Fantasyland at Dusk, August 1970
I have two familiar scenes from August, 1970, but they are made interesting by the late afternoon/dusk lighting.
This shot of Sleeping Beauty Castle is very pretty, with only the topmost spires catching the last of the sunlight. Various lamps and lanterns are already lit. I'm assuming that the flowerbed directly in front of us is long-gone, but hey, maybe I'm mistaken. I can't help imagining being at the park on a pleasant August evening, with all of the music, clanging bells of the Streetcars, the smell of popcorn, and all of the other sensory pleasures to be had!
I probably should have shared this one first, but oh well. We have another late afternoon view, this time of the Matterhorn, still fully lit by the setting sun, while the swirls of yellow and purple flowers (at the entrance to Tomorrowland) in the foreground are in shadow. I tend to look for climbers on the Matterhorn in photos like this, but I don't think Hans and Otto are there.
9 comments:
Major-
Gotta love what the lighting from the setting sun does to these images-! Indeed, it's a great time to be at the park.
Thanks, Major.
I love the flowers in both images…especially in the MH shot.
A lot of sneakiness going on…
Possibly 3 killer swans in the first pic, imitating rocks??? And a sneaky Monorail in the second pic.
Thanks, Major.
….and a kid on his iPhone in the second pic,
on the left….
Wow, both of these photos are beautiful! Somebody knew what they were doing when they took these pictures. I especially like how he/she used the foreground trees to frame the focal point: The sunlit tower on the Castle, and the Matterhorn, all radiant in the setting sunlight.
And they made sure to prominently feature the flower beds as well. I like how, in the second pic, we get the two different distances of the yellow & purple swirly flower beds. (I was gonna make a "Knights Who Say Ni" joke here about shrubberies with a path running down the middle, but these photos are too good to make fun of.) ;-)
Sue, Ohmygosh! I didn't even see the Swans! I'm slipping! (That's how they get you; when yer not looking!)
Thanks, Major. I added both of these to my Disney Stuff folder.
Sue, and I think Cell Phone Kid is walking towards Screaming Kidney Stone Kid's tree!
TM! That could BE Screaming Kidney Stone Kid!
Beautiful pictures, Major! Our anonymous photographer knew what to do!
I’m nearly certain I would have visited the Park in August 1970 since late summer was our usual visit, just before school started in September. These photos are exactly my memory of Disneyland.
The Castle in proper pastels, banners and lanterns, none of the goopy stuff we have today. I think those flower beds are still there but with different plantings.
Monorail Yellow (or Gold?), the swirled flowers, Matterhorn, and a glimpse of the quiet souvenir stand. Perfect.
Thank you.
JG
Lovely photos....very good structure...and worth a "save". Magic Hour is a special time: as an old southern actress said to me very dramatically: "the time that separates day from night"....of course with a cigarette in one hand, and a cocktail glass in the other. I'd have to do some forensics to see what planters still exist, but there is kind of the same "feeling" albeit less floral. I think this is where they have those big speaker column ugly things....and of course the swans are long gone. Which I do understand but do not have to like. Sometimes things are difficult people! The charm it adds far exceeds the "trouble" of the swans. In my opinion anyway. I am not practical in that regard. In fact: not in many regards. Beauty and art are fleeting and must be enjoyed. Practicality puts railings where they shouldn't be...among other things. Swirls of flowers, and a yellow Monorail. At magic hour....perfect timing. Why they had to jack with this amazing area is beyond me. These windows of time in lighting are so very short, and seconds can make the difference. Lighting is everything. Thanks Major!
Nanook, the only problem is that when the sun sets, the vampires come out.
Lou and Sue, hmm, I guess those *are* swans, but I always thought that the swans were put away when it got dark? Maybe not?
Lou and Sue, that was when iPhones had dials.
JB, whenever I see photos framed by trees, I think of Viewmaster pictures, which always have those elements to help with the illusion of depth. Both of these do seem to emphasize the flower beds, which makes me think they were taken by a woman, but I also know that makes me sexist. I try to be good. I’m glad these pix were added to your folder!
TokyoMagic!, if you were that tree, it would not be good for you to have a screaming kid in your branches.
Lou and Sue, he came back once a year just to scream.
JG, I am positive that my family visited the park in 1970, that’s when we lived in Huntington Beach, so… just “up the street” so to speak. At the very least we would have done “Navy Nite”, an event we always looked forward to. As for the Castle, regular guests seem to like the “goopy stuff”. There’s no such thing as “too much”!
Bu, “an old southern actress”, very mysterious. Did she wear a big Scarlett O’Hara hoop dress? Did she swat you with her closed fan? Did she say “fiddle-dee-dee”? It’s too bad they can’t hide the park’s speakers better in some places, but then again, I think that most people don’t notice them. Instead of swans, they could have little animatronic Walts in the moat; it’s what the people want. The glimpse of the yellow Monorail makes me happy!
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