Freedomland Friday!

You know how, years ago, those immigrants arrived at Ellis Island yearning to breathe free? Well, they could breathe plenty free a few miles away, over in Queens at fabulous Freedomland! At least they could between 1960 and 1964. Breathe, damn you!

Whoa, there's a giant fur trapper, sort of a Paul Bunyan type, looking menacing with his bloody axe. It's not really bloody, but wouldn't it have been cooler? It's a shame that he wasn't sculpted in 3-d, but given his extremely odd proportions (child-bearing hips, or something) maybe we should be grateful that he's a mere plywood cutout. Try to avoid his surly gaze (the eyes....they follow you) as you head to the loading area for the Northwest Fur Trapper's ride...a popular one, by the looks of things. This was Freedomland's answer to the Jungle Cruise at a certain competing park (I forget which one).


Here's another angle, with plenty of happy 1960 families scurrying about. That rocky peak in the background was part of the pack mule ride. That's right, Freedomland, like that other park, had an attraction in which you got to ride a tender, juicy mule. And wouldn't you rather look at an area of decorative pea-gravel instead of unsightly manicured grass? Freedomland truly had it all.

Carnation Truck

What in Carnation?? (Yep, I crack myself up!)

The Carnation Truck was a favorite photo op for many years, as is witnessed in these two photos from different lots. They both date from around 1957. I can only assume that this is another example of a convincing pseudo-antique vehicle designed by Bob Gurr. Anyone? Bueller? Anyone?


Here it is again. Not much to add as far as the truck is concerned. Someday the Flower Mart would be in this location, did the truck go bye-bye at that point? Anyway, let's take a look at the upstairs windows, maybe there's a name we recognize.


Christopher D. Miller...that kid has all the luck. Like having Walt Disney as his grandpa! Can you imagine? He was only about 3 years old at this time, but apparently he was already fond of physical fitness, like his father Ron. Maybe he learned Rex Kwan Do.

Happy 2008!

Happy New Year, everybody! In honor of a Southern California tradition that dates back to 1890, I have scanned a few slides from past "Tournament of Roses" parades (from Pasadena, as you know).

First up is this undated slide (probably from the mid-1950's) of Roy Rogers aboard a float celebrating the Soap Box Derby. How much more all-American can you get? I would have gotten a huge kick out of seeing Roy anywhere, but a sparkling clear January day like this would be even more special. Roy and his wife Dale Evans were the Grand Marshals of the parade many years later...1977 to be exact!


Here's a fun one from 1947! Floats sure were a lot simpler in those days. Today you'll have skating rinks, human cannonballs, trapeze artists, and all manner of other spectacles to keep the crowds cheering. For anyone familiar with old Colorado Boulevard, this also gives a fun look at some of the shops that used to be there. Happily, there are still stretches of the boulevard that look very much like this today.


Also from 1947, the Easter Bunny is making an early appearance!


And finally, here's a Holy Mackeral for you. He looks more like a white whale to me (Moby somebody), but what do I know. The parade sure had a more "small town" feel in those days! I think that the parade is on California Boulevard at this point.


I hope that 2008 is full of health, happiness and adventure for all of you!

Mine Train, 1973

(I found this post in my "drafts archives" on blogger.com, and was surprised to see that I had never actually published it. It was originally written back in July 2006...this dates from the bad old days when I still had my first scanner, so the image quality isn't quite up to snuff. I no longer have the slides, or I would just rescan 'em...anyway, I thought they would still be fun to see!).

For you fans of the Mine Train, here are two images from 1973. One photo features a brave engineer, he looks like he is making sure everything is safe before getting underway.


The second image shows a train that looks like it is out of service...maybe it was a slow day. This classic attraction had only four more years of operation until it was closed (in January of 1977). Sorry about the grainy images, these were very dark slides and I had to lighten them considerably.

Details! 1957

Like many officianados of vintage Disneyland photos, I love the details. It helps one get a deeper appreciation of the care and attention that the designers (and Walt, of course) lavished on the park.

First up is this unusual view as we approach the Tomorrowland Skyway load area. A silvery-gray bucket zooms past us, heading towards the Matterhorn. Oh wait, that won't be there for another two years! The functional industrial look of the beams and supports is fun-ified with some kooky 50's metal doo-dads. Ya can't have too many doo-dads, I'm sure you all will agree. I'm sure glad that they removed this ride and replaced it with.....nothing!


The paddle wheel at the stern of the Mark Twain appears to be more or less at rest here (perhaps as it loads up with a fresh herd of guests?). I can't explain it, but I just like this photo.


OK, maybe this photo doesn't really fall under the definition of "details", but we are getting a look across part of the Hub. There's the Omnibus, and you can see one of the original orange trees standing in the middle of the park. Do any remain anywhere on the property? I realize that 50 years is a long time for an orange tree to live, but then again, my grandma's house had a small orange grove for longer than that.

It Was 51 Years Ago Today....

These three beautiful photos were carefully hand-dated by their original owners, and thanks to their meticulous documentation, we know that the pictures are from December 29th, 1956...that's 51 one years ago today! I don't know about you, but I think that's pretty neat. It doesn't hurt that the photos were taken on a perfect sunny day with blue skies, and that the photographer used the miraculous Kodachrome film that looks as good today as it did half a century ago.

The photos themselves are of commonly-photographed subjects, like this view of the Mark Twain and Harper's Mill...


...Captain Hook's Pirate Ship (gleaming like a jewel)...


...and Monstro the Whale. The people in their 50's clothing (lots of hats!) add a lot to this photo. Note that the lady on the left has apparently folded her 1956 guide book in half, which shows that she was a commie.


I would like to wish my sister Mary a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY...she is the best sister ever!

House of the Future, 1961

The Monsanto House of the Future was a concept that never caught on, probably for a million different reasons. Too unconventional, too "cold", and let's face it, all kinds of people want all kinds of different homes, from southwest adobes to Bauhaus glass and steel to geodesic dome houses (and so on).

But it is fun to envision whole neighborhoods (or hillsides) full of mushroom houses! Since the designers intended for them to be modular and customizable, they certainly wouldn't all be identical cookie-cutter homes. I am intrigued by the idea of a multi-story version, or "jumbo" versions, since (let's face it), the Disneyland version is not exactly huge. Imagine them painted in soft blues, sunny yellows, deep greens, or woodsy browns. How about a nice tangerine metal flake? That's for me!

Knott's 1956

Here are a couple of black and white snapshots taken at Knott's Berry Farm in 1956. Our first photo shows a little girl looking pretty darn happy as she passes by on her mule, with the Ghost Town sign overhead.


Here's the Carousel from Knott's. It distinguishes itself from the one at Disneyland by having animals other than horses...I've read that this makes it a "merry-go-round", but according to Wikipedia that is incorrect...the terms are interchangeable. This example is a "classic Densel Carousel". The carousel has 52 animals and two chariots and is considered to be one of the finest examples of the "golden age" carousels still in operation. It was originally located at Hershey Park in Hershey, Pennsylvania before it was brought to Knott's in 1955 by Walter Knott.

Frontierland Wednesday

I hope you are all recovering nicely from your Christmas festivities! Meanwhile, why not take a look at these vintage images of Frontierland?

I'm guessing that this was taken on an overcast winter day, obviously this is an early (undated) photo. Look at the bare hills and scraggly plant growth. Nothing has had much time to grow and mature. I don't know why I never considered it before, but does the pilot of the Mark Twain steer at all? The thing is on a rail, maybe the pilot only has to go forward or backward. Or does the riverboat steer a bit, like the Autopia cars do on their rails? Either way, I'm sure it takes a lot of skill to stop that large craft exactly where you want it.


Here's Cascade Peak, in a photo that was taken from the Twain, as you can tell by the bit of ornate woodwork in the upper right. I don't know what to say about this peak that I haven't already said in the past, but...I miss it.


The world has turned blue in this January 1962 shot of the Friendly Indian Village. I like the way the glowing fires add a touch of magic to this view. Do those still burn at night, or have they been extinguished like the Settler's Cabin? The kid on the canoe should have a buffalo hide blanket to keep him warm.

Christmas at Disneyland

Merry Christmas, everybody!

Today's post will be short but sweet, since I am out of town. I thought that this would be a nice picture to feature, showing the Matterhorn (in a photo from January, 1962) looking huge and impressive here. The Christmas star is huge also, does anybody have any idea how large it was? I'm throwing a guess out, maybe 15 feet high? The Yacht Bar can be see edge-on, as well as the roof of a ticket booth.


There was another star, only this one was made of flowers, and was in the center of the Hub, right about where the "Partners" statue is now. Crowds are heavy - - I like the glimpse into Tomorrowland!