Main Street, June 1960
I have one photo today, but there are some fun details to point out. First of all, take a look at this June, 1960 shot looking up Main Street, with that awesome banner overhead. Look at the new attractions: "America the Beautiful", "Nature's Wonderland", and the "Art of Animation" exhibit. Along the street, we can see lamppost signs with highlights from these new attractions - I sure wish I had some of these in my collection!
Even if I don't have any, I've saved good images of these signs when they show up (which isn't often). If you look to the left, near the front of the Penny Arcade, there is a beautiful sign for "America the Beautiful". I love the gold ink used in the sky, and the pink cherry blossoms - and the crowd of people at the bottom of the image, standing in the Circarama Theater.
To the right, on the lamppost with the American flags, you can see a sign for the Beaver Valley tableau in Nature's Wonderland. This example of the sign was very browned over the years, so I did a bit of Photoshoppin' to try to restore it a little bit.
Further north, and very hard to see, is this "Living Desert" sign.
9 comments:
Major-
The lamppost signs are always such a nice detail lining Main Street. As you point out, the America the Beautiful design is outstanding.
I don't recall this Town Square drinking fountain being equipped with an Ebco bubbler - but evidently by 1960 it had one. Apparently when the 'open plumbing' gave way to the fluted vitreous china-? enclosed base, it got upgraded. Looking at other images - by the late 50's, the upgrade had been completed.
Thanks, Major.
The smog is a little thick, down the street and in front of the Castle. Or maybe it's just "marine layer." Even though it's June, there doesn't appear to be any gloom.
Great pic today, Major! Especially with the rare construction wall in front of the future Hallmark store. Thanks for sharing!
The overhead banner reminds me of the "When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth" banner in Jurassic Park.
What is that pink and white wall on the right? Is it a construction barrier of some sort? Has it always been there? Why isn't the sky purple? Why are cats so finicky? (I see now that Major has already addressed the wall.)
I count at least 14 trashcans. And zero sacks of C&H Sugar. The water fountain looks nekkid without it!
Vandal! That beaver just chopped down a perfectly good tree! [JB begins to reminisce- Cue wavy rippling lines on screen]- Back around 1990, I was riding my bike home from work (about 3 miles), after dark. The paved bike path runs along the Willamette River, which is only about a block from our house. At that time there were no park lights on the path, so it was very dark; and my cheap bike light only illuminated things a couple of feet in front of me. So, I was tooling along, around 12 mph, when all of a sudden there was a huge tree lying across the bike path directly in front of me! There was no time to stop or even react. My bike hit the fallen tree and came to an abrupt stop... unfortunately, I didn't. I went somersaulting over the handlebars and landed on my back amongst the tree branches! I lay there for a couple of seconds, checking to see if I was in one piece. I noticed my vision was blurry in one eye; one of the lenses in my glasses had popped out onto the ground somewhere. I found it and put it in my pocket (after I got home, I popped the lens back into place). I got up and looked to see why there was a tree in the middle of the path. That's when I saw a gnawed tree stump next to the fallen tree. A beaver had chewed through the tree stump, causing it to fall. [Cue wavy rippling lines again.] So yes, the Nature's Wonderland beaver is a VANDAL! Good restoration of the sign though! ;-)
Thanks for the photo, and the lamppost signs, Major.
Great photo. Hey Mr. Cozart, when did that fountain go away? I think I remember using it; always loved the ‘drink it all in’ goodness, nourishing you here in the heart of the park.
Major, I don’t think I’ve ever seen that ATB poster…wonderful graphic as always.
MS
So. Many. Trash. Cans. I love these views of Main Street. Also, how few people are walking in the street.
The natural arch with bobcat sign is new to me, and I never really understood the ATB sign till now.
When I visit the Park next, I will carry a packet of sugar to recreate those ads, as I have learned by example. Unfortunately, this fountain has been removed, but there are others!
Thanks for a stroll down Main Street, Major!
JG
Nanook, years ago there was an auction with examples of almost every lamppost sign, I wanted at least one - but the prices were crazy, of course. Van Eaton sold a bunch of Joel Magee’s recently, but those were even MORE crazy. I couldn’t tell you anything about Ebco bubblers, is there something different between those and any other drinking fountain?
TokyoMagic!, you often see some pretty heinous smog back in those days, enough that even the castle looks a bit misty. I feel like maybe I’ve seen that pink and white construction wall in front of the Hallmark store before, maybe on the old “Stuff From the Park” blog.
JB, I’ve seen a few of those “over Main Street” banners come up for auction, what in the world would a normal person do with a 25-foot long sign?? You are lucky that the vandal beaver did not attack you with a switchblade, as they are apt to do. We used to see beavers in Minnesota, they usually took one look at us, slapped their tails on the water, and dove under the water. Still, it was fun to see something that we would never see in SoCal. After reading your story, I have an urge to chew on a tree.
MS, if I had time, I would go through my Town Square photos and see if I could figure out when the drinking fountain was removed. It would be easier on Daveland’s website! Those wonderful lamppost signs are not seen as often as the now-ubiquitous attraction posters.
JG, I think I see nine trashcans, though there might be more. The combo of pink, gold, and turquoise is somehow so classically 50s, even though it is a 1960 graphic. Didn’t Chuck take photos of sugar packets on a Disneyland drinking fountain? You should still do it, though!
Major-
"I couldn’t tell you anything about Ebco bubblers, is there something different between those and any other drinking fountain?"
Most 'bubblers' (the spigot portion of a drinking fountain) containing both the spout and the water valve, use a pushbutton. Ebco bubblers utilize a round knob with a rectangular "bar" extending off to one side. LOOK HERE. Ebco also makes a bubbler without the knob-activated valve - more typical on today's water fountains to comply with many ADA requirements - such as a large 'pushbar'. In the pre-ADA requirement days, drinking fountains with the valve located 'away' from the bubbler typically used 'cross handles' attached to plumbing beneath the fountain/bowl, etc.
I’m not aware of a specific date but it did have to do with the fountains needing to be ADA accessible. The fountains were relocated mid way in town square on both sides - facing mad hatter / opera house exit … and fire house / street car storage gate .
And the old fountain was in the way of holiday decor and props anyway .
Yes, Chuck established the precedent of bringing your own sugar to stage photos. I have learned from the master.
JG
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