Disneyland circa 1970, part 2

Three more from the 70's...and what better way to start off than with this wonderful photo featuring the Matterhorn, bathed in late-afternoon light. It won't be long before the guests will be completely in shadow. I'm so used to seeing the old "bucket" type Skyway that it is a novelty to see the later boxy version. It still looks great though!


This photo of the Haunted Mansion is shocking in that there is not mad crowd waiting to get in, no long lines, in fact only a few people visible near the entrance, and it had only been open about a year. How can that be? In any case, I have always been particularly fond of Anaheim mansion's exterior...I know that the Florida version has more than a few fans (and it's nice, don't get me wrong), but I think I associate this version with the cover of the classic Haunted Mansion story record (the one with Ron Howard), and other early concepts. And that hint at "southern gothic" spookiness just makes me smile!


And finally, a canoe made from a boiled sweet glides on a chocolate river. Are those Oompa Loompas on shore? It looks like our Indian guides have been replaced by frontier explorers by this time.


(Hey "Vintage Disneyland Tickets", I looked at the slide from yesterday, and unfortunately the signs on the ticket booths are just too blurry to be legible. Sorry about that).

Disneyland circa 1970, part 1

More 1970's goodness is in store for you today. The lot that these scans are from had a number of pictures featuring this woman, she doesn't seem to be enjoying herself very much. Could this have been a date that wasn't going well? I hope that she was just camera-shy, for her companion's sake. It's hard not to wonder what was going on though! And it's hard to ignore that guy's stripey shorts, too.


There she is again! Maybe they both came directly from a funeral? Note that the restaurant is no longer sponsored by Chicken of the Sea...they jumped ship (ha ha) in 1969.


I hope our girl isn't thinking about jumping; here's what it looks like from her point of view.


More 70's stuff tomorrow!

1973 Autopia

I remember a time when I was disappointed to find Disneyland slides from the 70's. Can you believe it? Now I have a whole new appreciation for them, but back then it was the 50's and 60's or nuthin'. So, once upon a time I sold these slides on ebay. Perhaps one of you readers has them now!

But I did scan them (albiet on my old scanner), and found the scans on a CD, so I can still share them with you today. At least it's not a total loss! I do enjoy these bright sunny views of the Autopia, in all their 70's glory. After all, this is the park that I grew up with and remember so fondly.


Love the Corvette styling of these brightly colored cars...and the Peoplemover overhead is a something to remember fondly. Can the rumors of some kind of new, improved Peoplemover be true? The rumors are faint and wobbly, but I'd I'll be more than happy to latch all of my future happiness on them!

Scenes from Nineteen Fitty Seven

That's right, I said nineteen fitty seven! It's a two-fer today. First up, we're walking up Main Street towards the castle. The photos, with their slightly sepia-toned color evoke a warm, sentimental feeling for the U.S. as it was so many years ago. The park must have opened only a short while before this, considering the long shadows pointing west...and notice that nearly everyone is heading the same direction as we are.


Next we'll hop over to Frontierland. We've seen this Friendly Indian Village umpty-five times, but there is something about this particular photo that I find extra appealing. The clarity and detail, maybe. The still-undeveloped plantings give us a slight glimpse over the berm, not that there's much to see. As the years passed, many more friendly natives came out of their tepees to scrape, grind, slice, dice and julienne for our viewing pleasure.

Disneyland Entrance, circa 1957

Howsabout this fabulous photo of the entrance to the park? You've got to love that dramatic sky, contrasted with the brilliant sunny foreground...everything seems particularly bright and clear. The crowd adds a lot to the image, in their vintage duds...like mom's tomato-red coat, very nice. Mom and grandma are looking at something off-camera, what could it be?


Whooee, that's some selection of posters on display back there. This might be my only photo showing the "Satellite View of America" poster (more commonly seen as the "Space Station X-1" version), blurry and far away though it may be. Rocket to the Moon, 20,000 Leagues, Main Street Station...I call dibs on those!


Coxpilot, this one's for you! I zoomed in on the flight circle (from yesterday's photo), but it doesn't look like anybody's there at the time the picture was taken. Rats! It would be fun to find a slide that showed any one of you during a visit to the park (or in his case, working there). Anyway, I thought I'd put the zoomified detail up for fun.

Matterhorn, July 1961

Here's a very nice, dramatic view of the Matterhorn as seen from the edge of the Sub lagoon...it looks pretty impressive, even if it is a bit off-kilter! I like how the rock work around the lagoon seems to tie the Matterhorn into the rest of the land, like a Swiss mountain is supposed to be there!


And as an extra bonus, from the same lot, is this image taken from the Monorail looking over Tomorrowland. The "TWA" has been painted out on the Rocket, something that I never noticed until one of our sharp-eyed friends pointed it out to me. I guess there was at least a year or two between the TWA and Douglas sponsorships, and in the interim it went without any affiliation.

The Columbia, December 1965

The Columbia (the real Columbia) gained fame for circumnavigating the globe. The one at Disneyland spent what seems like an inordinate amount of time in drydock. We all know how much maintenance those wooden sailing vessels required! But at least you could still board it and explore above and below decks to get an idea of life aboard a ship of this sort.

Anyway, here are two photos showing the Columbia actually "under sail". Where are those sails anyway? It is odd that the Disney folks went to such lengths to achieve authenticity, and then the vessel isn't fully rigged. Maybe they intended to do it, but it was too much work to furl and unfurl them, or the sails required too much maintenance?


Goodbye, Columbia...something tells me we're going to see you again real soon!

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!