From the batch of 120-format slide transparencies comes two photos of the Mark Twain; these are early views, probably 1956 or so. And while they are not exciting, they are still very nice!
Passengers are disembarking after an exciting cruise along the Rivers of America. They saw all sorts of interesting things. Native Americans living peacefully in their village! Various forms of wildlife! A settler's cabin, blazing away (don't smoke in bed, folks). Best of all, ducks. So many ducks.
While Frontierland would continue to mature and get more beautiful, there is something so appealing about the early, scruffy, somewhat bare Frontierland that I love to see in pictures.
Major-
ReplyDeleteI love the make-shift barrier [apparently] standing on-end preventing folks from accidentally falling into the drink when boarding the Mark Twain. Also of interest - it appears chairs are available on ALL three decks of the river boat. (I wonder how long that lasted...)
Thanks, Major.
I'm not sure why, but these early shots of the MT and RoA always look more real to me. More like an actual riverbank along the Mississippi. Maybe because it looks more wide open.
ReplyDeleteThese photos really are quite good! Especially the first one. The angle of the Mark Twain looks more photogenic (this is its 'good side').
Notice the two ducks in the second photo; definitely AEDs. They are straddling the MT, left and right. This is a common AED attack formation.
People watching: There's the Somber family on the right side of the prow. All dressed in shades of gray. On the left side, is the Lady In Red. The reddest red made by the hand of man. And oh look! She has her white 'support hamster' riding on her shoulder.
Who knew more photos of the Mark Twain could still be interesting and photogenic? Thanks, Major.
I'm guessing that Fort Wilderness was one of the first things that was constructed on Tom Sawyer Island? We can see it in the distance, but the rest of the island looks like it still needs a lot of work before being able to open.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Major.
Nanook, maybe the idea of a barrier works almost as well as an actual sturdy barrier? And good eye on the chairs on all three decks.
ReplyDeleteJB, I agree, the early Mark Twain/River pix look more authentic to me too - as if we are in a town where the trees have been chopped down, but there’s still a little wilderness left before a whole town goes up. I think the first picture is a better one of the Twain, while the second shows the surroundings better. The Lady In Red is a bit ahead of her time, but in a year or so there will be a lot of her. A “support hamster”?? I need one! Maybe two!
TokyoMagic!, Fort Wilderness was certainly the biggest building on TSI, so it makes sense that they would tackle that first. But it’s a good observation!
“ Also of interest - it appears chairs are available on ALL three decks of the river boat. (I wonder how long that lasted...)”
ReplyDeleteThey changed that after it dumped over that one time.
Imagine having one of those seats on the upper deck! What a view that would be.
ReplyDeleteI’m still mildly surprised that the seats on the first deck are first-come and not reserved through the mobile app at extra cost. I’ve never had a seat on the MT.
These old photos make me wonder how many changes have been applied over the years for code changes to buildings. I don’t even know if codes apply to a river boat? Any ideas anyone?
Sue, I will share the Frank Lloyd story, but it takes a lot of typing.
Major, thank you for these very early photos.
JG
Lou and Sue, imagine seeing the Mark Twain completely tipped over!!
ReplyDeleteJG, I kind of wonder if the railing would be right at eye level on the upper two decks? Oh man, you should not have put the idea of reserved Mark Twain seats out into the world, now it’s going to happen. I assume there must be at least some basic safety codes for the Mark Twain, in case of emergencies, but we’ll need Bu or KS to help with those!
"I don’t even know if codes apply to a river boat? Any ideas anyone?"
ReplyDeleteWell, according to my 1882 copy of "Riverboat Codes and Protocols", by S. Clemens, it states that...... Oh dang..... that page is missing! I guess one has to expect that from a book that has been tossed around on a riverboat for a few decades. Maybe someone used it as toilet paper? Probably during the great TP Shortage of 1893.
JB, that S. Clemens loved to tell a tall tale, I'm not sure I'd believe anything he put in print! And I never knew about the shortage of trisodium phosphate.
ReplyDelete^ Har! Out of curiosity, I Googled trisodium phosphate. It is "used as a cleaning agent, builder, lubricant, food additive, stain remover, and degreaser". Sounds a lot like Shimmer! (Floor wax and a dessert topping).
ReplyDeleteTrisodium phosphate is the stuff they took out of dishwasher detergent when they made it "phosphate free" a few years back. I usually sprinkle a little bit in the detergent compartment to help with really heavy messes.
ReplyDeleteJB, it’s true, trisodium phosphate is a lot like Shimmer, I like to add it to soups, stews, pasta, pizza - everything! (Editor’s note: don’t eat it).
ReplyDeleteDean Finder, why is Blogger making everything italicized? Trisodium is great, but what about quadsodium? It’s one better!
Little-known fact: Regular triticale was treated with Quadrasodium to create quadrotriticale, a four-lobed hybrid of wheat and rye that was later instrumental in the successful colonization of Sherman’s Planet in Alpha Quadrant by the Federation in the 23d century.
ReplyDeleteJG
JG, I find that agro-historical tidbit slightly tribbling.
ReplyDelete