Disneyland Locomotives, June 1963

There seems to be less and less "Walt" at Disneyland as the years pass; for some people, the whole park is a tribute to his legacy, and that's not wrong. But I mean that the things on which Walt Disney had a direct influence, things he helped design, or even attractions that he would have been able to ride during his lifetime, have become fewer and fewer. For those familiar with the history of park, the Disneyland Railroad feels like a direct link to the man that so many of us admire - I am grateful that the locomotives are not only still there, but seem to be more popular than ever.

Here's a nice shot of the E.P. Ripley waiting at Main Street Station - the little locomotive is parked above the west tunnel. For some reason I thought that the trains were mostly run by old-timers back in those days, yet that fellow with the hat looks to be a young 'un. The "Ripley" looks wonderful as always, with gleaming paint and polished brass.

Our photographer must have had a fondness for the trains, as he also captured this shot of the C.K. Holliday... possibly taken mere minutes after the previous picture. I assume that the fellow just exiting the frame to the left is a DL&SFRR employee - perhaps he is taking this opportunity to cool off after being in that hot cabin.

Poster alert!

Golden Horseshoe, August 14 1956

Digging through some previously-unscanned slides, I pulled out today's photos from the Golden Horseshoe Revue. They'd faded to a dabolical magenta, but I figured I'd give them a scan and see what I could do with 'em. The results were decent, if not spectacular. Still, it's fun to have these early views of a classic Disneyland attraction.

Whoo-eee, those gals sure can shake a leg! The scandalous can-can is not quite as scandalous at Disneyland, but I'll bet you two bits that this photo was taken by a dude. Once in a while I am surprised at how tiny that stage is, considering all of the hubbub that went on there.

There's Donald Novis, the Irish (actually English) tenor who preceded Fulton Burley. I love being able to see the kids in the boxes at the side of the stage! The gentleman in the lower left doesn't like what he's hearing, apparently.

Rescans

After spending a few hours admiring my exquisite collection of thimbles (from the Franklin Mint!), I decided that I would try to rescan a few old slides and see if I could make any improvements. The results were mixed!

Here's a pretty nice vintage view of Fowler's harbor, taken on August 14, 1958 (for those of you keeping track). It looks adorably ramshackle - maybe the gals from Petticoat Junction would feel at home there. Authentic riverboat junk is scattered along the wharf, while a Keel Boat rests to our left.

The rescan lightened up some of those very dark areas (including the vignetting), and I smoothed out some of the grain. Otherwise it doesn't look that different. BUT... it's an improvement just the same. 

This next one is from July 25, 1961; it's a swell view of the parking lot, with plenty of old cars, Monorail Blue, and a kid in a Civil War kepi holding a striped tube that probably held a souvenir map. This one was OK, but was a bit heavy on the cyan.

Here's the rescan, lighter, brighter, and with the cyan mitigated somewhat. I think it looks loads better! Howsabout you?

Eastman Kodak, 1964 New York World's Fair

The Eastman Kodak pavilion was one of the more distinctive buildings at the 1964/65 New York World's Fair, and that's saying something! 

Here's a previously-posted exterior. See what I mean? I'm not sure what architectural style was used, except something like "Spaceage Googie", perhaps?

Today's photo were taken from the "moon deck" an undulating surface from which fairgoers could get some sweet views of the rest of the Fair. 

In this first photo we can see things such as a helicopter, probably on its way to the roof of the Port Authority building; the Sky Ride; and from left to right, a "moon berry" (that's what I calls 'em), indicating the location of a "Brass Rail" eatery; the red roof of the Republic of China pavilion; the blocky "House of Japan"; the spindly crown of the Indonesia pavilion (with the large U.S. pavilion barely visible in the distance); Shea Stadium; and the wooden A-frames of the Austria pavilion. The grassy area closest to us was the "Garden of Meditation".

In this view we can see the medieval buildings of the Brussels pavilion; the fluted roof of the Vatican pavilion; the sharp angle of the Christian Science building; the barbed wire cylinder of the Astral Fountain; and the "Tent of Tomorrow", part of the New York State pavilion.

We can just see a sliver of the Schaefer Center; the blocky hexagonal "Better Living Center; and closest to us, Pepsi Cola and Unicef's "it's a small world" (all lower case for K. Martinez), with the infraggable Tower of the Four Winds.

What a Fair!

Two Random Goodies

I had a couple of nice standalone slides - images that were not part of a larger lot. These are good enough for a Friday!

Like this great shot of Main Street Station from the parking lot, from a slide date-stamped "May 1958". Everyone's dressed for a cool day, and the clouds are a hint that this might have actually been March April. I'm always a little surprised at how well you can see things like the Bank of America, the Opera House, and City Hall from this distant vantage point. Presumably they are obscured by trees these days. Sure, I could look on Google, but that would involve effort. I hate effort!

Those original ticket booths look so teeny tiny. No room to swing a cat, that's for sure. There's no train at the station, so points are deducted, but I can recognize several attraction posters, which adds points right back. I can identify the Jungle Cruise and Skyway posters (near the "I" in the Disneyland sign), the Frontierland "tri-level" (under the first "N"), and the Autopia (under the "L").

What do I win?

Here's a neat photo of the Motor Boat Cruise, from May, 1960. The Monorail beam passes above us, and we can see little Fantasyland Station and the Disneyland Railroad pulling the yellow passenger cars. The boat to the left might contain a Grandpa and two little girls - looks like the older girl is "steering". 

More WDW, December 1971

We're back at "The World" today - Walt Disney World, that is! And instead of the usual shots of the Magic Kingdom, we're at the Polynesian Village Resort on the south shore of the Seven Seas Lagoon.

Name the seven seas! The Sea of Tranquility; the Sea of Love; the Adriatic Sea, the, um... er.... aaaa, who cares about those other crummy seas anyways? It's oceans that impress me.

Back in the 1970's, ads for WDW always showed people water skiing and sailing. There are plenty of outrigger sailboats for those with skills. I wouldn't have the faintest idea of what to do, except capsize.

Presumably even Florida gets chilly enough in December so that most people don't want to risk a dunking.  Where are the speedboats? I want to be as noisy and obnoxious as possible.  Vroom!

Not only were there sailboats, there are also a few very long canoes (kayaks?) along the wharf. And you could also rent a little Bob-A-Round Boat - unseaworthy little electric-powered pleasure craft beloved by many, except for those who were stranded in the middle of the bay when their battery ran out of juice. Some had to resort to cannibalism after two or three hours. 

I know very little about the Polynesian Resort in its current state, but I'll bet it was tons of fun 30 or 40 years ago!

Three More From Huck

Here are three more photos that GDB pal Huck took back in 1995. Can you believe that that's over 20 years ago?

Star Tours is doing bang-up biz on this day, with the line out the door - something I haven't seen for a while (though I have still experienced relatively long lines). The cast member in the orange jumpsuit will use the Force to maintain an orderly line (or a William Shatner karate chop if the Force isn't strong). 

Now that I am paying attention, all of the queues are super busy - and the Jungle Cruise is no exception. With the addition of the Indiana Jones attraction in Adventureland, the Jungle Cruise underwent some changes. Some of the Rivers of the World were re-routed, and scenes were removed, while a new two-story boathouse was built. It's a nice way to get people out of the narrow streets of Adventureland, plus they get to stand in the shade.

I still love riding the Matterhorn Bobsleds; it isn't the scariest roller coaster, but the theming makes all the difference. Can't you practically hear the sound of yodelers, the occasional roar of the abominable snowman, and the screams of happy riders? 

Bonus points because two bobsleds are visible. 

THANK YOU, Huck!

Town Square, June 1963

Hey, weren't we in Town Square yesterday? Yes we were! But I am very lazy and don't feel like walking, so I am staying right here. Only I'm traveling in time to 1963. Don't you do that?

Oh man, it's a a race to the death between the Omnibus and the Horse Drawn Streetcar! The thrills, the spills, the roar of the crowd, the carnage! It's like "Mad Max: Fury Road" only with less sand. And no Charlize Theron.

This looks like an establishing shot from a movie - not a coincidence, when you consider how much of Disneyland was designed almost as if guests would walk through a "living" movie. With the sound of the train whistle, music playing somewhere, the smell of popcorn, and the clip-clop of horse hooves, it was a complete sensory experience. 

Zooming in a bit, we can see a banner across Main Street heralding "The World Premiere of Walt Disney's  ENCHANTED TIKI ROOM". Please find that banner and have it shipped to my penthouse suite as soon as possible. 

I suppose it's possible that the park opened not long before this photo was taken (maybe 10 AM?), with the long shadows from the east, and the numbers of people heading toward the castle. Chairs and music stands are ready for the Disneyland Band.

Kids in Town Square, February 1961

Here are two disreputable street toughs, pushing their way around Town Square, snapping their fingers in unison, and (strangely) dancing around. The kid with the cereal bowl haircut is practicing his strangling technique on that horse hitch, though he normally likes to use a garrote. Piano wire. The kid with the blond buzz cut is more like Alex from "A Clockwork Orange". He likes ultra-violence, moloko plus, and Ludwig Van.

"Come ON, Dad, I want to shoot the cannon before those people at City Hall move!". "Now, Alex, you can fire your own cannon when you get home". "Aw, gee whiz!". Aaaaaand.... scene. 

Tomorrowland Views, June 1962

Here are a couple of so-so Tomorrowland views, circa 1962. They're sort of washed-out and fuzzy, which qualifies them for a lazy Sunday post.

This first one almost looks like it was shot in the old two-strip Technicolor, reds and greenish-blues dominating. Still, it's kind of nice to have this perspective on the Flying Saucers, and to have the Astro Jets whirling around so close by. Also, there's the old Administration Building, formerly the Dominguez house.

Anaheim was really blanketed with a thick marine layer (the "June gloom"); it's sort of weird looking! We can see a single Motor Boat, along with the (Fantasyland?) Autopia, and all the usual attractions you'd expect to see.