The Ernest S. Marsh, 1960

Here's a nice vintage shot of Disneyland's fourth locomotive, the "Ernest S. Marsh". As of 1960 it had only been on the park's rails for about a year. I love the color scheme, with the vivid red boiler jacket and cab (sorry if my terminology is wrong!). I looked at some more modern photos of the Marsh, and for some reason part of the smoke stack is now white, as is the front of the boiler. It just looks strange to me.


From the same lot comes this picture showing the cars from the freight train - I think. Some of them look like excursion cars as well. Or are they the old "gondolas" with a striped awning added? So confusing! The locomotive, whichever it may be, is lost in the murkety murkiness forever.

It's a Wee World, November 1967

It seems that people either love or hate "It's a Small World"... I not only love it, I don't even have a problem with the song. Maybe I'm too dumb to let it get stuck in my head.

Anyway, my memories of this ride always include the queue, with the smell of the chlorinated water and the tick of the clock and all of the spinning, whirring do-dads...


... capped off by the smiling face swinging back and forth. The railroad is passing through, and the clock is just starting it's 2:45 pm performance (once every 15 minutes, ya know).


Here we are, south of the border. Why, it's just like the real Mexico! If there was a giant sombrero around, I'd want to dance beneath it. I like the Aztec sun, too.


Now it looks like we are in Argentina. I guess. There's a gaucho, anyway. And a llama and an emu. Dr. Seuss would be right at home here.

Color Snaps, 1959

Here are three more examples from the wonderful world of family snapshots!

I like this shot of a deserted Tomorrowland entrance! I can't quite make out the time on the Clock of the World, but it looks like it's about 11 o'clock. Where the heck is everybody?


Well, some of them are on the Autopia, at any rate. The original Autopia vehicles are pretty great, I never get tired of them. Look, the grownups won't let the kids drive, what a gyp!


You know what my favorite thing in this photo is? Not it's not the Matterhorn, tilted at a crazy angle. It's not the old yellow and green, single-car bobsled (although that's pretty cool). It's the boy to the right, perfectly happy to be wearing that pink bonnet. Kid, I salute you!

Frontier Boogie, August 29, 1965

Yeah, it's the Indian Dance Circle, where square dancing is physically impossible. Jitterbugging is permitted, though.

The circle needs some fresh paint, those guys have danced the design right off of it. The log fire in the middle was there so that complimentary s'mores could be made and handed out to each audience member.


Today he's wearing an eagle costume; yesterday he was dressed as a giant fly, and another guy carrying a giant papier maché can of Raid chased him around.


My favorite Dance Circle photos are the ones taken when the kids in the audience were asked to join in. Junior (in the red shorts) is nervous, and is looking back to make sure mom and dad haven't skeedaddled. It happened to me. I was raised by magpies.

Cool Random Stuff (1300th post)

Hey hey! It's my 1300th post. Huzzah for me! But I'm keeping it real, homies. We'll make a bigger deal out of it when (if) I reach my 1500th post. OK? Meanwhile I do have a few nicer-than-average images for you. Because I care.

Check out this beauty from 1957 featuring the short-lived Stagecoach... you can almost feel the warmth of the sunshine, hear the clip-clop of the horse's hooves, and smell the Brylcreem on the guy standing behind you.


Just one of the many interesting sights you might have seen from the Disneyland and Santa Fe Railroad (circa 1962) is this brief glimpse of the Painted Desert and little Mine Train. The passengers are all wet thanks to that geyser and a stiff breeze!


Here's a splendiferous photo of the Astro Jets (from September 1961). I just love the look of this ride, with those stumpy li'l rockets and their cheerful red, white and blue paint scheme. I guess the Tomorrowland Autopia is out of commission today, it looks so lonely and deserted.


Thanks for sticking with me, folks!

That Crazy Ol' Skyway, March 9 1958

Why is this image like Clark Kent? Because on the surface, it is an ordinary, mild-mannered picture, just like many other vintage Skyway photos.


But hidden within the image is something special - and you don't have to jump into a phone booth for it to appear. The "Alice in Wonderland" attraction is under construction, and at this point is nothing much more than some rough plywood and 2-by-4s. Too bad the Skyway bucket's safety bar is in the way...

Disneyland Stamp Book, 1956

Today I'm featuring one of my favorite Disneyland items: this 1956 Disneyland Stamp Book. It was a mere 50 cents (although that's the equivalent of about $4 today). Like the cover says, there are "50 brilliant color photographs of Disneyland...", printed on gummed paper so that kids could find the appropriate spots inside the book and apply them. Or you can stick them on mom's furniture and dad's car.


Check it out... "Photographs by Russ Meyer and the Walt Disney Studios". See, I told you this was awesome! For those of you who might not know, Russ Meyer went on to fame (just a few years later) as the director of many infamous low-budget sexploitation films. But in 1956, he was mostly working as a photographer. Read all about him at your local library, kids.


On this first page of stamps, there are a few particularly interesting shots, such as the "Spaceport for Rocket to the Moon", which appears to be a picture of a miniature model. The "Yellowstone Park Carry-All" is neat, as is the early photo of the Canal Boat.


Love that photo of the helicopter, as well as the "Pilot as Space Station X-1", and the Autopia.


Now we get some nice horizontal panoramic views including the wonderful Phantom Boats, the Covered Wagon, and the Freight Train.


And lastly, there's a nice picture of the TWA Moonliner, another nice train photo (this time it's the Passenger Train), and the very first Indian Village.

Bertha Mae, August 1969

Nowadays you don't meet too many gals with colorful names like "Bertha Mae". It ain't right! If ever I have a girl child, I'm going to name her Bertha Mae. That, or "June Bug" (June Bug is pretty cute, you have to admit).

Looky, there's a Keel Boat! Notice some of the changes in the Bertha Mae since this 1958 photo... particularly the improved, less anachronistic stairway up to the top.


Whee-doggies, see how crowded Frontierland is? In fact, even the Keel Boat is crowded! You'll see how truly nuts it is in a future post. Based on two other slides in this lot, I can say for sure that the crowds were not due to the opening of a certain Mansion, even though that occurred the same month.

Three From November 1967

There is no wait for the "Alice In Wonderland" attraction; check out all of the empty caterpiggles just waiting for you! Where is everybody? I still love that giant mushroom, in case you were wondering. Overhead, the Skyway buckets are now more-or-less rectangular boxes; seeing them makes me wish I could ride them one more time.


As far as parade crowds go, that is pretty measly. The sun is setting, and all of these creatures are returning to their burrows where they will spin silky webs and sleep the night away.


Again, the park looks nearly deserted. Mark, our friendly popcorn seller, knows that if he doesn't meet his sales quota, he will have to go back to shoveling horse poo on Main Street. And none of us wants that, do we?

Classic Skyway Views, April 1962

Happy monday everybody! Today I have two excellent photos taken from the much-beloved Skyway.

It's a beautiful sunny day, and we're gliding over Tomorrowland towards Matterhorn. Is it just me, or does it look particularly huge in this photo? It seems as if the colors of the Skyway buckets were similar to popular car colors back in the day, but I could be wrong. It's always good to see the Yacht Bar!


Our photographer turned to look behind him (or her) for a look at the Monorail station, with the blue Mark II Monorail train. Beyond that is the Autopia, barely visible through the various trees and shrubs, and then the yellow passengers cars of the Disneyland and Santa Fe Railroad can be seen, presumably stopped at Tomorrowland Station (how did they load/unload so many cars?? That train is long). Rural Anaheim stretches into the distance as well.