Tomorrowland, July 1958
Let's enjoy two very nice Tomorrowland photos from July, 1958, shall we? Using my amazing powers of deduction, I know that two couples decided to check out this "Disneyland" place. I think they had a good time!
First up is this pic next to the Hat Bar, where you could get a hat "on the rocks", "straight up", or if you were really feeling adventuresome, you could have it drenched in rum and set aflame. Not for the feint of heart! In front of us, a woman poses fetchingly, with the Flight Circle right behind her, and the magnificent Moonliner beyond that. I believe that her hubby took this photo.
Next we are even further into the deepest, darkest reaches of Tomorrowland. The steps of the Skyway terminal are to our right, while folks wait for their kids to complete their ride on the Autopia (love the gas pumps). The new Tomorrowland train station (complete with train!) can be seen too.
15 comments:
Major-
Really nice images from Tomorrowland Ver. 1.0. (Do I spy Harry Belafonte waving at us in the 2nd image-?)
Thanks, Major.
I'll have me one o' them flamin' hats, to go! We used to have a plastic chair like those around the Flight Circle. Only, ours was orange. The fetching gal is carrying a lot of stuff. One of them is certainly her purse; it's written into the Constitution: All ladies must carry a purse! Wonder what the other stuff is? She's not a great-grandma but perhaps one of those bags contains an 8-piece fried chicken.
I like how the photographer used 'portrait mode' to get most of the Moonliner in the shot.
I vaguely remember seeing the Flight Circle when we were there in 1957. I had no idea what it was for at the time; there were no planes being flown that day.
[JB waves back at the couple in the second photo. They can see us, right?] The mother & daughter sitting on the bench (on the left) have the same hairstyle. And to the right of them, I like that guy's Hawaiian shirt. Not sure if it's a Hawaiian shirt though. If not, it oughta be.
Did the train have red & white striped awnings for roofs? Also on the sides? Powerlines! Seems odd to see an Autopia pic without seeing one of the Screechys. Nice view of the bare berm (are we allowed to say 'bare berm'? 'Cuz if we're not allowed to say 'bare berm' then I won't say 'bare berm'.) (Bare berm, bare berm.)
Nice fifties fotos of Tomorrowland. Thanks, Major.
I don't think security would be happy about the way that lady is balancing on the railing, while having her feet up on that chair. They are pretty particular about such things.
I have two chairs like those Tomorrowland chairs. One is dark gray, and the other has a black squiggle pattern on a lighter gray.
Thanks, Major!
The Hat Bar makes me think of Yoko Ono’s visit to Moe’s.
JB, yes, the freight train had red-and-white striped awnings added in 1958 when it was converted to side-facing seating in conjunction with the opening of the Grand Canyon Diorama (note the banner on the Tomorrowland Depot announcing that attraction). That set of cars is now known as “Holiday Red.” Two more side-facing, all-gondola car sets with striped awnings were added in 1966, “Holiday Blue” and “Holiday Green,” with stripe colors corresponding with their names. In black-and-white photos you can still tell Holiday Red from its striped sisters due to the framing of three former cattle cars like the one directly above the waving couple in today’s photo.
I think they called that style of shirt a “Florida shirt.” My dad had one he got in Florida in around 1958 that my sister appropriated in high school. That’s fair as I absconded with his 1970 Hawaiian shirt in junior high. To bring it full circle, I now own a Florida shirt in the same colors as the one in today’s photo, but the pattern features the kind of plane my dad was flying in Vietnam in 1970 when he met my mom in Honolulu for a week’s R&R and bought the Hawaiian shirt. That’s shirt just needs to visit Disneyland to fulfill the prophecy.
Mahalo, Major!
OK...I think that actually IS Harry Belefonte and his wife Julie....maybe this is why they are waving..."Hey Harry: look this way!" "click"....Some interesting shots this morning, as chain link fence will be allllll over the place in the future! Chain link has become kind of "vintage" in vintage properties. Frank Geary was a big fan of chain link...however I saw one building and thought it seemed a bit over the chain link top. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spx7BJfspbs . Before Titanic was a media explosion, Robert Ballard did the first "reveal" of the wreckage in a small setting at this location in the mid 80's. I don't think there were more than 20 people there. Who knew it would become such a "thing"....on from chain link to "Bars" Milk Bar, Space Bar, Yacht Bar, Hat Bar, Toilet Bar, Aluminum Bar....I'm sure most guys were thinking were is THE bar? Now they are putting in a bar next to Pirates at WDW....which I think would be kind of cool if they did it right, with a Blue Bayou meets swashbuckler kind of vibe...and not Vegas-y....more like being in the caves in the DL version...with skeletons and things....just saying...Booze is such a gigantic money maker, it seem kind of odd that they have a 2 drink minimum to "control things"...OK: bubble makers are out of control...let people get what they want..."doing the Kingdom" isn't like EPCOT in '82 when all the employees would go around World Showcase and get sloppy..."ooops....I think I outed myself. The plastic chairs with the bag lady are cool, and I would like some too...except in teal please. I'll take a rocket on the side...but sans the chain link. Another hot one today, everyone stay cool! Thanks Major.
Ew, she is putting her shoes on the chair seat. Oh well, Disneyland is fairly clean.
I’ll have a fedora, shaken, not stirred, three olives please.
Cute couple waving there. I see the sign advertises the new Grand Canyon diorama. This is back when they could add something without wrecking something else.
Great stuff Major, thank you!
JG
Chuck nailed the train info! Neat pictures today Major.
Nanook, it’s somebody with Harry Belafonte’s hair, at any rate!
JB, I think those plastic chairs used to extremely common. Now of course they are genuine Mid-Century Modern - which means they are expensive. I carry a fried chicken leg in my pocket in solidarity with the women who carry the rest of the bird in their purses. I don’t remember the Flight Circle AT ALL, even though my older brother claims that we saw it. Sometimes you do see pretty cool Aloha shirts in these old photos, right around the time that Hawaii became a State, which is interesting. There were different awnings on different trains, I think there was a red, a blue, and a green.
TokyoMagic!, security can lump it! That lady doesn’t have to live by their rules! Your “Tomorrowland chairs” might be worth $$$!
Chuck, just seeing that cartoon of Yoko makes me want to listen to all of her music. Thank you for the info about the trains, I did the bare minimum, as is my habit. You really went into detail! I wonder about the “Holiday” part of the names… I guess it just sounded cheerful? Or was there some sort of historical reason? Huh, I’ve heard of “Aloha shirts”, but never “Florida shirts”. I will never own a Florida shirt! My dad had lots of Hawaiian shirts when he passed, but I didn’t care for the patterns very much (many were newer “Tommy Bahama” shirts), otherwise I might have wanted at least one for myself.
Bu, I remember when I would flip through my parent’s record albums, and would always be amazed by one particular Belafonte album because it had a vivid magenta/pink background. It was pretty striking! Odd but cool somehow. Frank Gehry is hit or miss for me, I like some of his buildings (like Disney Hall in downtown LA), and am less fond of others (like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame). I’m not sure I ever want to go to a Toilet Bar. “I’m on the wagon”. It’s so strange to think of Disney parks where people can buy booze - and apparently even walk around with it? But all that sweet sweet money is just too much to pass up. Have they heard of heroin? Bubble makers, I watched kids pull on the trigger of their devices and not let go. I don’t even think they were enjoying them that much, but it “did something”. I guess at least they are not noisy. What’s wrong with teal??
JG, after seeing a lady change a baby’s diaper on a table in Tomorrowland, feet seem like no big deal. I guess the lady didn’t know that there were changing tables in the restrooms. Or she didn’t care. I still love the Grand Canyon Diorama, it has been improved over the years, better lighting, a few tasteful effects (buzzards circling in the distance), it is still beautiful.
Steve DeGaetano, high praise indeed!
That woman wearing the hat in the second pic got a permanent job in Pirates of the Caribbean as Tiny the winsome wench, chasing a pirate around in circles day after day, year after year.
Love the Tomorrowland Station pic. Very unusual shot. Thanks, Major.
I loved the Flight Circle. I spent a lot of time watching the model plane guys fly cool looking planes in circles. After much begging I got my parents to buy me a gas powered model plane. Unfortunately after the first few spins flying the thing I got so dizzy I actually lost it. That was the end of my model plane phase. I didn't watch any Flight Circle shows after that. I moved on to slot cars after that. They didn't make me dizzy. :-)
I tried ordering a drink at the hat bar once. They looked at me like "Oh, we've never heard that one before".
Thanks Major for the vintage photos of my favorite Tomorrowland era.
@ Bu-
"Booze is such a gigantic money maker, it seems kind of odd that they have a 2 drink minimum to "control things""
Something tells me you meant maximum, but I'm happy to patronize any bar requiring a drink minimum-!
Major-
"Frank Gehry is hit or miss for me... "am less fond of others (like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)".
Make that EMP/MoPOP - once aptly described as "a sea creature that crawled up on the beach to die". (I.M. Pei designed the R 'n R HoF).
Steve & Major, when you learn from the expert, it makes you look smart. :-)
While we’re enjoying a week of really old Tomorrowland photos, it’s kinda exciting that the latest Marvel movie Fantastic Four is being not just well reviewed, and outpacing Superman so far, but it apparently also features a bit of Buddy Baker classic Nation on Wheels music, AKA the Peoplemover theme. This is not just cool, but the whole thing is retro-Tomorrowland looking:
If the film succeeds, et voila, the IP needed to rebuild an another new
Tomorrowland upon.
MS
K. Martinez, ha ha, I was thinking, “What woman is he talking about?”, and then I looked. And knew. Go get ‘em, Tiny!
Grant, great to hear from you! I believe that they did remote control cars in the Flight Circle too? Or else they were cars on a wire, not sure what you call those. Not quite as fancy. I have to admit that I’ve wondered how the Flight Circle guys didn’t ever get dizzy! I’d love to see somebody ask for a “wooly fedora” at the hat bar, as if it was a drink.
Nanook, ah, I.M. Pei, well that guy never did anything important anyway. I almost said something about the EMP/MoPOP, but knowing that you had a personal connection to that place, I didn’t want to take a chance on hurting any feelings!
Chuck, wait, WHO is the expert??
MS, I don’t know why it matters to me, but I hope the Fantastic Four movie is good and is a hit. Growing up, I loved them in cartoon form. My best friend was a “Marvel Kid”, and he used to ride his bike up to Jack Kirby’s house (not too far away), Jack would sketch out favorite characters on large newsprint (I remember The Hulk and Captain America specifically). Yes, my friend’s mom threw the drawings in the trash!! Back on track: I love the idea of a retro-futuristic Tomorrowland world!
You just enlightened me about Jack Kirby…I’m probably the last man on earth to learn about him…is there a superpower in that? Awesome that he was cool with fan kids. BTW, the style has already arrived in TL-DL, helping Space Mountain queue look Retro-better now.
MS
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