Two From August, 1959

It's the hub, bub! Nothing too extraordinary about this photo, although it is a nice one. I like the three ladies to the right, each with a different souvenir hat. And the Omnibus has a banner celebrating the new 1959 attractions (looks like there are also various small flags leftover from the day of the "rededication" two months earlier.


There's a Conestoga Wagon, trundling along the dirt trail near the shore of the river. The wagons were painted a lovely cobalt blue in 1956 after the opening of the movie, "Westward Ho! The Wagons" in 1956. [That's right, I said 1956 twice in the same sentence!!]. In the lower right [arg, I mean left!] corner, you can see ferocious deer. Looks like it smells blood!

A Trip To Disneyland, July 1958 - Part Fifteen

Today marks the last of the images from this fun lot from the summer o' fifty eight! It had to end sometime...

There's something about this great photo looking down Main Street USA that just makes me happy. I can imagine the clip-clop of horses hooves, the faint sound of music, and the smell of popcorn. Check it out, it looks like there are TWO Surreys, not to mention the Horse Drawn Streetcar and the Horseless Carriage. This photo evokes a strong sense of nostalgia for me.


And now for a rare vintage night shot, taken from a similar angle! The long exposure has turned the milling crowd into vaporous ghosts. Boo! I've always had a fantasy of exploring the park after hours... they should leave the lights on and everyone else can go home. Then I'll have the run of the place!


I can't think of a more perfect way to end this series than with this beautiful night shot of Sleeping Beauty's Castle.

Lots of Parking, September 1964

Photos of the old Disneyland parking lot have proven to be more popular than I ever would have expected, so hopefully today's main photo will bring joy to the hearts of millions.

We've seen this nice lady on board the Columbia, and in Tomorrowland in front of the House of the Future, and shaking hands with a monkey on Main Street. We're talking two different trips, you understand! But before she got there, she had to brave the vast Disneyland parking lot.

I'm a bit discombobulated, does anyone know what part of the lot she is standing? There isn't much to go by, I admit. You can see the striped tram back there, she'll never make it.


If I zoom in we can try to make out what the distant buildings are to the left, while there appears to be exposed, diagonally-crossed steel beams, part of a railroad bridge, to the right.


Well, wherever she was, she's arrived at the entrance, and is celebrating by hangin' with Pluto.

A Trip To Disneyland, July 1958 - Part Fourteen

It's the penultimate posting of images from the 1958 tour of Disneyland! Today's pictures are a bit out of order, but somehow life will go on.

This is a nice overview of the classic Autopia, with its winding clover-leafs and hilly landscaping. I love the cool Richfield sign with the futuristic space station! Looks like that might be the new Fred Gurley - new to Disneyland that is. The locomotive was built in 1894, but made its debut in Anaheim on March 29, 1958. Beyond the berm, farmland as far as the eye can see.


Here's a familiar view... we're heading over Snow Mountain, looking back towards Main Street, with the fairly new Monsanto House of the Future below.


And lastly (for today), a fun shot looking up and mom and junior. Dad would do anything for a fun photo, including chasing the Skyway from one end of the park to the other! We (Speedy and I) salute him.

A Trip To Disneyland, July 1958 - Part Thirteen

We're still in Tomorrowland, or rather over it, as we come close to wrapping up the slides from this great trip to the park. I'm not superstitious about it being number 13 either!

The Skyway is heading towards its final destination, so our photographer fired off several shots as fast as he could. Looking slightly to the left, we see the Autopia, and the Disneyland Railroad sitting at modest Tomorrowland Station. Beneath us you can see the Viewliner track encircling the lake, and unless my eyes deceive me, you can see a tiny, itty-bitty sliver of the Viewliner in the lower right corner. Arg! It's the only view we get in this entire lot.


Panning quickly to our right, there's the Space Bar, a single Astro Jet, and the Administration Building backstage. Does that structure still stand?


Mr. Wiggins, loyal reader of this blog, used his time and Photoshop expertise to try to "de-blur" the closeup view of the Flight Circle featuring Coxpilot (and friends). I think he did a fine job! Thanks, Mr. Wiggins!

Golden Horseshoe, August 14 1956

Disneyland was just over a year old when these two photos were taken. The Golden Horseshoe Revue was considered a "must see" attraction back in those days - - before kids turned their brains to mush with rock music and television!

The Mark Twain is returning to the dock, and there is a small group awaiting the next voyage around the Rivers of America. There aren't too many people there, considering that it is mid-August (each slide was carefully hand-dated). What gives? In any case, now that we've seen the untamed wilderness, we are glad to be back in civilized company. Let's go see the rootin' tootin' show over at the Golden Horseshoe!


Any vintage interior shot of the GHR is welcome, even if it's not the best photo in the world! There's a very young looking Wally Boag holding one of his balloon animals (an ephemeral souvenir if there ever was one). I love the painted stage curtain with vignettes from the wonderful Pecos Bill cartoon. The audience has it's share of crew-cut kids, and one towhead with a cowlick barely in control.

Son of Casey, 1958 and 1959

Here are two very similar photos taken by the same photographer, one in September 1958 and the other a year later. Good old Casey Jr. is his usual smiling self, and why wouldn't he be? He's got a great job! And he looks good doing it, with the bright, cheerful colors and whimsical decorations. The Skyway Chalet looks appropriately alpine with a hillside full of conifers.


One year later, we see Casey Jr. again. Unfortunately, it was overcast, so this photo feels rather gloomy compared to the first one. Never mind, Casey is still glad to see us! I've always like the way his "hat" contains the headlight.

Three From Knott's, 1960

I've got three sorta "ho hum" slides from 1960's Knott's Berry Farm for you today, starting with this nice shot of guests reflected in the mirror-smooth lake. When you flip the image upside-down, you can hardly tell!


If you were in the mood to pan for gold, you were out of luck... looks like this area was closed. A few years ago, you only had to pay two bits to strike it rich; now the price has doubled.


Something tells me that Cordelia Knott (rather than Walter) wanted to put this lovely rose garden in front of the Farm Bakery. To the right would be the Steak House, and out of frame to our left was the Candy Parlor.

More WDW Construction, May 1971

Here are the last of my pre-opening construction photos from Walt Disney World (see the others here, here, and here).

As usual, I don't have much to add in regards to commentary, since I am not familiar with Florida's Magic Kingdom. I guess I'll have to rely on my super-genius readers to help fill in the blanks!

This first photo shows an area in front of Cinderella's Castle (I think!), looking towards Main Street. I have no idea what those barely-begun buildings are to the left, or what that sunken cement area is in the middle (the moat?). There's plenty of dirt and mud, for you fans of that sort of thing!


We're still in Fantasyland, but beyond that I don't know what that building is in front of us... I imagine that it eventually contained one of the famous Fantasyland dark rides. To our left, the Skyway towers, and in the distance, is that the Haunted Mansion?


Jeez, what a mess! Piles of junk everywhere. The peak-roofed building just to the right of center resembles one in Disneyland's Fantasyland. And there's still lots of structures that are only just framed in... it's hard to believe that in just five months, the park will officially open for millions of visitors to enjoy!

The Story of The Haunted Mansion!

You may have seen this mentioned elsewhere, but it bears repeating. Here's the official info:

On Friday May 1st, Patrick Hurd presents:

The Story of the Haunted Mansion.

You’ll learn how the wish of one man to provide a loving home for his family, became the nightmare that destroyed one generation after the next.

The 32 minute story is visualized through the art work of over 40 talented artists.

Nearly 300 original pieces of artwork were created exclusively for the story!

The short films voice cast includes actor Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser MD, How I Met Your Mother), Corey Burton (The Haunted Mansion Holiday’s Ghost Host), Peter Renaday (The Ghost Host from the classic 1969 Haunted Mansion LP), and voice guy extraordinaire Brian Sommer!

Find out how your favorite characters came to live and die inside Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion…and the surprising way their stories intertwine.

Visit the Window to the Magic video feed on iTunes on May 1 (that's today!) to download the high quality video for free HERE

Or visit Patrick’s YouTube channel HERE

So you think you know all about the Haunted Mansion…

You don’t know half the story!