7,000th Post!

Greetings and salutations to Junior Gorillas all over the world! Today marks the 7,000th post on GDB. For perspective, that's 653 posts more than 6,347! Makes ya think. Now that I am a famous blogger, I am used to hobnobbing with celebrities and fending off the paparazzi (two words: fake mustache). But I still have time for the little people.

I didn't have much of a plan for this occasion, so I decided to dig through some old boxes of previously-scanned slides and look for some better-than-average examples to share. It was hard to select which ones to use, and I admit that it's kind of a random batch. Sure, you've seen them before, but you've probably seen "Casablanca" more than once too. Anyhoo, sit back, relax, sip a frosty beverage, and enjoy the show.

First up is this very nice image taken from the Happiest Parking Lot On Urf, as a line of classic  automobiles makes its way into the park, beneath a picturesque sky (this one is dated January 5, 1957).  

Next is one that I've seen all over the interwebs. Facebook, Instagram, Gruntlog, you name it. We're right near the Monorail station at the Disneyland Hotel - two ladies (and one man?) seek shade on this presumably-hot September 1961 day while admiring the sleek yellow Monorail train. That yellow really pops against that blue sky.

This next one has always been one of my favorites, it's just a fantastic look at Main Street from the south end of the Plaza, with some great vintage people to add to the fun. The woman with the stylish hat appeared in one or two other photos, but this is the best example.

This next one is undated but certainly from the 1950s; it's a fascinating shot of a woman in a dazzling silver outfit, she represented the "Cole of California" shop on Main Street - they sold swimwear until the placed closed at the beginning of September, 1957. It seems clear that the dazzler is contrasting modern beachwear to grandma's old-fashioned wool atrocity. I'm wondering if the girl wearing that outfit was plucked from the crowd? It's also interesting that this is in the heart of Fantasyland, rather than in front of the Cole of California shop (which was next to Coca Cola Refreshment Corner).

We can't forget Adventureland! I love this wonderful "POSTCARD WORTHY" look at the load area for the Jungle Cruise (this is another from January 5, 1957). It really is astonishing to think that this area was just orange and walnut groves two years before this picture was taken.

I scanned several nice photos of the old Stagecoaches, but this one is ultimately my favorite. The be-whiskered driver looks like he's seen it all. Blazing sun, sandstorms, alkali watering holes, packs of hungry wolves, you name it. Nobody is sitting on the top level, maybe those guests were all picked off by giant vampire buzzards?

From September, 1961 we have this wonderful "you are there" shot from aboard the Nature's Wonderland Mine Train as it crossed the wooden trestle bridge. Below (out of frame to the right) was a group of bears, fishin', sleepin', and scratchin'. It looks like two guests (kids?) are inside the cab, while the Redshirt pilots the train from his seat on the tender. Love the purple ostrich plume on the souvenir hat! Too bad there are no pack mules crossing the natural arch bridge to the left.

This one is interesting to me, it must have been shortly after the Astro Jets were (was?) added to Tomorrowland (on March 24th, 1956). Notice that the central column has multicolored vertical stripes; I assume that this is how it looked "as delivered" (since this was an "off the shelf" attraction). Soon the stripes would be gone, replaced with a red and white checkerboard pattern that evoked early rocketry (and Tintin). 

I wasn't sure whether to reshare this scan, but ultimately decided that this Skyway view was worthwhile because of the miles and miles of undeveloped farmland just beyond the berm. And (incredibly) this was from March, 1958, Disneyland had already been around for nearly 3 years. Harbor Blvd. still appears relatively sleepy and free of motels and restaurants. There's just that lone gas station to the left. Note that the new Administration Building is under construction to the right.

I rescanned nearly 40 slides, but only 10 arbitrarily made the cut today. Perhaps I'll share the others at another time! Meanwhile, here's a rare 1957 photo taken aboard the blue Fantasyland Viewliner train as it was about to pass the pink Tomorrowland Viewliner train (somehow pink seems more "Fantasyland" to me). It's a great view of a short-lived attraction, the precursor to the Monorail.

That's it for today! I hope you enjoyed all 10 reruns. If you haven't seen them before, they're new to you! Thanks to everybody who reads GDB, and a special thanks to those who participate in the comments, and even those who sometimes email me with kind remarks. I still have over 1,000 slides that I have not scanned, so if all goes according to plan, you'll be stuck with me for a while longer.