Happy New Year
Happy 2026! I hope that none of you has an ice bag on your head from drinking too much Yoo-Hoo chocolate-flavored drink last night. If so... you must pay your dues! I didn't really know what to share with you on this special day, so I ultimately just chose two fairly nice randos.
We will begin with this scan of a slide dated "January 8, 1958". So... not quite a New Year's Day pic, but pretty close. Christmas decor still adorns Main Street Station - I have the feeling that would be removed very soon. In the foreground, a wonderful parking lot tram, which is a tiny bit blurry. Motion blur? The station in the background is clear, as is the man to the right. With guests standing so close to the tram, motion blur doesn't make much sense to me, but I can't really explain the phenomenon otherwise. Still, it's a bright, colorful image.
Next is something kind of unusual; years ago, I bought a photo print from Howard Lowery, an animation gallery in Burbank - he used to have frequent online auctions that I usually lost. If this image had been an original transparency or negative, I have the feeling that the bidding would have been a bit more fervent, but oh well; it wasn't expensive, and now I'm kind of glad to have it. As you can see, Walt Disney himself is to the left with his good friend Mickey Mouse, while many other costumed characters (some from parades) are gathered nearby. At first I thought that the equipment in the foreground was some sort of reflectors, but they don't appear to be reflecting much.
There is a well-known postcard, and it's obvious that the photo session above was for the purpose of taking the photo below. Which is kind of cool! Are Walt's eyes closed in mid-blink??
I hope this is the beginning of a year of kindness, compassion, and happiness for everybody.
4 comments:
Major-
"... motion blur doesn't make much sense to me, but I can't really explain the phenomenon otherwise".
Once again, I blame the Coriolis effect - or perhaps the tram is just getting underway, or hadn't quite achieved a full stop yet.
"At first I thought that the equipment in the foreground was some sort of reflectors, but they don't appear to be reflecting much".
Those reflectors are, shall we say 'at ease', for the moment. Nice find from Howard.
Thanks, Major - and here's to a great 2026 for all of us-!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
What a fun start to the new year -- at Disneyland and with Mickey and Walt. (Who's that red rooster in the back, on the right, in that 2nd picture??)
Thanks, Major.
Hmm, nothing else in photo #1 is blurry, so I would say it is indeed motion blur. The foreground man on the right is probably standing still, waiting for the tram to pass by. Either that or everybody on the tram is extremely fidgety.
Photo #2 is really colorful, a bit out of focus, but colorful. Is that Kanga in the background, on the left? And a giant chicken? Like Sue, I don't recall seeing that featured prominently in a Disney cartoon. I think the 'reflectors' are early prototypes of the PeopleMover cars. ;-)
Photo #3- Oooh! Even more colorful! But a bit 'soft', like they smeared vasoline on the camera lens. (I guess this is a postcard?) We do see The Dent just a tad though. I bet the Big Bad Wolf bites his tongue a lot.
Nice photos to start 2026. Thanks, Major. Happy New Year to all. Even though, like today's photos, it's pretty much random.
Walt's suit is pressed well as always, too bad he didn't have long to go... Good to see the Hotel Tram in it's prime.
THANK YOU MAJOR and Happy New Year!
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