A Pair From 1957
What could be better than photos of Disneyland in the 50s? NOTHING, that's what. Our photographer seems to have been on the steps of Main Street Station looking out toward Town Square. Say, that building over there is mighty impressive! It must be important - maybe the donut shop? Oh wait, the sign says "City Hall". Do they serve donuts too? I've always wanted to go up into the cupola so that I could look out one of those oculus windows. It must have been a warm day, one woman is partaking of a water fountain, while other guests wait for their ice cream treats.
I like the little "bouquet" of women (OK, one's a girl) in pale pink, daffodil-yellow, and robin's egg blue.
The only other scan that I have from this batch is a look at the Devil's Paint Pots in the Rainbow Desert (this is pre-Nature's Wonderland, remember). Bloop! Man, that bubbling mud looks delicious, and I brought a big spoon. I'm going to hop off the train and hope that nobody notices.
11 comments:
Major-
Inquiring minds want to know more about the Disneyland shopping bag seen in the 2nd image. And what is that out building behind the Painted Desert-? And why is the scene completely bereft of train tracks-? I think we've been gypped-!
Thanks, Major.
"...so that I could look out one of those oculus windows". Those windows are only 3 inches high; forced perspective, y'know. This is a pretty striking picture of City Hall; in focus, and we can see all the details.
That 'bouquet' of women look like they're dressed for the prom.
This is a nice close-up of the paint pots. In most photos they're usually farther away. OK, so what is that little building in the background? Probably some sort of maintenance shed. But why is it in plain sight? Like Nanook said, "Inquiring minds want to know"!
Nice pics to start our Monday. Thanks, Major.
Ah, it's City Hall - pre-Bu! I bet Bu's looked out of "those oculus windows," and can even tell us what's up there. Bu's one of the fortunate few who's also been inside Walt's apartment - back when all of Walt's clothing and furnishings were still in there. Even the grilled-cheese press. Bu knows all the secrets.
That building in the last image? Probably another hidden apartment. Though not very hidden. Like the one on TSI.
BTW, KS, I just read your comment that you added late to Saturday's post. Cute story!
Thanks, Major.
Yep, like Sue suggested, I suspect that little building in the second pic is another apartment. Maybe this was Lillian's apartment, before being relocated to Tom Sawyer Island? Perhaps she was tired of the train passing by every so many minutes, and causing her bed to travel from one side of the room to the other.
Thanks, Major!
I’ve never been in City Hall’s tower , but I have been up in the mansard attic section many times. In the mid to late 1990’s it was used for storage . Mostly guest relations obsolete stuff …. Tour guide tags , fan cards , press releases , press photos , and thousands of old “bricks” unused postcards - the smaller continental size that were phased out around 1983. They were saved to be used for guest relations and to send to people who wrote to Disneyland. Also stored up there were the old rubber hand stamps used to apply fluorescent ink to guests wanting to return to the park later in the day. When the Disneyland Gallery had extra stock of exhibit postcards they too would be sent to the City Hall Attic for storage - to be used my marketing and guest relations. One time while taking stuff up there my friend Susie L. Of guest relations showed us a section of stored office stuff and Cicely Rigdon’s office stuff was stored up there!! She had “retired” ( fired) like so many long time employees who were “retired” (fired) from Disneyland during the Paul Pressler - Cynthia Harris regime change. I knew Cicely abd her daughter Penny - Cicely used to hold a english Christmas party for CM’s of guests relations , the Disney Gallery and Disneyanna ( at least those of us she liked!!) when we asked her about all her office stuff being up there …. And that we technically could get it for her … she replied “they can keep the damn stuff” …. Her departure like so many long time employees - was harsh during the arrival of Paul Pressler and the relationships were now very very sour. Sad treatment to so many people who literally created what we know of Disneyland . This kind of severing was happening will all levels of employees … operations , management, sign shop, decorating , entertainment , costuming , maintenance ( big layoffs there )
Oh and eventually all that stored unused stuff in City Hall’s attic like postcsrds , fan cards , old special event giveaway stuff , old Disneyland flyers and gate guides - slow selling postcards , posters and lithographs from the Disney Gallery , were sold off at castmembers “overstock” sales held over at the Disneyland Hotel in a empty shop building at Seaports of the Pacific . These sales were held 2-3 times a year ….and were different than Disneyland property control sales.
Major, I don't think there are any windows in the tower/cupola--just louvered vents.
Major, you’re right, the little bouquet of ladies and girls not only appears coordinated, but like they are heading to the Flower Mart later.
The sign board next to the ice cream cart clearly states that doughnuts are available inside. I think these were made in the tower behind the little doughnut windows.
Those mud pots look delicious, perfect for dipping doughnuts into. The different colors are different flavors, of course. Blueberry, caramel-banana and strawberry. The lonely shed might be a pump building, much like Lillian’s apartment on TSI, used to drive the geysers and mud bubblers. Or it’s an Old Miner’s Cabin, inhabited by a cranky Old Miner and filled with dynamite.
The desert is looking pretty rough, but it is brand new after all. Probably most deserts would look like that to start off, and wear in as time went on.
Thanks Major!
JG
Based on the surrounding vegetation, that little shed might actually be really small--like only a foot or two tall.
I see a vintage stroller when they were just big enough to carry a small child but I don't see a small enough child in the frame.
Thanks, Major
Zach
Nanook, I think I’ve seen one of those shopping bags in one of the big Disneyland auctions of the last few years - but it is definitely a rare one! I’ve always wondered if that little structure in the Rainbow Desert hid access to pumps or something.
JB, I have the feeling you aren’t too far off as far as the size of the oculus windows goes. Maybe not 3 inches though! Still, smaller than we might expect. I think (but am not positive) that there might be another mystery shed/shack visible in the old Mine Train ride, but I don’t have time to look for it. I’m a very important and busy person!
Lou and Sue, imagine seeing Walt’s apartment when it really looked like Walt’s apartment? No pink-framed eyeglasses glued to a table (Lilly’s, not Walt’s!). And no grilled cheese press! Walt liked to be hidden, but he also liked attention. The shack was the best of both worlds.
TokyoMagic!, some say that Walt had between 10 and 15 apartments around Disneyland, and Lillian only had two, but that’s because she wasn’t at the park that much.
Mike Cozart, ha, I could not help thinking about how much collectors would have killed for all of that “mundane” stuff stored up in the tower. I’d love a well-used rubber stamp with glow ink all over it! Years ago, somebody had a box full of unused ticket books from all years, I wondered if the stash was from someplace like that tower? By the time I saw the box of ticket books it had been picked over and over, but I still got some, and am thrilled with them. It’s so crummy that Paul Pressler changed things so much that an old-timer like Cicely Rigdon was “over it”, you have to be pretty bad to snuff out the enthusiasm of somebody like that. Now he’s off ruining some other company (I presume). Gosh, imagine what was in her office!
Mike Cozart, man, those special event sales of old stuff make me really want to get my time machine working! All I need is some baking soda. I’ll bet there were items in those sales that are now worth thousands of dollars.
Steve DeGaetano, you may be right, though I could swear I’ve seen at least one photo taken from the oculus - perhaps the louvers were removed? I thought it could have been one of the Mysterious Benefactor’s photos, but if so I can’t find it. Yes, the image was a nice circle!
JG, I forgot about the Fresh Donuts sign in front of City Hall. A more civilized time. An old issue of Popular Mechanics said that the goo in the Paint Pots was some sort of liquified clay, but I can tell you that this is a fib! See my comment to Nanook, I also posited that the shack might have hidden pumps or some other mechanical equipment. I love the look of that old desert!
Steve DeGaetano, I do think that the shed is very small, certainly too small for an adult human!
zach, I noticed that stroller as well, and it does not look like the standard rentable kind often seen at the park. I used to know the name of the brand, because one showed up in another photo - but now I can’t recall it.
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