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!
11 comments:
Major-
A nice series of images from Lou. (I think I need to add more 'boingy stars' to my Xmas decorations this year).
Thanks to Lou and Sue.
Mr. Perry is at his best when he goes chasing after Disneyland details.
I want some "boingy stars on wires"!!! "You'll put your eye out, kid!"
Is that one of those very delicate cloth mantles inside the gas lamp?
So, I guess they only sold 3-piece suits and evening gowns inside the Disney Clothiers shop? First you buy your suit, or gown, as you're entering the Park. Then you go on Splash Mountain and get soaked.
In the Castle picture, Tinker Bell's zip line is clearly visible. I like how the trees make the Castle partially hidden. But alas, no Dent.
In the last pic, the Tobacconist Shop is peeking out from behind the Cinema marquee. Or maybe it's the Organist Shop, where you can rent an organist to play at your wedding.
Thanks to Lou, Sue, and Major (for the boingy stars)... OW! I think I just put poked my eye out!
Hooray for more Loupix!
I can certainly sympathize with Lou’s attention to detail. The details are one of those things that makes Disneyland - particularly vintage Disneyland - so endearing for so many of us. They are integral and essential to the experience, yet so few of us were willing to take the time and the precious film to record those details. I am so thankful for Lou’s passion and dedication and Sue’s willingness to share it with us
JB, that sign actually just says “NIST,” which, as we all know, is the acronym for the National Institute of Standards and Technology. This is kind of an odd placement; I think NIST would have fit better in Tomorrowland - especially since NIST was still called the Bureau of Standards until 1988 - but who am I to argue with the Federal government and Michael Eisner.
I didn't realize the Disney Clothiers shop went back that far. Apparently, it had just opened six months earlier. It still seems like a "newer" store, to me. Gee, time really flies!
I love the close-up details in Lou's pics! Thank you Lou, Sue and Major, too!
Lou’s “study” photos show Disneyland’s Main Street twilight color scheme - the last of the original 1955 plan. Changes were starting in 1985 and continued with some short lived test colors ( which were not too bad) then in the early 90’s the Euro Disneyland dark colors began to be implemented at Anaheim - variants of this mostly exist today. Have any of you seen the current MAIN STREET CINEMA colors? Some design CLOWN ( clowns wear too much make up!) decided to coat the structure in glossy MICKEY MOUSE colors : RED , YELLOW, BLACK , WHITE (with some gold highlights) a TACKY IDEA by a TACKY designer with guaranteed TACKY results!! JOHN HENCH WDI SCHOOL OF DESIGN gives this an massive F and suggests a automatic human resource PINK SLIP issue for removal immediately!
Thank Lou and Sue for bringing these to us. I’ve thought of the 80’s as the era of wild hair for ladies and pink and teal clothes with metallic fabrics. Surprised to see how normal everyone’s clothing looks. The boingy stars do convey some of that Hair Band sensibility.
I see the same guy in the ball cap and blue aloha shirt in a couple of pics, showing the crowds moved no faster then.
Major, your comment about all that money must have touched a nerve somewhere, now that on certain days a single day Park Hopper ticket runs $281.00, and everyone in that photo will have paid that just to get in…
I never saw the 80’s Park, so Thank you for posting these!
JG
Nanook, may I suggest boingy stars on a hat?
JB, I have to admit that the boingy stars would be dangerous at eye level. I don’t know if street lamps used those cloth mantles or not, maybe somebody else does! 3 piece suits? I only wear 5 piece suits. I always carry a few extra pieces just in case. Don’t forget that Wurlitzer used to have a shop on Main Street, so an Organist Shop is not out of the question. They were long-gone by 1985, however.
Chuck, thank you for the interesting information about “NIST”, a forgotten piece of Disneyland history. Walt loved weights and measures! He even used old-fashioned units such as rods and cubits, just for fun. (I had an elderly uncle who talked about plowing “40 rods” - or however much it was - it blew me away).
TokyoMagic!, ha ha, you’re like me, things that are 30 or 40 years old are still “new”!
Mike Cozart, it’s so strange, I feel like John Hench was responsible for the beautiful colors on the original Main Street, and yet, much much later, he seemed to completely second-guess his original schemes. Kim Irvine claims that he was the one who wanted the castle to be painted with more vivid colors. Look at that Disney Clothiers building, it appears to be pale lilac, which is pretty awful if you ask me. I agree with you about the Main Street Cinema, it lacks any sense of authenticity, and instead looks cheap and garish.
JG, some ladies had wild hair, I still remember girls that I knew who were very influence by MTV stars like The Bangles and Flock of Seagulls (maybe that was more in the 90s). Big hair with lots of Aquanet! WOW, I had no idea that a single day Park Hopper ran nearly $300, that makes me so mad. And it makes me not want to go, which is probably part of their plan. “The TRUE fans will pay anything!”. I guess I’m not a true fan.
Yes, the lamps used actual mantles at one time, as can be seen in these photos. This is authentic for period gas lamps, if the main goal is, um, illumination. Later on, the mantles were removed, and the "lamps" now emit rather dim open gas flames. Imagineer Eddie Sotto told me this was done because they liked the look and mood of the dancing flame better, but I think $$ might have been at least partially to blame.
Also--put me down as a huge fan of the original Main Street colors!
Kim claims.
I appreciate this castle photo for architectural details which look better without gaudy slathers of gilding, and a view without a statue in the way.
MS
The perspective on the Castle makes it look tiny, as though no one could walk through it, maybe even a big mini-golf hazard.
JG, the neon colors and big hair didn't become a thing until the very late 80s and persisted through the early 1990s. My HS yearbooks from that era practically need a second frame for the girls with massive teased bangs.
JG and Major, up until December 31, 2024, you can pay $400 for a one-day DL pass that allows you to skip the lines [on some rides] -- it's the "Lightning Lane Premier Pass." Am serious. Why cheap-out at $281.00?!?! (Note: I'm not so sure that the $400.00 includes the park entrance fee -- that may be separate....the internet info isn't clear.)
:o/
Glad you enjoyed my dad's pics.
Thanks, Major, as always.
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