Three Never-posted Slides

I have a folder of scans of slides that I am pretty sure I never scanned before. So they are "new old stock", in a way. All of today's photos feature Sleeping Beauty Castle and its surroundings. 

First up is this postcard-worthy view of the castle (from July, 1963), artfully composed with some trees in the foreground, as well as those flowers for a splash of bright color. I like the little family standing near the moat, taking it all in.

The next two are from August of 1958. While there isn't a lot going on in them, they are kind of interesting just because they show an area that is not normally seen; there's a winding path leading to a small bridge, continuing (I believe) to an arched passageway through the castle that leads to the courtyard beyond.

The photographer liked the scene so much, he used two precious frames of film! I have to admit that it is pretty, with all of the flowers and greenery.

Sunday Snoozers

It's another Sleepy Sunday! Proceed at your own risk.

This first photo if date-stamped "July 1964"; we're right at the base of the Mighty Matterhorn, and our photographer tried to capture the moment a Bobsled passed by that waterfall. But he was foiled by those flowering bushes! It's not the worst picture ever taken, but it's kind of a disappointment. 

I am only just noticing that I labeled this slide "Nice Town Square", for which I have no explanation. The photo is from September 1959, a Skyway view looking down on a part of Fantasyland that included the queues for the Matterhorn and Fantasyland Autopia, the Alice in Wonderland attraction in our lower right, the Midget Autopia (out of frame to our left), and then some Tomorrowland features that you all know well. I love views of the stubby little 3-car (Mark I) Monorails. If this picture wasn't just a little bit blurry, it wouldn't be relegated to a Snoozer Sunday!

 

Solvang, California

Today's post is focused around Solvang, California, in Santa Barbara County. Wikipedia says, Solvang was founded in 1911 on almost 9,000 acres… by a group of Danes who traveled west to establish a Danish community far from Midwestern winters. It has been developed as a themed town since attracting national media attention in 1947. The city is home to a number of bakeries, restaurants, and merchants offering a taste of Denmark in California. The architecture of many of the façades and buildings reflects traditional Danish style.

I drive past it on my way up and down the 101 Freeway to visit family, and occasionally exit to stop and get a bite to eat, since it's sort of the halfway-point between my sister's house and my home. It's a bit surreal to suddenly be surrounded by buildings that look like traditional European structures. My grandmother liked a bakery in Solvang and always bought Danish bread and pastries to bring home or to give as gifts.

First up is this photo from the 1950s, with the "Iron Art Gift Shop" nearby. I guess they sold well-pressed clothing. Notice the stork on the roof, a traditional symbol of good luck in Denmark. Much to my surprise, I learned that the white storks (as of 2008) are extinct in the wild in Denmark, which is a bummer.

I admit that this next one (from 1958) is a bit of a cheat, since Pea Soup Andersen's restaurant is in neighboring Beullton, but in my head I always associate Pea Soup Andersen's with Solvang. What's a few miles between friends? There's a fun photo op where guests could pose as "Hap-pea" and "Pea-wee". This restaurant was established in 1924, and in 2012 it sold between 500 and 600 gallons of pea soup each day. If you happen to have a spare $4.7 million to burn, it went up for sale in January.

And finally, here's a photo from July of 1975. Summer business was brisk, with so many people heading north or south for various vacation destinations. You can see some fun places to visit; how about the place in the distance selling toys? Or get yourself a nice sandwich (peanut butter and banana, the Danes love those, right?), and then buy a decorative hand-blown vase for mom.

Beautiful Fantasyland, June 1956

Today I am happy to be able to share some really nice 1956 photos of Fantasyland, as taken by Lou Perry. They really evoke that "early Disneyland" mood!

Let's start with this first shot of guests gathered around the Mad Tea Party - grandparents, parents, and very small children watch their friends and loved ones - the people who like to spin around until dizzy. It's fun to look at the folks, their clothing and hairstyles (all the ladies are wearing dresses - only a year or two later, many would switch to pants). 

There is a poster against that striped banner for the Mickey Mouse Club 3D Jamboree, there's Jimmy Dodd's smiling face in the upper right. Notice that the wrought-iron bracket above the Mickey Mouse Club Theater is lacking the round shield with Mickey's face. 

Next is this great view as seen from the poop deck (heh heh) of the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship. Some folks are watching the flying Dumbi, others are heading into the "Fantasyland Emporium" on the corner...

... while others are checking out the Fantasyland Art Corner - views of this are rare. Have your portrait drawn in pastel by a real artist! Or just buy special paintings created for sale, featuring Disneyland icons like the castle or the Mark Twain. Or if you're smart, you'll buy a stack of animation cels for a buck or two apiece!

Construction is going on just behind the Castle, with an impressive pile of dirt creating a berm between Fantasyland and Frontierland. That wood-framed building is where Rainbow Caverns would be (as part of the new "Rainbow Caverns Mine Train" attraction). 

THANK YOU, Lou and Sue!

The Autopia, August 1970

Here's a pair of swell Instamatics, from slides generously given to me by my pal, Mr. X.

Oh yeah, two streamlined, cerulean blue Autopia vehicle are moving along the roadway at blinding speed! I have said it before, but just look at how beautifully landscaped the grounds are. No sterile concrete, steel and glass Tomorrow for Walt Disney. In spite of the criss-crossing roadways, the Peoplemover track, and the Monorail beamway, it feels like a drive in the country (well, almost). In the lower left is the pool of water that overflowed into double waterfalls, perfect for passing submarines to go through. Every time I see it I want to go for a swim, it looks so inviting.

The first six iterations of Autopia designs had their issues, but it seems that by the time Bob Gurr hatched the Mark VII design,  he'd figured it all out. Lightweight, sporty, reliable. They sure look great when you put a few different colors together.

Mad Tea Party, August 1965

The Mad Tea Party. Actually, it's not really mad, it's more "disappointed". And somehow that's worse! If you want color in your photos, you can't do much better than to point your camera in the direction of the many-colored teacups, and that red and yellow swirled platform. Don't stare at it too long, or you will be HIP-MO-TIZED (as David Letterman used to say).

No smiling or laughing allowed! Only heavy sighs and the occasional cough or hiccup. There's the Fantasyland Theater to our right, let's go see some cartoons there after our ride, hopefully the dizziness and nausea will wear off after a few minutes.

The Magic Kingdom, June 1979

I wanted to use up the last three scans from a batch from June, 1979, and these are they. Them. Those. Whatever! 

Here's a moody view of Fort Sam Clemens on the Magic Kingdom's version of Tom Sawyer Island. It sure looks very much like Fort Wilderness at Disneyland, I wonder how alike they really are? Or were, since Disneyland's version was razed and replaced with junk. How did the Florida fort manage to avoid termite problems? Did they call the Orkin Man? In the shadows you can see kids playing on some rock formations, classic fun no matter when you were born.

This one is the nicest of the bunch, in my opinion; a lovely shot of the Admiral Joe Fowler as it sat at the landing. This angle shows how guests boarded on the second level, and exited down below. Gosh, what's that spooooooky building in the distance?

It's the Haunted Mansion, of course - by most accounts, a superior version to the original in Anaheim, due to some extra scenes. The original is still pretty great, though! I've never known if the rumor that the ornaments on top of this Mansion are based on chess pieces was true, or if they just resemble them by chance. We can see the bat weathervane clearly, and the window that is somehow ominous just by being red.

I have lots more WDW slides for you - I just need to scan them.

Flower Market, October 1962

I have a group of photos from 1962, many of them featuring this lady in Disneyland. I was going to say "enjoying Disneyland", but she is rarely smiling in the pictures, oddly. Presumably her husband loved her enough to want photos of his honey, but in this first picture, she looks supremely annoyed. "Can't a girl look at some fabric flowers in peace?". But she's wearing one of those hats with an ostrich plume, which hints at a sense of fun that is not otherwise apparent. Maybe she just has "camera anxiety". (NUN ALERT! REMAIN CALM!)

"Can't you smile for the camera?". "I AM SMILING!". Wonder what she's got in that large shopping bag? There are two identically-dressed girls for Melissa (and a smaller one with the same headband - triplets born years apart?). One of the girls is carrying something that looks like a tackle box, but I assume it's some sort of purse. (DOUBLE NUN ALERT!)

Happy Birthday to our friend Stu29573! Knowing that Stu especially loves the old Moonliner, Sue B. found an amazing photo (circa 1963) from the Disneyland Hotel Miniature Golf Course. I thought I'd seen the mini-golf version of the Moonliner, but once Sue sent this picture, I realized that I probably haven't seen a picture of it before. Look at it! It's adorably odd, which is what makes it great. (Thanks, Lou and Sue!).

Views From A Skyway, August 1959

Whoever took today's photos was not conscious of some rather major obstructions blocking chunks of the scene they wanted to capture; seeing how low they seem to be, I wonder if the pictures were taken by a child? Or a petite woman, perhaps? 

See what I mean? That big bar going right through what would have otherwise been a fine image. Monstro is blowing his top, it looks like he has the Storybook Land lighthouse stuck between his jaws. I always think of Storybook Land's Canal Boats as being piloted by young female hostesses, but we can see three pink-shirted young men. Odd! The Disneyland Railroad is halted at Fantasyland Station.

I almost always like these aerial views of the Mad Tea Party, with its swirly turntable, and the multicolored teacups. Too bad 1/4 of the image is blocked by the gondola. None of the people in the teacups is leaning or straining, so the ride was presumably not spinning around yet. Next to the sign for Welch's Juice Bar is a poster for a show at the Fantasyland Theatre, showing "Pecos Bill" (from "Melody Time" - 1948) and "El Gaucho Goofy" (from "Saludos Amigos", 1942). 

Amusement Park Extravaganza

I have a folder of random scans of slides featuring random amusement parks from around the USA. I thought it might be fun to look at a few of those!

First up is this May, 1968 photo of the marquee sign for McKee Jungle Gardens, in Vero Beach, Florida. The Jungle Gardens originally opened in 1929, on 80 acres that were planted with scores of exotic plants and flowers from around the world. I was pleased to see that it is still around! Well... sort of. Wikipedia explains: Although the Garden was successful for several decades, it shut down in 1976, and most of its land was sold for development. The site remained vacant for twenty years until the Indian River Land Trust purchased it in 1995. The current Garden was formally dedicated in 2001.

Next is this undated photo from Fantasy Island, in Grand Island, New Jersey. The park was founded in 1961 (probably not too many years before this photo was taken) on only 12 acres of land, but eventually expanding to 85 acres in 1974. Dwindling attendance has resulted in bankruptcies and a list of changing owners. It even changed names; at one point it was called "Two Flags Over Niagara Fun Park", and then "Martin's Fantasy Island", before announcing that it had closed for good in 2020. Supposedly there is a chance that the park could reopen, however.

This next slide is labeled, "Pleasure Island (Donnie, 1964)", and I can only assume that it is the Pleasure Island amusement park that was in Wakefield, Massachusetts - though it looks surprisingly rinky-dink. It was one of C.V. Woods' attempts to profit from his experience helping Walt Disney in the earliest phases of developing Disneyland. The two did not get along, famously, and Woods went on to found Pleasure Island, "Magic Mountain" in Colorado, "Six Flags Over Texas", and "Freedomland". Pleasure Island opened in 1959, and lasted only 10 years before closing.

And finally, from September, 1968 comes this photo from "Tiger's Indian Village". Alligator wrestling! I've found at least one photo of that same gentleman wrestling an alligator, stating that he is none other than Bobby Tiger. I've also found mention of a "Jimmy Tiger's Miccosukee Indian Village" in Florida - I'm not sure what's going on. Were Jimmy and Bobby brothers? Did they each have their own park/souvenir stand? Or were they one in the same? It sounds like this park was located 47 miles west of Miami. Other than that, I can find very little solid information about Tiger's Indian Village.

I hope you have enjoyed today's Amusement Park Extravaganza!