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!
11 comments:
Major-
I'm certain that child (who looks too young to be all of 2 years-old) will someday be as handsome as [fill-in your favorite movie star heart-throb, here]; but in this moment, well... the less said the better.
As for those folks, some of whom appear to have been born before the turn of the last century, are the ones toughing it out with 'formal footwear'. (That can't be fun).
Thanks, Major.
The mom looks like she's probably only about 19 here; they had 'em young back then. I like the pattern on her dress but I'm not sure what it is... sailboats and lighthouses?
Wow! This IS a nice photo of the HotF. All nestled amongst the alpine trees, it looks like a real home in a real location; Switzerland maybe... with the Matterhorn lurking just out of sight.
Nanook, haha. Now that you mention it, the kid does look a little like Spencer Tracy.
Nice photos, Major. Thanks.
Nanook, funny....I noticed the heel(s) on that one elderly lady, too! And are you implying that the baby in the first pic looks all red and pinched, and funny looking? Or are you insinuating that he scratches himself and peels bananas with his feet?
1894. Although 1898 was a good year too! It was thought that the Fred Gurley was the favorite engine of the line’s first Chief Engineer, Harley Ilgen. Perhaps the fact that Harley was also born in 1894 had something to do with it.
Also--thank you for not calling the engine the "Fred G. Gurley." The middle initial is correct for the man, but not the locomotive. An error that continues to be made by Disney to this day.
For a moment, I thought the second photo showed my great grandmother and my aunt. Then I zoomed in and the illusion disappeared. And then I remembered that my dad and aunt went in 1962, and my great grandmother was not on that trip. And then I remembered that I left the car running in the driveway. Assuming it’s still there.
Mom and her cute kid… I’m trying to read the sign on the little gate? Does it read “Employees Only”? Or maybe “Flag Rank Officers Only?”
The HOF had to be unsettling to many guests who were born when that locomotive was new. Imagine a plastic house? It’s really no wonder that the HOF style never became widely popular. People are most conservative about their homes and their favorite foods. I love modern style and I’m not sure I could be comfortable in it, TBQH.
Major, thanks for the promotion today, now I’ve reached my MacArthur Rank.
JG
Nanook, who knows… I thought the kid looked “older than 1, younger than 3”. But I’m no baby expert! I’m sure you’re right about many visitors to 1961 Disneyland being born in the 19th century, I was just “rounding off”.
JB, those glasses make Mom look older to me, but she probably was a lot younger than I figured. If I had a House of the Future, I’d want it surrounded by trees too. Privacy, and it looked good. Spencer Tracy? Hmmmm….
TokyoMagic!, I guess I’m the only person who wasn’t observing the footwear! The baby doesn’t look red and pinched, but he is funny-looking.
Steve DeGaetano, well, I guess I will have to hand in my blogger badge. 1894! And I’ll have to turn in my gun too. Yes, we are issued firearms. We don’t like to talk about it.
Chuck, I’m worried about these illusions you are experiencing. Have you looked an a person and imagined that they turned into a big turkey drumstick? That means you should eat lunch! Preferably a sandwich. I’ve never left my car running, but I once forgot to shut my car trunk, and amazingly, nothing got stolen. All the Faberge Easter eggs were still there.
JG, I think the sign says “Employees Only”. Or perhaps “Ecuadorians Only”. Hard to tell. As for plastic houses, I’m not sure people would buy them today, much less 60 years ago. I wonder how that example would have held up if it had been allowed to stand? As I’ve said, I love the HOTF, but would need it to be at least twice as big. Maybe bigger!
@ TM!-
"Or are you insinuating that he scratches himself and peels bananas with his feet?"
My, my - aren't we feeling a bit truculent today-! No, I was merely insinuating some of us require a bit more time than others to achieve our 'full beauty'.
You Know I’m HOTF Happy today! Even splashing fountain jets.
MS
Major, you're in luck. the HOTF project included plans where the segments could be multiplied over 2 or 4 support columns to make a bigger house.
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