Kids and Mice, December 1976

Hey, I get that today's photos are not that exciting. But you have to take the good with the... well, not "bad", exactly - maybe "dull" is an apt word. But let's not linger on the negative! Like Pollyanna, we can play the Glad Game, in which we should "find something to be glad about in every situation, no matter how dire". 

I'm glad that these two Norman Rockwell-esque kids have found Mickey and Minnie Mouse, two celebrities that haven't "gone Hollywood". They love their fans! I think that everyone is in front of the Emporium, although that bulbified ceiling to the left kind of throws me. Luckily, I'm glad that I have a smart and classy readership who will know just where this is.

I'm glad that the girl thinks she's getting a little too old for such silliness, and yet... she can't resist giving in. Her brother has no qualms, he's having a great time! And finally, I'm glad that we can all look forward to better photos tomorrow.

Stuff From the Box

"Hey, Major Pepperidge! What's in the box?". "STUFF!". Here are six more random items of mirth for you.

First up is this odd-looking ring; it is a Straight Arrow Golden Nugget Ring, given out by Nabisco Shredded Wheat in 1950. It's genuine plastic! Not that phony stuff. The Straight Arrow radio program is a western adventure series for juveniles which was broadcast, mostly twice weekly in the United States from 1948 through 1951. A total of 292 episodes were aired.

Initially broadcast on the Don Lee Network, on February 2, 1949, the program debuted nationally on the Mutual Broadcasting Network. All the programs were written by Sheldon Stark.

The protagonist, rancher Steve Adams, became the Comanche Indian, the Straight Arrow, when bad people or other dangers threatened. In fact, Adams was a Comanche orphan who had been adopted by the Adams ranching family and later inherited the ranch.

 

It was tricky to take a photo of the view as seen through the lens of the ring using my phone, but this ultimately turned out OK. This type of device, with a lens revealing a micro-photograph, is known as a "Stanhope". My mom gave me two of these rings over the years, and both of them lacked the photo - there was just a clear lens, and nothing else.

Here's a vintage ad that I scrounged from the Internet, for your edification.

This next one is something I picked up on a whim at a collector's show in Glendale - I'm not sure I'd buy it now, but I was probably hip-mo-tized by those four genuine Tanzanites, presumably indicating forty years of service with the Kroger organization.

Here's a heavy little copper charm from Knott's Berry Farm. Use it as a keychain, a watch fob, or just throw it at your friends when they aren't looking. I can't tell you anything about it other than what you can glean just by looking at it. 

Here's another employee badge that I picked up at a collector's show, for Fisher Body's plant in Hamilton, Ohio. What was Fisher Body? It was an automobile coachbuilder founded as the Fisher Body Company by Frederic and Charles Fisher in 1908 in Detroit, Michigan when they absorbed a fledgling autobody maker. By 1916 the concern had grown into one of the world's largest manufacturing firms, the Fisher Body Corporation, and was producing over 350,000 vehicles a year for nearly 20 different makers. In 1919, under the guidance of its ever-aggressive president, William C. Durant, General Motors purchased a 60% stake in the company.

Before stamped metal bodies and interiors became the norm, the company owned 160,000 acres of timberland and used more wood, carpet, tacks, and thread than any other manufacturer in the world. It had more than 40 plants and employed more than 100,000 people, and pioneered many improvements in tooling and automobile design including closed all-weather bodies. In 1984 GM dissolved its Fisher Body Division as part of its extensive North American restructuring.

These are not hard to find!

Next is this nice, vintage, genuine enamel pin featuring J. Wellington Wimpy, beloved character from the "Popeye" comics and cartoons. He made his debut in 1931, and was a fairly major presence in the comic strip, but became rather one-note when he debuted in animated form in 1933. He loved hamburgers! And his catchphrase was, "Cook me up a hamburger; I'll pay you Tuesday" (the line was altered over the years, I knew it as "I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today"). He would have gone perfectly with the Olive Oyl pin I pictured in an earlier blog post. Yes, I have the Popeye pin too.

And finally, here is an oddball pin that I know nothing about. And, because I can't read Cyrillic, I have no idea what it says at the feet of those sturdy, wheat-lovin' proletariats. The man who sold this to me said it was from a "harvest festival", but he was likely just guessing. It reminds me of a pin from the 1939 New York World's Fair featuring a statue nicknamed "Big Joe" (see two variations HERE).

Stay tuned for more STUFF FROM THE BOX!

Sub Lagoon, May 1960

Whoever took the photos in this May 1960 batch was mighty impressed by the Submarine Voyage and its Lagoon... there are no less than six images of it. Seems a bit excessive if you ask me, but something inspired them to keep pressing that shutter button. I'm only sharing two of the pix today, and I admit that they aren't super exciting - but I have to remind myself that there was nothing like the Subs anywhere else. Plus it was not even a year old!

The sky might be overcast, but I've got a song in my heart and a pocketful of nickels, so life is good. Down below, 3 gray submarines sit unused, but ready to be put into service if need be. 

Now there are four subs in "no man's land", what gives? Admittedly, it looks like it was a slow day, with not a single sub gliding through the lagoon, and no Monorail overhead - not even one Autopia car in photo #1. As usual, the slides are date-stamped "May 1960", but I would not be surprised if the pictures were taken in March or April.

 

Fantasyland, November 1961

I've got two standard views of vintage Fantasyland for you, starting with this look at the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship, circa November 1961. The late afternoon sunlight imbues the scene with a nice warm glow. Thanks to the wisdom and good posture of Junior Gorillas, I know that the entry door has moved from mid-ship to further toward the stern. This prevents the accumulation of barnacles and weeds, according to Chuck. Overhead, a Skyway gondola looks like it might get caught in the rigging of the ship.

From a different lot of slides, but also from November 1961, comes this photo of the Dumbi. Or rather of the EXIT sign? The flying elephants don't seem to be the main focus. Let's describe this composition as "artistic", that will go a long way. I don't mind it!

SNOOZLES™

Snoozles. They were first discovered in the 18th century by Edouard Snoozle, and now they are omnipresent in our society, showing up on Instagram, Facebook, and other social media platforms.

This first Snoozle is from 1970, a somewhat gloomy view of Main Street Station. It's really not a bad photo, but it's a bit boring (in my opinion), considering how many much-better photos we've seen of the same subject. The flower portrait looks nice! And I'm always happy to see the Santa Fe logo on the train station.

From May, 1960 comes this equally-gloomy view from the Jungle Cruise; that python is slowly suffocating that tree trunk, and he will soon devour it with one slow gulp. I know somebody who had one of these Jungle Cruise pythons in their living room, it was quite a thing to see! 

Random Amusements

Happy Valentine's Day! I didn't really have anything for this occasion, and then I remembered this photo in the collection of images from Irene, Bruce, and James. It is a window (somewhere on Main Street - perhaps the Candy Palace?) with Roger Rabbit dressed to the nines. I have the feeling that the red shiny heart on Roger's chest pulsed out in rhythm, cartoon-style! And no wonder, with Jessica as his sweetheart. He holds a framed portrait of Jessica in one hand, and a box of chocolates in the other.

I have some oddball, orphan slides to share with you today! This first one was hand-labeled "Disneyland", and is from January 1974. But we know that it isn't Disneyland! It is, in fact, Busch Gardens in glorious Van Nuys, CA. This has to have been taken from one of the boxy little suspended monorail cars that gave guests a general tour of part of the grounds, and even gave a look inside the factory, where zillions of gallons of beer were produced. I miss this place, which was not far from my grandparent's home - the monorail and amusement park were removed in 1979. I still occasionally drive past the factory just off of the 405 freeway, and you can smell a yeasty, malty aroma.

This next slide, date-stamped "July 1978", had me baffled. "Whaler's Wharf"? Was that at Sea World? Or even Six Flags Magic Mountain? No! This was Ports O'Call Village in San Pedro, CA. Ports O'Call was an outdoor shopping center that featured souvenir and gift shops, along with restaurants, sweetshops, fish markets, and quick-bite eateries. The "seaside village" encompassed 15 acres of shops, restaurants and attractions. A meandering promenade of cobblestone streets connected the specialty shops,  which had an "improbable mix of New England, Spanish Colonial, and Asian themes," stood from 1963 to 2020. I remember going here when I was a kid, my grandma liked to buy lemon-pepper seasoning from one particular store. But all of the charming architecture has been completely erased from my brain.

This next one, date-stamped "September, 1979" is a bit baffling to me. I thought it was from Knott's Berry Farm's "Roaring '20's Airfield" (there was a little airplane ride over there); but I found a photo of a ride that looked essentially identical to the one in the photo, complete with the checkerboard "control tower", from Six Flags Great America in Illinois. It's called the Red Baron, and it looks way too scary for me.

This last one, dated "September, 1970" was also a complete mystery to me. I asked friend of the blog Chris Merritt if he had any idea where this could be (because I mistakenly thought it might be Knott's again), and he thought it might be Sea World San Diego as they had this Cap’n Kidd’s play area at one time in the late 70s/early 80s. That's sounds like a pretty good guess!

I hope you have enjoyed these oddball slides.

50s Randos

Randos! You never know what you're going to get with randos. It could be a photo of somebody's big toe, or a picture of the Tomorrowland Spaceman eating a Zagnut bar. You don't see either of those fascinating subjects today, but I think you'll like  them anyway.

Here's a neat undated slide featuring one a Rainbow Mountain Stagecoach rumbling along the trail right next to the Rivers of America. Perhaps somebody on the Mark Twain saw it pass and thought that it was worthy of a photo. The Stagecoaches ran from June 26, 1956 until September 13, 1959. The landscaping looks kind of scraggly and undeveloped, so I'm guessing that this photo is from earlier in the attractions' run.

Next is this nice (undated) photo of a Mom and her son on the Tomorrowland Autopia. Those little cars took a beating, even with the springy surrounding bumpers. Notice on the side, below the steering wheel, you can see the external brake lever that Cast Members could step on, for safety's sake. I love all of the Bob Gurr Autopia designs (even the ones that he disparages), but the Mark I thru IV (essentally visually the same) are classic beauties.

 

Town Square - July 17, 1980

Here's a trio of scans from photos taken by Lou Perry, courtesy of his daughter, Sue B! They are from July 17, 1980 - the actual day of Disneyland's 25th Anniversary, though things look surprisingly uncrowded. Where is everybody? Other than those subdued blue and silver banners, you'd hardly know this was anything but an ordinary day. Notice the "Fun Rope", which was a B-coupon attraction in 1980, and we can see why. I'd love to know what was on display in the storefront to the left. I'd also love some eggs.

More guests are hankerin' for a big plate of eggs. Not cooked, just cracked raw into a glass, the way Rocky Balboa liked them. Gonna fly now! I'm still baffled by the lack of crowds - maybe they celebrated the 25th anniversary on July 18th, when the park opened to the public? 

There's Mickey and Minnie! With what might be a line of people waiting for their turn for a photo. You'll often find Mickey and/or Minnie in the park right around this same area today. 

THANK YOU, Lou and Sue!

 

An Odd Selection From the 1970s

I grabbed three scans from a batch from sometime in the early 1970s - they're not super amazing, but three of them will fill you right up.

"Old Unfaithful" is as spectacular as I'd always heard. This miracle of nature erupts sporadically (hence the name), and puts the geysers in Yellowstone park to shame. Plus, Disneyland doesn't have any smelly bison to deal with! Win/win.

The Canoes were still the "Indian War Canoes" in the 70s - I'm judging this by the way the CM in the bow is costumed. The attraction was renamed "Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes" in 1971 (I believe), so that helps us date these. The old Fishing Dock was now a place to smoke cigarettes and talk about the latest episode of "All In the Family".

A nice lady poses for a photo on the bridge over the moat. The park looks so laid-back and pleasant, that was a good day to visit!

 

Stuff From the Box!

Stuff From The Box! It's the Stuff that America is talking about!

Let's begin with this awesome premium Jet Plane Ring, a Kellogg's PEP giveaway (Pep cereal had the best prizes) from 1948. A ring with a gleaming silver jet plane on it would be cool enough, but this one is spring-loaded! Just pull the little tab (to the right) back and fire the plane into mom's meatloaf mix.

The planes would get lost, though to be honest these rings are not terribly rare. Still, they are pretty cool, so they can go for over ten million dollars.

Here's a vintage comic's page ad. Mother knows best!

Next, two similar badges with a jolly little elf waving to us. One says "I am a pal of Tiny Tawker". Huh? As far as I can determine, Tiny Tawker appeared on calendars with illustrations by famed artist Andrew Loomis in the 1950s. Tiny did elf stuff (as you might expect). It seems that he was also used as a mascot for many companies, such as Tri-City Dairy. 

You know how I love me a vintage employee pin or badge! And this one is from the Campbell Soup company. Contractor 269 probably supplied the little star-shaped pasta for "Chicken and Stars" soup, a position that required top security clearance so that the Russkies couldn't steal our idea. Give me some tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. NOW!

Another vintage pin is this brass example worn by a Burger King employee. Was it given after 50 years of service? "Frankly, this is the first one we've ever bestowed on an employee!". I would be proud to wear it, I'll tell you what.

Speaking of brass, here's a nice uniform button from a Western Airlines employee. At one time, Western advertised itself as "America's Oldest Airline" - whether that's a true fact or not, I could not determine. However, it did start operations in 1925; Charles Lindberg did not cross the Atlantic until 1927. In the early years Western used such motifs as arrowheads and the profile of an Indian chief. Later they became well known for their slogan, "Western Airlines; the o-o-o-o-nly way to fly!". 

And finally here's a fun little plastic advertising keychain from the Orkin pest control company. Founded by Otto Orkin in 1901, the name "Otto" was also used for The Orkin Man. Call him if ya gots bugs! He'll blast them with something totally safe, I'm sure. 

You already know that there is lots more STUFF FROM THE BOX.