Two 1950s Beauties
Here are two special 1950s photos, examples that I particularly like. Hopefully you will like them too!
First up is this wonderful shot from a Skyway gondola, heading toward Tomorrowland. We'll pass above Holiday Hill, the future location of the Matterhorn. You can see some pathways and even a bench for folks who hiked up to the top to take in the view. In the distance are some familiar Tomorrowland features, the Autopia and the Moonliner, though I don't see Tomorrowland Station, which was built in April of 1958. I love the vast acres of farmland still present nearby!
From a different batch comes this nice picture of the E.P. Ripley as it chugged along through... well. I think it was approaching Tomorrowland - though, as in the previous picture, the train station likely did not exist yet. Notice the guests standing in the combine/baggage car. I'm not certain how the photographer captured this slightly-elevated perspective. It seems too low and close to have been taken from the Skyway or its terminal. Any ideas?
19 comments:
Major-
Wow... what beauties. As they say: The only constant in the world is change. I wouldn't mind being able to sit in that bench for a while - and just contemplate what was to come. (Of course, that would make me clairvoyant - which is fine by me).
The E. P. Ripley image creates odd vibes, with the background somewhat blurred-out, it makes the train stand out - giving it a sort of "miniature train layout" look. Very nice.
Thanks, Major.
Could the second one have been taken from the Mark Twain, and that is the "rear berm"? I know, I know....you don't like that kind of talk on your blog, Major! :-)
Oh, and have we ever seen people standing at that gate of the combine car, before? Or are they total rule breakers?
Among the sights you mentioned, we also see Screechy; he's flying straight toward us! Either he's coming over to greet us, or he's coming over to eat us. And we see the Richfield/Space Station billboard. Really nice, clear picture!
Major, you can't fool us; that's a model railroad setup. Notice how the foreground and background are out of focus; a result of the shallow depth of field, because the camera was focused on the tiny train. Although, the 'people' standing in the train car are remarkably realistic! (This is where I would say "April fools"... if it was April 1st.)
Is that the train Roundhouse in the background? If so, then we're in the vicinity of the future Small World location, right? If it's not the Roundhouse,... then nevermind. Maybe this photo was taken from atop Holiday Hill? (With a telephoto lens.)
Nanook, I see we had the same reaction to the train photo. I bet everybody else will, too.
Tokyo!, hunh, I didn't think of the Mark Twain... you might be right.
You were right, Major (even a broken clock, yadda, yadda, yadda ;-)), these are vintage beauties! Thanks.
Is that the train Roundhouse in the background? If so, then we're in the vicinity of the future Small World location, right?
JB, you might be right about the roundhouse part. I believe the original roundhouse for the train was located behind Frontierland. Someone else/Mike will hopefully confirm that.
^ I think you're right. Seems like GDBers discussed that just a couple of weeks ago?
I think the train photo was taken from the Mark Twain....and the Roundhouse, was back there back then as previously noted in a post. A early aerial shot would tell the story, but it seems that the power lines may be bordering West St. so this would be the curve after the former Bear Country and prior to Shiny Boy. I speculate, and only a guess. If I was on a train where I could stand up and roam around I would be standing up and roaming around like these kids...hanging out of the car...most definitely. Holiday Hill: "for hiking"....uh....riiigghhhtt..."hiking". Is that a gas station there on Harbor in the upper left? Future home of Hojo's. It's a shame that all that agriculture became a city...my point of view only, but I'm a plant guy. It does look like land is being cleared for the onslaught of urban sprawl, or in this case Disneyland sprawl. I'll say that looking back to the sprawl, it was an enchanting snapshot in time...with lot's of neon vying for attention. I like the benches an railings up there on the Holiday Hill lookout. I wonder if that might have been an unofficial "picture spot". To think that this pile of dirt became the inspiration for a mountain, coupled with a trip to Switzerland....funny how things work out. This could have been "Tom Sawyer Hill"...with all the things the island ended up containing...and I wouldn't have minded that either. Thanks Major!
Positive that's the NW corner of the Park, with the original "roundhouse" in the background. There are two sets of telephone poles in the background - the farther ones are on West Street, while the nearer ones (J. Nartubez' favorite) are along what was then Winston Street along the northern boundary of the Park.
I don't think you'd get that close-up of a photo of the train from the Skyway--I'd have to concur that it's more likely to have been taken from the deck of the Mark Twain. If that is the case, it's also more than likely that shed in the background is the first Roundhouse.
It is a very nice photo of the train at speed, with a definite "model railroad" quality about it. Very unique to see passengers in the baggage compartment. Thanks Major!
Also, in the Ripley photo, with the foreground and background blurred (even the rock right next to the "cowcatcher"), and the train in focus, suggests that the photographer's platform is moving very nearly the same speed, direction, and in almost the same plane as the train--further evidence of a Mark Twain vantage point.
The skyway picture is full of information, farms, eagles, Moon rockets, mountains, benches. I think this one in the foreground is Peter Benchley.
Seeing the ends of the orange tree rows reminds me of seeing those trees being irrigated, not sure why that comes to mind. Weather was too cold where we lived for commercial citrus, but east of Visalia and south to Bakersfield were lots of orange, lemon and grapefruit orchards. The flood irrigation system was different with a concrete riser at every other row, where other orchards might have a riser every four or five rows and fill a ditch leading to the tree rows. (We had one orchard where we irrigated 20+ rows with one riser). It was a capital-intensive layout, feasible because citrus was a high value crop, and necessary due to the close row spacing of the trees, which were pruned into narrow rectangular prisms for easier picking. Weird memory dump sorry.
Tinkerbell took the train photo as she was racing back to the barn for the next show.
Thanks Major!
JG
That corrugated steel building in the background of the RIPLEY is the first two stall “roundhouse” which eventually became the cycle shop which I mentioned a few posts ago was demolished to make way for GALAXYS EDGE. You are looking at the East facing end of the cycle shop - I’m not sure what year they stoped using it to store locomotives #1 & #2 - Steve knows I’m
Sure … but the rail was still in the floor of the building right up to its demolition a few years ago.
current Disney management is intent on getting that Walt AA figure in the park so they will have carte Blanche in removing remaining elements of “real Walt “ from Disneyland .
“Yes we tore down Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Castle to build the princes & prince & other fantasy palace condo …. But we have a mechanical Walt here !!! It’s ok.
“Yes , the The Mark Twain is now a Churro and Coke restaurant…. But Walt wanted Disneyland to change - it’s ok …we have an audio animatronic of Walt Disney now…..”
“Yes Main Street USA should be for people of all nationalities- so we are removing USA and making it Mickeys Magical Avenue …. But it’s ok : we have a Walt Disney animatronic figure to speak and approve everything we do ….it’s ok….Walt would LOVE Mickey’s Avenue!!”
Btw … you think I’m joking but everything I mention has been discussed … maybe I put a little twist to it .. but it’s all been seriously discussed at sone recent point. But it’s ok …. Walt Disney is in the opera house right now to tell you all out Disney and Marvel’s newest films and our newest planed residential communities !!!
Nanook, I was thinking the same thing about that bench; how nice would it be to enjoy a breeze and the beautiful views from up there! I meant to make a comment about the “tilt-shift” effect in that second photo, but forgot to.
TokyoMagic!, yes of course, that has to be it. I guess I never thought of the Twain getting that close to the train, but in the old days it could.
TokyoMagic!, I am assuming that those were the only guests in the combine, and they just decided to get up for a look out that big window!
JB, I didn’t want to mention Screechy in case he frightened some of our jumpier readers. A giant eagle flying right toward us is not to be taken lightly. If that second photo was for April 1, I would have Photoshopped myself standing with the two people in the train. Nobody would get it but me. Is that the old Roundhouse? I guess it could be, I never thought about it. If so, that definitely helps to place this image (which I believe is more to the west of the eventual location for IASW).
TokyoMagic!, yes, I believe you are right.
JB, I can’t remember a discussion about the old Roundhouse, but then again, I can’t remember what I had for lunch yesterday.
Bu, yeah, I think that the photo could only have been taken from the Mark Twain. I’m in kind of a hurry this morning so I don’t have time to dig up a vintage aerial view, but I’m feeling confident about that guess. I’ve heard stories about Holiday Hill being a favorite make-out spot, and it does look like it was built for that purpose. A couple could even wander a little bit off a path for some privacy. Yes, that’s a gas station, you see it in early pix, though I doubt it would survive for long after this photo was taken. I agree with you about Anaheim having no agriculture anymore (or none that I know of). Developers will not be denied. It’s a shame that the city “fathers” (and “mothers”) did not consider more open space and green areas for the future.
Chuck, is there a Latin name for the use of telephone wires as data in determining the location of a photo??
Steve DeGaetano, yes, there is no way that photo is from the Skyway. It makes no sense at all! I thought you’d like that photo :-)
Steve DeGaetano, good point, I did think it was odd that the train was mostly in focus while the background was not!
JG, Peter Benchley? Author of “The Deep”? Greatest movie (and book) ever, according to Cheech and Chong. I love seeing citrus groves, there aren’t a lot around here, but if I drive though “Old Moorpark”, there are still some beautiful, sleepy areas with ranches and orange/lemon groves. Those always remind me of my grandparent’s home, they had around 40 citrus trees on their property, right in the middle of the San Fernando Valley. Now there are 4 (ugly) houses on that site, ugh.
Mike Cozart, ah, it’s too bad the old Roundhouse (and eventual Cycle Shop) lasted so long, only to be torn down for Galaxy’s Edge. I generally like Galaxy’s Edge, but so much was removed for that new “land”. I already know that the Disneyland faithful and going to lose their minds over the Walt AA, even though I know I’m going to dislike it (at best). Such a tasteless idea, and I’ve yet to see an AA figure of an actual living person that was not a nightmare (even the Indy AA’s are pretty rough when seen in good light). I still wonder who in the Disney family supposedly gave the OK for that figure, since it is well known that Walt did NOT want that??
So true and appreciate the snarkiness!
I'm late to the party because I had to mow the lawn! No fair!!!!
I LOVE the pic of the train. Very "model train set-ish" After all, that's what Walt had in mind!
Stu29573, there's something about the slightly barren berm that also "sells" that photo as if it is a scale model!
Major, I believe the term you are looking for is Disneyofiliiatelephoniphotolocusinvenire.
Mike, those sound like terrifying ideas for the park. I hope someone gets the idea of creating an AI Walt based on his writings and talks, and then hooks it up to that AA. I hope it tells them that their ideas are terrible and they're all fired.
Chuck, I was testing you, and you got an "A", with a smiley face and two stars!
Dean Finder, ha ha, I hope they let Walt use a few choice 4-letter words, too!
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