Special Guest Photos!

Today marks the first of a series of blog posts featuring photos from the personal collection of JG! There are 18 images in all; I'll begin by sharing the scans of black and white photo prints from 1965. Walt was still with us! JG was kind enough to provide his own recollections for each picture; here's his intro: 

These photos were all together in an envelope with my Mothers handwriting Summer 1965. I have separated out the Disneyland and KBF pictures, there were other shots of campouts and similar events. Major already published the 3 KBF pictures on October 22, 2024, and one of the Disneyland pics for Fathers Day, 2024. To follow are descriptions of the Disneyland shots. I have no idea in what order they may have been taken, so I am just following the order of the file names that I gave to the scans when I made them. The photos are dated September 1965, but were probably taken around the end of August 1965. The farm work slowed down around this time, before the first of September when school started, so we traveled or camped often in the last week of August. 

First up is this great picture of a young JG and his father (Russ) next to a Mine Train! My Dad and I on the railing of the Mine Train load platform. I'm wearing the same shoes we saw in the KBF photos recently posted.  The KBF pics were probably taken the day after these Disneyland pics. Back then it was possible to do most of Disneyland in one day, and KBF was a half-day, so we could go there and still get home late that evening.

I wasn't sure if JG was on a Keelboat, or the lower deck of the Mark Twain, but he was in a canoe! Note the Friendly Indian Village in the distance. This is a fairly cool atmospheric shot of me in an Indian War Canoe silhouetted against the Friendly Indian Village. I absolutely don't remember this at all.

Lastly (for today) is another great photo of JG and his dad, this time next to a Keelboat: My Dad and I in front of the original Gullywhumper two-window keelboat from the show. I shared this photo with Dave DeCaro several years ago since he was collecting pictures of the two versions of the keelboat. It is in his permanent collection on the Daveland site.

MANY THANKS to JG for sharing these precious personal photos; when looking at so many of the vintage Disneyland pictures on this blog, I try to imagine myself walking around, enjoying myself, taking in the sights and experiencing attractions that have been gone for years.. But JG has actual pictures of himself doing just that! Stay tuned for more from him.

Vintage Disneyland Ephemera

Paper! Vintage Disneyland paper, that is. It's some of my favorite stuff! Let's take a look at two more examples, shall we? 

First up is a bag from the Gibson Greeting Cards shop on Main Street, an opening-day lessee that was there until sometime in 1959, when they left and Hallmark Greeting Cards moved in (opening on July 1, 1960). I'm only aware of a few items that are specifically from the Gibson shop - some of which I am still looking for. But a nice shopping bag from the store is pretty cool! I love the very 1950s look of this item, which is actually a bit generic if it wasn't for the added "Disneyland Card Shop" bit.

Greeting cards are the "miracle medicine",  in case you didn't know. My mom still has a "birthday list" and dutifully sends cards to what seems like hundreds of people a year, including relatives that I have never met.

If this next item looks familiar, you may be remembering Nanook's example, which he shared with us long ago. You have a good memory, because that was 13 years ago! Well, I have an example too, and it won't kill you to look at it, so here it is. As you can see, You're Invited to DISNEYLAND DAY at Holidayland, the now largely-forgotten picnic/play area to the west of the main park, taking up much of what is now New Orleans Square (including the Haunted Mansion show building area). This event was for the 81st Annual Meeting of the American Bar Association on August 27, 1958.

Get there at 2:00 PM, and enjoy some BBQ and "special entertainment". I wonder if that meant that the Strawhatters or the Disneyland Band might perform? Or maybe attendees could go to the big striped circus tent and watch Professor George Keller and his FELINE FANTASTICS. Favorite line: "Will wonders never cease: NO SPEECHES!". 

The back cover has a typical map telling folks how to get to Anaheim from as far north as Santa Barbara and as far south as San Diego. Not to mention bus schedules, info about ticket books, and don't forget... Holidayland is a "no booze" zone.

I hope you have enjoyed today's Disneyland Ephemera!

 

Fantasyland Views, June 1969

I have a series of slide photos from June, 1969 - they're nice pictures, though marred a bit by some gray skies. Still, some fun can be had!

I'm guessing that our photographer was standing on the poop deck (heh heh) of the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship (Chicken of the Sea would end their sponsorship in August of '69). Fantasyland is awhirl with activity and movement, with more stripes than you can shake a stick at. Try it, I dare you! Overhead, Skyway gondolas are surprisingly close, while below the Mad Tea Party and the Carrousel dominate the middle area, and Peter Pan's Flight and Mr. Toad are in the background.

Oh, Chicken of the Sea mermaid, we love you, but you'll be swimming away in a matter of weeks. At least Skully aka "Skull Rock" will still be with us for another 13 years. 

 

Schweitzer Falls, August 1961

SNOOZLES™. Jungle Cruise Snoozles, the most common variety. And while these are not the worst photos I've ever shared, they are not very good either. But hey, at least they feature Schweitzer Falls, back when it was a proper waterfall, and not the leaky faucet that it is today. In this first "standard view", we get to appreciate this natural wonder, backed by a lush jungle full of deadly-but-adorable animals!  

But of course the outstanding feature of any cruise along the Rivers of the World is a view of the BACK SIDE OF WATER. The sunlight shimmers through the cascade, and the roar drowns out the sound of rare aquatic lions sneaking up to eat us.

 

Random USA

I thought it would be fun to see some vintage Random USA scans! Let's start with this June 1961 shot of Mount Rushmore, in the Black Hills of South Dakota. This was only two years after Alfred Hitchcock's "North by Northwest" was a hit. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum designed the sculpture, called Shrine of Democracy, and oversaw the project's execution from 1927 to 1941 with the help of his son, Lincoln Borglum. The sculpture features the 60-foot-tall (18 m) heads of four United States presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. But you already knew all that!

Next is this fun photo of a giant globe (from a slide dated "June 1964"). What the hey? Doing a little research, I learned that this globe was originally constructed in the 1950s by Savannah Gas Co. as an emergency holding station for natural gas. It’s one of only a handful of remaining steel structures in the United States. 

I found an article about this globe in the Savannah Tribune, showing a newly-painted version of the globe: The globe, which weighs more than 500,000 pounds, had fallen into disrepair over the years and was recently repainted by the original muralist Eric Henn, who first painted the structure in 1999.

Next I have a MYSTERY SLIDE! I know how much you folks love a mystery. This photo of a stately tower was mixed in with some Detroit images, but I can't seem to find anything about the building, or where it is. It appears to be Art Deco in style, with some Moorish decor; I am confident that at least one of you will recognize this building!

I hope you have enjoyed today's Random USA pix!

Friday November 8 (Irene's Birthday)

Today is our friend Irene's birthday; and though she's gone, we can still remember her and think of all the fun she's given us with the many photos that she's shared with us. And hey, here are more! As I'm sure most of you remember, these photo were taken by her brother Bruce or by his friend James. AKA "The Dream Team".

This first one, from "sometime in the 1990s" is unusual, a look from a Monorail as it glided alongside Harbor Boulevard. There's the McDonalds! And in the distance is the Disneyland sign - the one that was built in 1989. It was 30% bigger than the old sign, and was there until 1999. Prince's favorite year. So... is our Monorail headed back toward the park?  

Here's another unusual Monorail view, this time taken from the Monorail station during the construction of the NEW New Tomorrowland. The one that everyone loved so much! I don't know if this was taken at the same time as the previous photo, though it is very possible. It almost looks like the photographer not only stuck his camera out of a Monorail window, but stood up (or held the camera above his head?). Anyway, in the distance you can see that the Peoplemover is gone, the Rocket Jets have been replaced with whatever that thing is, but Space Mountain has not been painted "bronze" yet.

And lastly, here's a photo that I believe was taken over at the Plaza Gardens, featuring three classic attraction posters. I've always wondered if these were actual vintage silkscreen examples, or if they'd been replaced with repros by this time? 

That's it for now... there is still a small stash of photos left from the Irene collection. Many thanks to the Dream Team.

Two Tomorrowland Beauties

I have a pair of beauties for you today! Starting with this Skyway view from August, 1962. It is POSTCARD WORTHY! I suspect that the picture was taken a few months earlier, but one never knows; I think of Summer days as being cloudless and the skies as almost a milky-white. It's a swell view looking down on Tomorrowland, with the Astro Jets, the Space Bar, the Melvyn Douglas Moonliner, the Wenmac Flight Circle, and in the distance, Melodyland. 

Next is a scan from a slide dated "July 4th, 1964". July 4th?? It was a Saturday, and the park was open from 9:00 AM until 1:00 AM.  Temperatures - a high of 80º, and a low of 55º. Attendance was 60,917 - pretty durn crowded. (Thanks as always to Jason's Disneyland Almanac for these statistics). A woman poses by the Clock of the World, surrounded by State flags and attraction posters. There's not a cloud in the sky! Perfect for nighttime fireworks.

Autopia, August 1961

Oh boy, here we go again. I apologize, because I forgot to set the "publish" time to the usual 12:01 AM. But it's fixed now! Sorry, folks!

No matter how many vintage photos I see featuring one of Disneyland's Autopias, I'm always happy to see them. And today's examples are no exception! The vehicles in today's pictures don't seem to jibe with the August 1961 date; they look like the Mark I thru IV body types (which, from what I have read, were more or less identical); my understanding is that the Mark V vehicles were introduced in 1959, so... two years earlier. But the woman to the right is holding a 1961 souvenir guidebook, so that pretty much confirms the date of the slide.

Here's a Mark V car, for your edification.

And here's a '61 Guidebook.

I feel like I messed something up along the way, but I don't think so. Those Autopia vehicles should not be in use in 1961! This is a scandal of epic proportions. If I suddenly disappear, you'll know why! Meanwhile, notice that the car in the first photo has one of those "Disneyland" signs that I covet so much, while the one below does not.

Frontierland, June 1969

Here are two nice-but-not-exciting photos from 1969 Frontierland. To be honest, I almost relegated these to a Snoozle Sunday, but had a change of heart at the last minute. "Give 'em a chance! Let 'em show you what they got!". 

We're looking at a Canoe through the sedges ("Sedges have edges, but rushes are round", says my theoretically-knowledgeable friend - though maybe they are something else entirely. Possibly pine trees?). In 1969, the Canoe CMs would motivate the guests through fear and insults, and boy-oh-boy did it ever work! I'm kind of supposed that this canoe in the photo is not producing a "rooster tail" of spray.

It's the Columbia, at rest in Fowler's Harbor; I swear, if that ship is in service for even half of the year, I'd be surprised. I suppose sailing ships need lots of maintenance, as their hulls become covered in weed and barnacles and angry queen crabs.

Skyway Views, August 1970

"Say, Roberta, whaddaya say we ride that crazy Skyway thing? I've heard it's the most!". "You got it, kitty cat! Let's ambulate.". This nice fellow is having a swell day at the park, what I wouldn't give for another trip on the Skyway. Below him, the Sub Lagoon (you'll just have to believe me). In the background, the Matterhorn, with a good-luck bobsled visible!

That's quite a view, wowee. Look over to the left, it appears that they had a dining area in that spot next to the water, I don't recall seeing tables there before (though I have no doubt that we've seen them in the past). "Big Red", the Mark II Monorail, is zooming below (playing cards in the spokes made the noise), while the dreamlike facade of you-know-what is in the distance.

Main Street, September 1985

I have a series of photos, sent to me by Sue B., and taken by her Dad, Lou Perry - these are all from Main Street, circa 1985. Lou seemed particularly interested in capturing some of the small details! It is a large batch, but there are a number of similar photos, so I edited them down to some of the more unique pictures. 

As you can see, it was Disneyland's "30th Year"; light pole decorations had boingy stars on wires; I kind of think Lou was also interested in the real gas-flame lamps. The sign for the Magic Shop and Tobacco Shop are in the background.

"Disney Clothiers Ltd." - Why didn't they give it a cute name, such as "Fancy Pants" or "Disney Duds"? Pay me, Disney! "I'd like a Mickey Mouse t-shirt". "We aren't a common souvenir shop! We are clothiers.  Get out, or I'll throw you out!". You have to admire the passion. 

Look at the crowds! So many people, with pockets full of money. Glorious cash. Moolah. And such!

Lou took a lot of photos of these lamps, he loved those boingy stars.

I was a little surprised to see the Kodak shop still there in '85, but it turns out that they were replaced by GAF in 1970, then Polaroid in 1979, and Kodak returned on May 1st, 1984. Meanwhile, that poor kid has been holding up that clock for hours, he's exhausted. 

It's the good old Main Street Cinema. Some people like seeing their movies in IMAX with Dolby sound, but I prefer a little room with several screens. It suits my short attention span, see?

THANK YOU, Lou and Sue!

One Blurzle™, One Snoozle™

I spun around until I was dizzy, and picked two slides out of a Tiffany favrile glass bowl. Yes, I broke the bowl because I was so dizzy, but that's beside the point. One slide was a Blurzle! It is dated "August 1965", and could have been a nice and unusual "you are there" Pack Mule perspective, but it's hard to take a clear picture from the back of an oscillating mule. That's why Ansel Adams stopped taking his large-formate photos of Yosemite from the backs of animals. Good move, Ansel. Nearby, a delightful Mine Train disgorges its passengers, with the help of a friendly Redshirt. 

I'm still sore about breaking that bowl! This next slide is from July 1964, with a too-dark photo of the Matterhorn. You just know that this was a brilliantly-sunlit scene, and yet... this was what we get. Did cameras have auto-exposure in 1961? Maybe Disneyland should do a Halloween overlay of the Matterhorn, it looks so gloomy here. How about a big Chernabog figure on top?? Maybe he could emerge at night!

Here's Chernabog, for those of you who need reminding.

Ashland, Pennsylvania

Today I am sharing some slides from Ashland, Pennsylvania. "Let's call our town ASHLAND!". Not a very flattering moniker, but maybe it was named after Sir Reginald Ashland III. I knew nothing about Ashland, even though I lived in Pennsylvania and am not allowed (by law) to return. Long story. Ashland is only about six miles southeast of Knoebels amusement park. Here's a map:

While we know that these photos are from Ashland, I did not know specifically where these images were from. But I found out! I sure like the "Henry Clay Jr." push train thingy. Walt Disney could have saved a lot of money if he'd built his trains to be propelled by guests, but he didn't have the VISION. In the background might be large chunks of coal. Coal?? In Pennsylvania?

Now little Henry Clay is in the foreground, but a full-sized locomotive named "The Henry Clay" is to the right. According to one website, The engine known as "Henry Clay" is a working, coal-burning, narrow-gauge 0-4-0ST steam locomotive used to pull passenger mine tourist trains almost a mile along the side of Mahanoy Mountain at the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine in Ashland, Pennsylvania. It turns out that "Ashland" was originally the name of Henry Clay's estate (the real Henry Clay was an American lawyer and statesman who represented Kentucky in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. He was the seventh House speaker as well as the ninth secretary of state).

And hey, what do you know, another slide (dated "August 1966") that I'd just scanned showed a group off people waiting to take a ride into the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine! What are the odds? Wikipedia says that Pioneer Tunnel is a tourist attraction featuring a tour of a coal mine on mine cars and a separate 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) narrow gauge steam train ride. It still has an official website HERE. "If you look to your right, you'll see some coal. Quick! To your left! More coal". You could buy a souvenir hat that looked like a piece of coal.

 I hope you have enjoyed your visit to Ashland, PA!

A Pair From June 1961

I will file these under "General Interest". You can only look at them if you are (or have been) a General, so you have been warned. Both are from June, 1961.

OK, now that it's just us Generals (well, OK, I'm a Major, but it's my blog, darn it!), we can relax. I like this first pic, a portrait of a mother and her 2 year-old (?) at Main Street Station, posing with the Fred Gurley - old #3. It was built in 1898, but looks shiny and new. 

Next is this very nice look at the Monsanto House of the Future. It's almost POSTCARD-WORTHY, though the trees and shrubs might obscure a bit more of the house than the International Postcard Bureau (or IPB) would like.  However, the gardens and ponds make the future look mighty inviting. Looking at some of the guests in this photo, it occurred to me that some were born around the turn of the century, and surely never dreamed that they would ever see anything like the HotF!