Sub Lagoon, August 1963

Here's a nice late afternoon shot looking down into the submarine lagoon as the Seawolf gets underway for it's voyage - a trip that will eventually take it beneath the polar ice caps. The shadows make the water appear as if it has indigo dye added to it.

This second picture is kind of neat, looking across the lagoon (from the Monorail platform, perhaps). This time it's the Nautilus chugging along through "liquid space", while the freeways of the Autopia are packed with cars.

Black Hills Central, August 1960

After digging through many boxes of random slides, I get the impression that nearly everyone in the country hopped into their station wagons and made summer trips to places like the Grand Canyon, or perhaps Mount Rushmore. And if you were going to South Dakota to see Rushmore, you could ride the Black Hills Central Railroad! Debuting in 1957, the Black Hills Central has enabled thousands of visitors to experience the fun of a train ride through some beautiful scenery.

In this first picture, it looks as if the locomotive has made a stop so that people could get out and stretch their legs. I looked up the ol' #444, and one website said, "Before coming to the Forney Museum, the engine was previously owned but never operated by the Black Hills Central Railroad in Hill City, South Dakota from 1958 to 1968. She was given to the BHCRR only days after she retired." And yet, here she is, definitely in service at the BHCRR!

This second shot gives a nice "you are there" sensation. If only it was moving! The BHCRR continues to restore and operate early 20th century locomotives and train cars. You can visit between early May and early October for a lovely 10-mile journey. 

I made a couple of screen grabs from a YouTube video in which you can see the 444 chugging past briefly in 1959 home movies (which you can view here if you so desire - I think there is also a quick shot of a young Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip passing by in a Kennedy-esque convertible). 

I hope you have enjoyed your visit to the Black Hills Central Railroad!

"Small World" Construction

Today I have two neat photos taken by my friend Mr. X, and his trusty Kodak Instamatic. While riding in the Skyway past Storybook Land, X spotted some fairly major construction going on over in Fantasyland. I assume that he had no idea what it was at the time, but WE know that it was for "It's a Small World"! Fresh from the 1964 New York World's Fair. This was probably from late 1965 or early 1966, since the folks in line for the canal boats are be-sweatered. 

Continuing along the Skyway, X snapped a second picture, more clearly showing the work in progress. Presumably the Disneyland Railroad wasn't running, since Fantasyland Station was located in that general area and was removed for IASW. As a bonus we can see the Midget Autopia and the Monorail Blue.

The humble Instamatic didn't have the best lenses in the world, but zooming in we can still see a number of fun details. I love the old trucks (one blue, one red) parked in front of the construction. There appears to be a few dozen Matterhorn Bobsleds being stored. I wonder why? Most interesting to me is the billboard near the Motor Boat Cruise lake showing a stylized layout of what guests could expect from the upcoming attraction - something that was done at Disneyland for the Skyway, Storybook Land, and Nature's Wonderland. I've never seen a photo showing this particular sign before.

Here is a Small World brochure from 1975 with a map that looks similar to that sign, although this artwork is considerably more detailed.

Son of "Unrejected"!

Today I have a second serving of rejected Instamatic scans that are now officially UNREJECTED! Why did I have to shout that last word? Because I stepped on a bee.

All of today's photos are less than wonderful for one reason or another. You'll see! Might as well use up a bunch of them at once.

For instance, this picture of the Ernest S. Marsh as it chugs along the Rivers of America; it's an unusual view, which is cool, and I love the choo-choos, but this was a very dark and very grainy. I lightened it and de-grained it, but it looks weird anyway.

Two horseless carriages sit at the hub awaiting their next passengers. This is another one that is pretty nice, except that it is blurry. Foo.

Nothing whumps gullies like the Gullywhumper. I defy you to tell me what does! Can't do it, can you? The 'whumper is full-up, and looks pretty great in spite of the backlighting (and blur).

Here's an unremarkable picture of a remarkable thing. Skull rock! Most people forget that there was a sound effect of endless belching that could be heard when you stood near this thing.

Here's another one that was super dark and über grainy. A single yellow and green bobsled speeds over the picturesque stone arch and past the icy waterfall.

The Mark Twain - blurry.

Don't worry, I have more rejects to unreject!

Frontierland, August 13 1960

If I had a dime for every photo I owned that was taken from the Mark Twain (or the Columbia), I would have a LOT of dimes! Eleven or twelve at least. Today's pictures were taken from one of those boats; in this first one we pass the Indian Village, bustling with guests as they take in a performance of Native American dancing. The photographer helpfully noted that the photo was taken at 2:10, for whatever that is worth.

Just a few moments later (still labeled as 2:10), we pass the other Indian Village. It's friendly, but park guests could only look. 

Character Cutouts, 1956

In the 1950's, near the Red Wagon Inn, there used to be some simple plywood props to use as photo ops for fun luvin' guests. Instant souvenir, at minimal cost to the park. This first one is my favorite, maybe because the little girl posing as a Minnie Mouse baton twirler is so cute. Behind her is the very neat Captain Nemo cutout, which you will see much clearer one of these days. 

The basic idea of poking your head through a hole in a painting for a funny photo is almost as old as photography itself. Here's another cute young lady, making friends with Donald Duck. I like the mention of the Art Corner on this painting, as if you were added to a store-bought postcard.

And finally, Joe takes his turn with Donald! 

Tom Sawyer Island, 1957-ish

Today's slides were in a group that were undated, but I put them at around 1957 (because of a Viewliner image!). However, it is possible that two groups of slides were mixed together. Why? Because in this first picture, Tom Sawyer Island may or may not be open for business yet, and it didn't open until 1956. The mill looks pretty complete, though you can see some guys at one of the rafts to the left - I'm pretty sure they are workmen. The raft landing facing us is piled with crates and casks, the international sign for "Don't dock here"!

Also, Tom's Treehouse isn't in place yet. Instead, there is a temporary shack of some kind, possibly for tool storage (?), elf storage, or maybe it's a handy place to cool pipin' hot cherry pies.

Having rounded the bend in the Mark Twain, we look back toward the shores of Frontierland through a puff of steam.  Radioactive steam! It's broad daylight, but you can see that the lanterns are lit on the island, which is just going to attract moths and skeeters. 

Sub Lagoon and Monorail, 1959

Google Blogger tells me that Sunday is a day where my readership goes down. Way down. It's OK, I don't take it personally! So in general I've been using Sunday as the day to unload some of my more boring photos. But the presence of the adorkable 3-car Mark I Monorail (in Cool Mint Blue!) elevates this Sub Lagoon image to "above average"! And who can ask for more, really?

This one, however, rates about a 1 on the Richter Scale. 

Holiday Inn

The first Holiday Inn hotel opened in Memphis, Tennessee in 1952. Since then, the chain of hotels and motels has become a familiar site to travelers all around the USA... and the world! Even as a kid I liked  the Holiday Inn marquee signs, designed by Memphis artist James A. Anderson. With over 500 flashing lightbulbs and 1500 feet of neon tubing, these large signs (known in the company as the "Great Sign") were hard to miss - and expensive to build. How can you not want to stay at a hotel with a giant yellow arrow and flashing star? By 1968 the 1000th location opened.

The photo below is from Somewheresville, USA, circa 1965. Merry Christmas!

Here's another Inn, date and location unknown. In spite of many (many!) car trips as a kid, we never stayed in a Holiday Inn (we were more of a HoJo's family). In fact, the only one I've visited was in Egypt. Really! It was surprisingly close the the Great Pyramid.

In 1982, the founder of the Holiday Inn chain retired, and the Board of Directors decided to do away with the classic signs, tearing them down and sending them to the scrap yard. Today only ONE original  survives, having been found stored in pieces in Minnesota. It is being restored for a sign museum in North Dakota. Meanwhile, here's what the company uses these days. Hmmmm....

Holiday Inn is now owned by the British InterContinental Hotels Group, and is one of the largest hotel chains in the world.

Tomorrowland, January 1960

Today's slides were so underexposed and dark that I wasn't sure it was even worth trying to scan them. But I did it anyway, 'cause that's how I roll.

This first image is kind of neat, with the old 3-car red Monorail at the station, narrowly avoiding an attack by the giant Richfield eagle (who now has his eyes set on those poor Skyway riders). I know, everything looks a little bit funky, but what can you do.

Tomorrowland's "Central Ticket Booth" has a nice sign on top, along with a finial that resembles some sort of atomic doo-dad. I like it!

Even after some serious Photoshop fiddling, this Autopia picture is still murky. Nevertheless, you get a good look at the neat Richfield sign, with a sleek spaceship leaving an orbiting space station made of solid gold. I'm always happy to see the old Autopia vehicles (Mark I? Mark II? Mark III? From what I understand, those all look essentially alike), and those old-fashioned gas pumps.