Disneyland, 1956

Fans of vintage Disneyland paper items are familiar with today's brochures, a 1956 gate handout: WELCOME TO DISNEYLAND, with Tinker Bell as our hostess. They are surprisingly common considering their age; everybody’s mom put them in their desk drawer and there they stayed, for decades. Here's the cover, with a greeting from "The Disneyland Staff":

When unfolded, you get three panels of useful information. Where to eat; phone availability; rest rooms; what to do if you lose your kid; and a list of various sponsored exhibits such as the Wurlitzer shop and the Crane Company "Bathroom of Tomorrow" (though they don't call it that here - maybe "bathroom" was considered to be a bit naughty?). 

I love this spot illustration of Tink!

The other side features a nice map of the park, along with Walt Disney's dedication speech from July 17th, 1955. I've seen eBay sellers claiming that this is an "opening day item", though it clearly is not.

"Say Major, you must be hittin' the sauce, you've posted the same scan two more times! Maybe sleep it off!". Well, I appreciate your concern, and yes, I did drink a bottle of A-1 steak sauce. Thanks to blogs such as Matterhorn1959's seminal "Stuff From the Park" I learned that there are, in fact, THREE different versions of this 1956 item. Things changed quickly in those early days! And I love variations.

"You don't really expect me to read that whole thing three times, do you? I got cartoons to watch!". 

The easiest way to tell them apart is to look at the exhibits listed under "Main Street"; as you can see, they all vary slightly. In my experience, the example to the left, with only five exhibits, is by far the scarcest, I'm guessing it must have only been available for a few months at most. I believe that it is the earliest of the three. The middle example shows the addition of the Yale & Towne "display of the locksmith's art". And the example on the right loses the Hollywood Maxwell Intimate Apparel shop (home of the "Wizard of Bras"), and replaces it with the North American Companies information center (also known as the "INA Carefree Corner").

In 1957, a smaller brochure with the same Tinker Bell artwork was produced, but we won't talk about that one! I hope today's post was not too nerdy for you. This is the stuff I love!

OK-zles

Today I have some OK-zles for you (not Blurzles, not Snoozles - it's important to know the difference). Both of these are perfectly OK! We'll start with this totally fine look at the Mark Twain (from October 1971). If it feels familiar, it's only because we've seen 10,000 photos that are just like it. And yet... it still sort of surprises me at the "forest" behind the steamboat. Where is everything??

Next is a decent picture (from August 1961) looking up at the Matterhorn, while two climbers ascend up the icy slopes. Watch out for abdominal snowmen!

In Memory of JFK

Today's scans are not the usual fun or silly subjects I tend to share, so I hope that you find them interesting, at least. Years ago I found some slides mixed in with other random stuff; they were taken a day or so after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated (on Friday, November 22, 1963) while his motorcade traveled through Dallas. So these were taken almost exactly 61 years ago.

This first one shows the sign to the Whittier Quad (now called "The Quad at Whittier"), which is located at the corner of Whittier Boulevard and Painter Avenue. In Whittier, in case you hadn't guessed! It was built in 1953 and expanded in 1965 with the addition of a 3-story, 248,000-square-foot May Company California department store. Arcadia-based Hinshaw's and Pasadena-based Nash's were other major tenants.

Here's a photo (from Wikipedia) showing the current sign for The Quad at Whittier.

This next photo is also from the city of Whittier - Sackett-Peters was a hardware store, located at 15214 Whittier Boulevard. I like their sign! It appears that the location is now a Harbor Freight store. 

Randos!

Here are two swell randos to brighten your Friday. TGIF, am I right? I don't know what "tuhgif" means, but it seems to be some sort of powerful incantation. 

Let's start with this view (from January, 1964) taken from the top step (?) of the Monsanto House of the Future looking down on our close personal friends. They're afraid of THE FUTURE, but not me! I welcome it, and all Soylent products, with open arms. The ladies appear to be holding souvenir guidebooks, and the one in teal has hers open in a manner which I find unbecoming. But I forgive her because she might be using it as an actual guide as she made her way through the park.  

Next is this very nice January 1971 shot (souvenir guidebook worthy?) of the Rocket Jets (extra points added because the rockets are UP), along with busy Peoplemover trains. Wowee, Tomorrowland was THE place for me in those days. The folks down below are a bit hard to see, I guess the film stock had a tough time with the brilliantly lit area above and the bit in shadow on the ground level.

 

Main Street, July 1964

If you could transport somebody from the 1870s to Main Street USA, they would be aghast at this busy big city! "What an eyesore, forsooth!" (I assume that's how people spoke back then). But to our 2024 eyeballs, Main Street looks pretty wonderful. Look at all those beautifull buildings, containing shops of all kinds. Do you need a Yale key made? Or maybe some home-made candy? Or candy with a Yale key in it (for your uncle who is in jail)? You're in luck! No need to walk, either, there are plenty of forms of public transportation; Surreys, Horseless Carriages, Omnibuses, and Horse-drawn Streetcars. The Firetruck will even give you a ride if you ask nicely.

Those guys to the left wear matching outfits, I wonder if they worked at the Wenmac Flight Circle? Thank you for your service, fellas! A boy near them is entranced at the sight of the Streetcar, or maybe at the sight of the horse. Let's stop at the Hallmark Store on the corner for some humorous greeting cards, and then get an orange juice bar at the Sunkist Citrus House.

 

It's a Small World, August 1981

Nobody ever took a photo of "It's a Small World" before August, 1981. It seems hard to believe, but it's true. They didn't want to be rude, you see. And I appreciate it. 

Here are two striped little girls enjoying the afternoon August sunshine with their souvenir hats. The hat to the left says something about looking at the world through rose-colored lenses, and sure enough, the lenses look like roses! The girl in the middle prefers a floppier style that protects her from harmful UV rays. 

Enjoy the GAF Photo Trail, as well as the second photo ever taken of IASW!

Character Parade, November 1968 - Part Two

I tolerate a parade! I admit it's not as catchy as "I Love a Parade", but I cannot tell a lie. Parades from 1968 might get special dispensation based on their antiquity, I can almost imagine televised footage of the event pictured below with Walt Disney's narration (though of course he was gone by then). 

When we last checked in, Baloo and King Louie had just marched by, and now we have the Three Little Oinks and the Big Bad Wolf . Mr. Smee is just behind, I assume Captain Hook is hidden by the BBW. Further back, Gideon, Honest John, and Pinocchio follow!

Seeing all Seven Dwarfs together is practically like a Beatles reunion. For a while they didn't get along, but after all, time heals all wounds, and now they're pals again. They don't wash much anymore, much to Snow White's chagrin, but she's not the boss of them! She's living in the castle, while they remain in their smelly cottage in the forest.

Lastly, here's Br'er Bear and Br'er Fox, from that movie that must not be named. I'm not crazy about the movie, though I do like the animated segments. It looks like the Strawhatters are trailing behind, possibly playing "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah". And way, way in the distance, I think I see Donald Duck!

I hope you have enjoyed this vintage character parade.

 

Beautiful Frontierland

Today I am sharing more photos from the Mysterious Benefactor! There's no Mark Twain or Columbia in sight, either. Instead, all of these photos show the Rivers of America.

First up, two young women gaze across the river toward a passing Canoe and the Old Mill, while two Rafts and a Keelboat can also be observed. The Haunted Mansion peeks up from above the treetops!

This one is from a different angle, perhaps from the area in front of the Golden Horseshoe? We're seeing the Mill from the side, with a non-operational Tom Sawyer Island Raft at the landing. There's the French Market (now "Tiana's Palace") to the left, while only a few columns of the Haunted Mansion can be seen.

The next four scans show the River at its prettiest, not to mention the fact that it is very convincing as a real river, and not something that was carved out of orange and walnut groves in 1955. The Canoe in the foreground tells us that this was taken from the Canoe landing; I'm a bit surprised that we can't see the Friendly Indian Village in the distance, though it might be just around the bend. 

Now we're looking southward, with the Canoe landing on our right, and Tom Sawyer Island on our left. 

The water reflects the sky in peacock-blue hues, while normal nice ducks that never explode rest nearby. Only experts can tell the difference, non-experts have to tap on the heads of the ducks. I can just see some collapsed patio umbrellas to the left, and perhaps a bit of the Hungry Bear restaurant too? Not sure.

And finally, another beautiful view, I believe that this was taken from TSI, though I am uncertain about that. It truly is hard to believe that a bustling theme park was mere steps from this scene!

THANK YOU, Mysterious Benefactor!

Main Street Nite, August 1970

A good night shot from 1970s Disneyland is a rare thing indeed. I have two night photos from August 1970, but they are "just OK". 

Looking south from the Plaza, we can see the streetcar tracks reflecting the lights of the Main Street buildings, including the INA Carefree Corner ("We don't care!" was their motto). We can also see the Eastman Kodak shop, the Coca Cola Refreshment Corner, and the Beef Jerky Shoppe.

Gee, why does this one look so yellow? And this is after I tried some color-correction. Then I remembered that the popcorn carts had those yellow bug lights (or at least I believe they did), nobody wants a moth in their handful of popcorn. You can see the Toasty Roasty Man, whose real name was "Mitch". He dreamed of being an astronaut when he was a kid.

Mystery Trains

I've been looking at my various "train related" slides, and decided to scan some, including today's mystery train from May, 1966. This miniature train looks typical of the kind of thing you could find at scores of amusement parks and zoos around the country, I don't even see any useful clues for the armchair detectives out there.

This boy has learned to "smile for the camera" well, the expression hardly looks strained at all! But I'd be smiling if I was about to ride a tiny train. A neighborhood appears to be at the top of the slope; it's driving me crazy not knowing where this was!

The boy is doing a pre-ride inspection to make sure that it is safe for all the other boys and girls. "I'm not sure this meets up with my standards, I will have to make a full report". In the distance, a Sinclair gas station. The buildings look older, possibly east coast or maybe midwest.

OK, when I first put today's blog post together, I had no clue about the beautiful locomotive pictured below. And then I did some sort of very basic blog search, something like, "tourist steam locomotives United States", and discovered that this is one of the Roaring Camp locos (at this website). Roaring Camp Railroads was the brainchild of Norman Clark, who came from a family of railroad builders and who dreamed of preserving both the spirit of early California and the state's stunning redwoods by constructing a park where logging would be off limits. The company, opened in 1963 in Santa Cruz County, operates two lines, both about a 75-minute drive south of San Francisco. The Santa Cruz Beach Train, which goes from Roaring Camp down to the Santa Cruz boardwalk, runs along the 1875 Santa Cruz & Felton route. The Redwood Forest Steam Train, meanwhile, runs along a wooded route with trestles. The 19th-century geared locomotives are better able to negotiate steep inclines than conventional steam trains.

Here it is as it looks today!

Nice 1950s Views

I have a pair of better-than-usual scans for you today - early views, likely no later than 1956. Check 'em out!

This first photo fascinates me, mostly because I can't figure out where our photographer was when he/she snapped it! We've got the train tracks to our left, along with that crossing that took guest back to the real world (aka "backstage"), and that roadway that parallels the tracks. THEN we get an interesting look at the Passenger Train making a turn. There's no river in sight, so this can't be Frontierland (or can it?); the berm to our right is puzzling. Looking at vintage aerial photos didn't help me. Is the train approaching Tomorrowland? Chime in if you know!

Meanwhile, let's enjoy this nice early view of the Passenger Train.

Also from the same batch comes this neat shot of a Stagecoach, it appears to be returning from its journey through the wilderness. This brings back good memories of when I took a stagecoach to school every day, boy what fun! We'd eat candy made out of tallow and sorghum. But I digress. One website mentioned that For its first year of operation, the Rainbow Mountain Stagecoach was known only as the “Stagecoach Ride”. The Stagecoach adopted its longer name in 1956 when the Living Desert expanded and become the highlight of the trail ride. I believe this is from before the Stagecoach went through the Living Desert, but could be mistaken.

And, why not enjoy a closer view? I love that there's nothing in the background except rugged hillsides, it really does feel like the WILDERNESS! Hey, could that be Day Sechler at the reins?