GDB NINETEENTH ANNIVERSARY!
WELCOME to GDB's 19th Anniversary! As some of you already know, way back in 2006 I started this blog, with no idea what I was doing or how it would go. I certainly would not have predicted that I would still be at it nineteen years later. Google blogs are a joke to many due to their antiquity, but I have little interest in switching over to Instagram (or wherever). So laugh away!
As I've said before, I would not be doing this if it wasn't for the community of nice people that has (miraculously) gathered to enjoy this very niche subject - vintage Disneyland (I never tire of it). It's not a lot of people, but they are choice! So thanks to all of you who drop by, and especially those of you who take the time to comment - hopefully it's fun for you too.
I've been saving some extra-nice images for this occasion, from all around the park. Let's go!
First up is this aerial photo (possibly taken from an L.A. Airways helicopter?) circa September, 1963. I love aerial photos! As with any of them, it's fun to seek out little details, such as the Monsanto House of the Future, or the Flight Circle, or the Columbia at sail on the Rivers of America. Plus there's the "backstage" areas in the upper right corner... I wonder if that green field belonged to Disney at the time? An orchard of some kind still existed at the top center.
Tomorrowland is the closest, and in this zoomed-in view we get a good look at the Flying Saucers, the Astro Jets, the Yacht Bar, and the Matterhorn and Sub Lagoon.
Next is this rare view inside the Kaiser Aluminum Hall of Fame, with the mirrored sphere in which guests would see a knight, a fireman, and an astronaut (thanks to parts of the sphere being two-way mirrors), all extolling the virtues of lightweight, versatile aluminum. I seem to have misplaced the original slide, which is alarming (I'm sure it's somewhere), but at least I had this scan to share.
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Next is this nice scan dated "March, 1960", with the Mark Twain chugging past Cascade Peak, which is only halfway (?) through construction. It's sort of fascinating to see the structural elements - there does appear to be some steel in there, though the Peak's demise was due to rotting wood (or so they say).
The photographer snapped a second pic, so why not share that one too?
This next scan is a late addition, a Junior Gorilla was kind enough to send this slide to me. To keep! It's a beautiful, colorful shot of classic Fantasyland from May of 1976 (I believe, it's hard to read the date-stamp). Just seven years later, Fantasyland would be completely redone, and the Pirate Ship would be gone. But we can still enjoy looking at it here.
Next is this view looking down upon drained Sub Lagoon, circa March, 1961. The attraction had opened less than two years earlier, but that chlorinated water is tough on the props and vehicles. Workmen are placing new seashells and corals (notice the peach baskets full of those). It looks like some of the Subs supported the temporary walkways, while others are wrapped in plastic to lock in freshness.
This next one is still in Tomorrowland, from July, 1958. It’s a nice portrait of two happy women posing with the Tomorrowland Spaceman and the Space Girl (does anybody know what she was actually called?). To the right would be the "Satellite View of America", while the angled building behind them held "America the Beautiful" (in CirCARama). It's fun to get such a good look at the rare Casa de Fritos poster on display in the park.
And finally, here's a beautiful 1950s photo of the E.P. Ripley (old #2) as it chugged along. The engineer appears to be greeting us by blowing the whistle, and the bell is swinging too. I'm always especially fond of photos showing the locomotives that were built at the Walt Disney Studios. The color is gorgeous on this one! I am not sure, but I believe that the train was passing near the spot where Tomorrowland Station would one day be built. What do you think? I admit that the wide roadway near us kind of throws me, so I could be mistaken.
That's it for this time. I have more, but I'll save those for some other occasion. THANKS to all of the Junior Gorillas out there for all of your support over the years!
29 comments:
Major-
This is a lovely assortment of images. The 1st and 2nd images do a grand job of showing the [oft times] illusive canopy suspended between the show buildings in the original Tomorrowland. (It does appear to me as if the Sub lagoon is drained).
Love those star-shaped chandeliers in the Kaiser Aluminum Hall of Fame - an off-the-shelf fixture often seen back then.
Three cheers for Cascade Peak - you are sorely missed.
Mike can probably answer the question, but as far as I know 'Space Girl' was her official name.
Thank you , Major, for 19 wonderful years-! Each of those 6,940 days are better thanks to GDB-!
Congratulations on 19 years of sharing images of a world we will never see again.
Space Girl is sometimes called “LUNA” . Space boy … I’ve never heard of a name associated with him.
Is the the sail on the Jolly Roger broken??
Not only is GDB fun, it's an island of sanity... silly and absurd, but sane!
In the first pic (love it!), we can see at least one Bobsled, so this is our lucky day!
Kaiser Aluminum: Other than here on GDB, I've never seen the inside of this exhibit, and have absolutely no personal memory of it. It's a really nice, sharp, and well-exposed slide.
Cascade Peak construction: I wonder if those balcony-like things jutting out to the left and right are where the bighorn sheep with soon frolic?
Fantasyland photo: Wow, a riot of color, shapes, and movement!
Sub Lagoon: Interesting how the Subs are painted shiny dark blue below the waterline. That fiery red coral will look more like a dull, rusty red when viewed from the Sub portholes.
Spaceman & Spacegirl: I wonder if Spaceman had a battery-operated fan to blow air inside his helmet? Everyone has a nice smile in this photo. Spacegirl's pose looks like she is saying, "And the universe can be yours, too!"
E.P. Ripley: I agree, beautiful colors, set off by all that shiny brass. And it's especially rare to see the steam whistle a-blowin' and the bell a-clangin'!
Major, thank you for today's excellent photos, and for sharing your blog with us every day. Needless to say, I saved most of today's photos to my Disney Stuff folder. :-)
19 years! What a wild ride it's been, Major. As always, thanks for brightening my morning every day. I know it takes a lot of effort to keep the blog going day after day. And thanks for today's photographs – that aerial one makes me wish I could jump into the picture (with a parachute of course). Here's to another 19 years!
Congratulations! Quite an accomplishment! Mark from the InsightsandSounds blog.
Wow! Such a beautiful (and generous) selection of photos, for your 19th anniversary!
Nanook, I believe there is water in the Sub Lagoon in that first pic. We can see the "bubbles" in the water for the "DIVE! DIVE!" part of the ride. Also, it looks like there is a sub out there in the lagoon, adjacent to the Fantasyland Autopia's elevated roadway.
However, it does look like the water is drained from the Fantasyland lagoon that surrounds Captain Hook's ship, in that 1976 photo.
The interior shot of the Kaiser Aluminum exhibit is incredible. The details on the sphere are so sharp. Is that a figure we are seeing inside the sphere, on it's left half?
You know that your two construction shots of Cascade Peak will be showing up later today, on many Disneyland fan pages. And of course, they will be stating that it's the "Matterhorn" under construction. Oh, well.......those are wonderful construction shots, and we can even see the framework for that giant ledge that would be carrying the water over the Nature's Wonderland Mine Train tracks (Thunder Falls?) and dumping into the ROA.
In that last pic, could the train be running along the backside of Storybook Land? There was a road back there between that attraction, and the DL R.R. tracks. The road can be seen in that aerial photo, although there is far more growth on the berm in that shot. I suppose that could have happened between the 1950s train shot, and the 1963 aerial shot.
Thank you for a fantastic anniversary post, Major, and for 19 years of continual posting. I've been following you for 17 of those years! It's been said here already, and also in the past by others, but visiting your blog each and every day really does make the day much better! Thank you, for all that you do to keep it going. And here's to the next 19..........posts! ;-)
Happy Anniversary!!! All this time and I am not remotely tired of vintage Disney. Love that Casa de Fritos poster!! Congratulations, and my day would not be the same without a dose of this blog every day!!! THANK YOU!
Happy 19th Anniversary Major! The images today are fantastic, but of course the topper for me is that beautiful shot of the E.P. Ripely and her train at speed! The colors and composition are truly striking!
Congratulations! … to all of us, for all the fun we share… and THANKS Major for making it happen…for 19 years!
Wonderful images today. Hi HOTF. So that’s what was going on inside of Hall of Aluminum, I had no idea.
Cascade peek, was all wood? And water… it couldn’t last.
Casey Jones? Who dat?
MS
Congratulations Major on 19 amazing years! The whole Devlin family has always loved your work. Thanks.
Major, Congratulations definitely in order for 19 years of continuous goodness, dispensing sanity daily. One of the tenets of social media is “beat your drum and your tribe will find you…” and GDB is a prime example of this. You have gathered a wonderful tribe of friends.
Thank you for these fine pictures today. The Kaiser picture is particularly amazing, I would never guess that to be a Disneyland photo. And of course the Pirate Ship, the old attraction that brought me to GDB in the beginning. That’s a photo I could step into, but preferably at ground level.
I think the green field and the orchard are all Disney property by now, these fields, along with some orange groves in the future parking lot were probably leased back to the former owners to provide some income until the acreage was needed for expansion.
Those folks who will repost your Cascade Peak scan today will explain how the Mark Twain used to sail past the Matterhorn, back when the Sub Lagoon and the Rivers were connected.
The Space Kids look overly warm in those togs. I wear my shiny silver suit every day too, but the helmet is a nuisance, too big to wear in the car.
I think Tokyo is right, the train photo is behind Story Book Land, the power line is a clue, we see this line in photos of SBL Cindy’s Castle too. Splendid photo!
Thank you for all your years of effort, you have done more good than you can know, and I’m grateful.
JG
Happy Anniversary Major and many thanks. These photos are so colorful, actionful, and joyful that I feel 19 again.
In the bird's eye view it looks like the geysers are a' spoutin' in the Living Desert, and a red and white banner on the Sleeping Beauty Castle drawbridge has caught the late afternoon sunlight just so; it is positively POPPING. There is a bobsled visible in the Fantasyland pic as well ; doubly good fortune for all viewers today.
Congratulations Major! I appreciate the 19 years of clever comments to go with the photos. That's the best Aerial photo I've seen. I don't think I've seen the monorail garage before. I appreciate the daily reminder of just how cutting edge DL was.
Zach
Thank you for all the nice comments, folks!
Thank you for 19 years of entertaining views & comments. Here’s to many more!
Wow, 19 years!
I can't imagine doing a daily blog that long! You actually inspired me to start Shroudlines-The Blog in 2013, which morphed into Stu's Attic in 2016. But, these are weekly, and I've even missed a couple. In short, you are the bloggers' blogger, and I salute you, sir!
Sa........lute!
Congratulations is definitely in order!! Thank you for all your efforts in keeping the dream...and magic... alive! KS
(to the tune of the 30th Anniversary Parade:) "Thank you Major, Thank you 'Rilla's...let's all give a cheer! The whole Blog World just wants to thank you for 19 Happy Yearsssss!" I could go on, as that's just another mindless ditty that seared itself into my brains hard disk. Another is Totally Minnie...which I suppose could be called "Totally Major"....."When he flashes....those 70's staches...." Well, happy 19! I'm not sure what year I came to the party, but it seems like yesterday. I also like aerial photos a lot, and this one is a savable "beaut!" Pre-Small World and Pre-"New" Tomorrowland shows a much more interesting view of behind the scenes: which looks like is full of old buildings and such...and the vacant land: yes: the Strawberry Field was the Strawberry Field in 1982 and the Company owned the land. I agree that there was more land, and the company leased it back to the owners...later to be TRE'd. The Salute to Aluminum is AWESOME. What a great photo! I've never seen this big ball before. The things you can do with little money, a sponsor, and imagination. RIP Cascade Peak. Another thing, that if they wanted they could have re-built. I've said that just looking at water makes you cool: and this impressive waterfall was wonderful. Fantasyland is the "Nat Geo" view...which I always have enjoyed. Lots of jewel tones, and very very Disneyland USA. Given all the people at the Monorail station I dare to say that a drained sub lagoon is an attraction within itself: they all look mesmerized. Try to even FIND the entrance to the Monorail now....I digress....If I were to guess where that DLRR Train was I would say it's driving on the back side of Harbor Blvd headed towards Tomorrowland. Just a guess....The road looks familiar...I'll do some forensics. The enclosed cars must have been a much different experience...and seems more authentic actually. Thanks Major and Major Contributors for the 19 years of diversion and interesting rabbit holes. Due to GDB, I've remembered things I haven't thought of in 40 years....like I DID wear a helmet like Space-Guy....and it really messes with your hearing and overall wellness. I wore it as "The Dentist" in a production of Little Shop of Horrors. The costume designer wanted a more elaborate "gas mask". I had to "die" in that plastic bubble on stage, and try to sing and dance while wearing that thing....I loved the part, but that particular number was a tongue twister....all while encapsulated in plastic...Here's to another 19 years!!!
Wonderful pictures, today! I especially love the aerial, and the naked sub lagoon. Is it just my crazy imagination, or do I actually see Fudgie??
Happy 19th to The Best! Thank you for devoting years of payless hours to our fun community and daily laughs - we love and appreciate all you do for us.
Major, congrats on 19 years of uploads and your unique takes... and all the comments you've inspired. This Internet thing will allow the GDB body of work to live forever.
Some nice pics today, of course, as usual. From a Long-Time-Lurker turned occasional commenter!
Happy anniversary!! Thank you for 19 years of fun and memories.
Talk about a Grade A assortment of photos today! Can't wait to see what the big 2-0 brings.
Cheers to many more years, Major. We are forever in your debt.
Major- Happy GDB 19th Anniversary!
Subs...check, Pirate Ship...check, Train...check- you have everything covered...;-)
Many Thanks!
-DW
Nanook, what I wouldn’t give for one of those star-shaped chandeliers today!
Mike Cozart, I do remember Vintage Disneyland Tickets had a picture of one Space Girl, and they called her “Lana Luna”!
JB, sometimes you just have to be absurd. What else is there to do when sharing the 500th picture of the Mark Twain? The balcony-things on Cascade Peak are where the workers stood, I’ve seen other photos with guys on them. I’m wondering about the blue “bumpers” on the subs, at least that’s sort of what they look like. Did the subs ever bump into each other? My guess is that the Spaceman just had to sweat, there was probably no little fan or other luxury. Thanks for your fun comment!
Pegleg Pete, it sounds corny, but if GDB brightens somebody’s day, even a little (especially in todays nutso world), I couldn’t ask for more.
Mark, thank you!
TokyoMagic, yeah you can even see a sub in the lagoon, and the waterfalls are churning. It’s worrying me that I can’t find that Kaiser Aluminum slide, I worry that I put it someplace where I’ll never find it again (i.e. in a box of non-Disneyland slides). I believe we can see the medieval knight inside that “chrome” sphere, a sort of “two way mirror” effect. I’d love to see those Cascade Peak photos labeled as “Matterhorn” photos, that would make me happy. I didn’t know there was a berm that high in the area behind Storybook Land, but as I said, I really don’t know!
DKoren, Thank YOU
Steve DeGaetano, I was pretty sure you would like that one!
MS, you can find the audio to the displays from the Kaiser exhibit online, it shouldn’t be too hard. The exhibit doesn’t sound that exciting, but I love seeing this picture of it! Thanks.
Tommy Tsunami, thanks to you and your family for years of support!
JG, in those early years I truly don’t know how anybody found GDB, since I did no social media advertising. It really does seem as if my tribe found me! I’m sure most people would not recognize that Kaiser picture as being from Disneyland, I’ve mentioned how somebody once posted a picture of the Viewliner, and a genius commented, “That isn’t Disneyland”. D’oh. I’m sure that field and orchard belong to Disney now, but did they own it in 1963? I wouldn’t mind a shiny silver suit, though in my current condition I’d look like a baked potato. That’s two votes for “behind Storybook Land”. I’ll need to do some research when I have more time.
Stefano, I particularly love aerial photos, and am happy to report that I have four or five additional color aerials, and a batch of black and white aerials, including one that the Mysterious Benefactor confirmed as being from late 1955!
zach, thank you, it’s so much fun to look for as many details as possible on that aerial, and luckily there are a LOT of details.
MB, thanks!
Stu29573, if I didn’t “pre-load” blog posts in advance, I’d never be able to post every day. I’m almost embarrassed to admit how far ahead I am right now. Let’s just say I’m thinking about Valentine’s Day.
KS, I’m so glad you check in!
Bu, it sounds like those parade themes are worse than the IASW theme (which I like, as I’ve said before). It’s so crazy to think of a strawberry field still being so close to the park as late as 1982. I’ve heard an sad rumor about that land that I won’t mention here, in case it isn’t true - or even if it is. It’s fun to dream that a new Cascade Peak could be built, but don’t hold your breath. I love those colorful shots of the Old Fantasyland, it really is the most “Disney” of lands. I saw the sub lagoon drained several times as a child, but was too dumb to know that my Kodak flash cube would not illuminate the entire lagoon at night. I’m glad you found GDB, better late than never!
Lou and Sue, thank you so much for all of your help and support!
LTL, aha, I’m not sure I ever know what your initials stand for!
SunnieDaze21, I’m already saving photos for the 20th Anniversary, so stay tuned.
DW, I try to not just stick to Tomorrowland - a real issue for me, but I was lucky to have a well-rounded selection this time. Thanks!
Major,
Happy 19th anniversary. I've made and *abandoned* two websites in less time than that! :)
While I'm mostly here for the vintage Americana photos and old Vegas is always an interest, the looks at Disneyland back when it was an *event* to go to, making sure to wear the Sunday best, are just brilliant to see.
Thanks for all your hard work. Here's to another 19 years!
Cheers,
-AlbinoDragon
I check it every day! Thank you so much.
Later than usual to comment - just no time this morning when I checked in at breakfast.
The aerial is just stunning. Some many awesome details in one photo. All three capital ships. The Dominguez House. The Flight Circle. The Douglas Moonliner. The second Monorail maintenance facility (of three). The Rainbow Caverns show building (with a view of the buried part at the entrance). The Tomorrowland entrance mall covered to prevent Soviet satellites from spying on guests. I'm having trouble catching my breath. And...is anyone else finding the Rocket to the Moon show buildings vaguely unnerving from this angle?
Disney mountains grow like stalactites - from the top down. There's some steel in that superstructure, but there's an awful lot of wood framing that was probably inevitably going to rot and fall apart without proper care (just like my underwear).
Funny how the spanker (the last sail) on the Jolly Roger is essentially horiziontal. It almost looks like an awning for the quarterdeck/poop deck (they were really combined on the tuna clipper). And yes - I just used "spanker" and "poop" on a family blog. I'll head to my corner in a minute.
The subs in sans-liquid space is another gem. The sub scheme is reminiscent of some WWII and 1950s Navy paint schemes, with gray above to make it harder to spot from the surface and a black anti-fouling coat underwater to make it harder to see from above.
I have seen Space Man and Space girl also referred to as "K-7" and "K-8," setting up a "K-9" joke that never quite got sprung. It's sort of like a Steve Martin set from the mid-'70s.
Concur that the Ripley is steaming along the northern perimeter of the Park behind Fantasyland. Man, is that brass shiny! Green marker flags mean the Disneyland Limited is running in multiple sections today (just like it always does). Note the...logs?...between the roadway and the tracks. No idea what they were there for.
Thanks again, Major, for 19 wonderful years. I've been here for almost 17 of them thanks to a chance encounter on a Saturday morning when I think I was also looking for pictures of the pirate ship. It's one of the best things that has ever happened to me, ranking right up there with growing opposable thumbs and a prehensile tail. YOU ROCK!!!
AlbinoDragon, I like general Americana too… I try to post things along those lines when I can, but as you know, the bulk of my collection is DISNEYLAND! I’m glad you like checking in anyway.
Jimmy, many thanks for checking in every day!
Chuck, I feel like my love of aerial photos of the park are related to the hours I spent poring over my souvenir “Fun Maps”, only you get more great details behind the scenes. The stuff THEY don’t want you to see! Ha ha, the Rocket to the Moon show building. Paging Dr. Freud! I truly wonder if Cascade Peak would still be with us if Maintenance had taken a look inside once in a while. They could have caught that water damage early, and fixed it with FlexSeal. Heh heh, “spanker”. Oh, hello, Dr. Freud! I bought clippers for tuna, but so far I haven’t had any need to use them. It’s OK to use the word “poop”, I have given it the Pepperidge Seal of Approval. Good point about the “K-7” moniker for the Spaceman - I’m not sure I’ve seen “K-8” however. OK, OK, you guys win, the train is at the north end of the park. There, are you happy?? I guess those *are* logs next to the track, I wasn’t really sure. And yet, what else could they be? Aw, thanks for the kind words Chuck, I appreciate them more than you know.
Thanks for all the effort that you put into making GDB. Keep up the good work! Dennis, Levittown NY
I will confess to grabbing dozens -- maybe hundreds -- of GDB images for my various screensaver and desktop folders over the years. Born the year Disneyland opened, I missed the full boomer experience, but still just old enough to remember the earliest seasons of "World of Color", the syndicated reruns of the original Mickey Mouse Club, and seeing "101 Dalmatians" in an old downtown movie palace. Also getting to Disneyland and seeing the Art of Animation exhibit, the motorboat cruise, the funky low-tech arcade machines, actual old flickers in the Main Street Cinema, and staying outside the Babes in Toyland display (the rubber trees in the movie scared me and I KNEW they'd be in there).
I sort of miss being a Disney kid, but I have pretty much all the golden age movies and toons on discs, piles of reprinted comics, a Disney schoolbus lunchbox, and lavishly illustrated books. Plus, of course, this blog. Home is where immaturity is, on demand.
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