New York World's Fair Construction

It's time for more cool construction photos from the 1964 New York World's Fair! 

Both of today's pix were snapped from the top of the "American Interiors" pavilion, which was adjacent to the Hall of Education (to our right), and the striking "Travelers Insurance" pavilion, with the domed roof that resembled their red umbrella logo. 

In addition to murals and fountains, the Travelers pavilion featured "The Triumph of Man": Human progress from the cave to the space capsule is reviewed in a tour of 13 dioramas. Some show man inventing tools, discovering fire and worshiping primitive gods, then starting civilizations with farms and cities. Others depict the rise and fall of Rome, Columbus' voyages, America's pioneers and the Civil War. The final scene shows man entering the Space Age.

For reasons not explained by science, I enjoy seeing all of those cars parked along the roadway, with the spindly, newly-planted trees, and random piles of garbage. In the distance is the Van Wyck Expressway; behind the Travelers umbrella we can just see a bit of the massive Bell System building.

Next is this view of the Hall of Education. It was full of mean teachers who made you do tests, spit out your gum, and sit quietly! According the souvenir guidebook, The changing goals, methods and tools of education in America are the concern of the exhibitors in this pavilion - for the most part businesses associated with education. Visitors may see a school of tomorrow, hear prominent Americans discuss problems of the day, listen to classroom exercises and watch modern teaching machines at work. The large building also has a playground area, an audio-visual demonstration center and a public restaurant.

I would like to add that I especially admire those lime-green luminaires! 

It occurred to me that it might be possible to stitch the two images together, though I didn't hold out a lot of hope. Happily, Photoshop did a great job. I don't mind the distortion that was necessary to knit one photo to the other. 

Two Colorful Fantasyland Photos, August 1967

I sure do love today's pair of photos (augmented with some details), taken by Fun Dad in August, 1967. 

We're right next to the ol' Matterhorn, with some fun details such as the ticket & information booth, the Monorail track, the two Skyway gondolas, and the felt-hatted balloon vendor in the foreground. Rather than any one feature, I love the general color and energy that is evident in this photo. The park feels so clean and appealing! And it is busy, but not excessively so.

I can't ignore that impressive hat on the hipster passing by - magnifico! Just to the right of his head is a very grumpy man who needs more fiber in his diet. And to the extreme right, some of Snow White's Dwarfs - Dopey and Grumpy - marching through, presumably with the other five Dwarfs now out of frame.

Panning (or perhaps stepping) just a bit to the right, we find this equally colorful and engaging scene near the Alice in Wonderland dark ride. Several caterpillar vehicles can be seen on the upper level! The variety of hues and patterns in the clothing are great, and not at all garish or loud.

Being August, there are plenty of families with kids, unlike the off-season, where children are a bit more scarce (or so it seems based on vintage photos, at least).

Disneyland Parking Lot

Today I am continuing to share scans of snapshots that were given to me by long-time GDB friend Irene. The photos were in albums that belonged to her brother Bruce, and they were taken by Bruce's friend James, who always gave Bruce his duplicates (remember when photo processors automatically gave doubles?). I'm going to give all three of them credit, what do you think of that?

I'll start with this unusual shot of the Harbor Gate entrance to the parking lot. This was the main entry to the park for guests (as opposed to the Katella Gate), though I am wondering if the photo might show an entrance for employees? 

As usual, none of these photo prints were dated, so I can only assume that all of them are from the mid to late-1990's, not long before the parking lot was transformed into DCA, with a large plaza area in between the parks.

In this first view, we're so close to the entrance that we don't even need to take a tram. But I want to take the tram! Don't they understand? Don't they understand anything?! Oh well. The Monorail track is practically right over our head, let's climb up there. What's the worst that could happen? Just look at all of those ugly cars, no bueno. It's easy to recall arriving at the park and being this close to the ticket booths (which you can just see), as the Monorail makes a surprise appearance. Hurry up, let's go! 

I'm not sure where James was standing in this image, but where-oh-where are all of the automobiles? We appear to be facing toward Katella, sort of where it intersects Harbor Blvd.; In fact, it looks like cars were let in from the Katella Gate. Note the dome to the right, part of the Anaheim Convention Center.

The clouds look similar to photo #2, so perhaps this was taken within moments of that image. Facing to the east... well, now we know where all the cars went. That blue Honda Civic looks much like the one I owned years ago. 

Thanks to Irene, Bruce, and James!

Frontierland Signage, 1969

I wonder what our Mysterious Benefactor is doing today? Shaking hands with world leaders? Lounging on the sandy beaches of San Tropez? Skiing in Innsbruck? What a life he leads! And yet he is humble and lovable. 

Today's three Frontierland scans feature classic signage. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but in my opinion, having an interest in details like these ordinary signs is what separates us from the animals. 

The Pendleton store was at Disneyland for many years, gracing Frontierland from 1955 all the way through to 1990. I wonder if Pendleton supplied the tour guides with their various plaid outfits? While researching to see when the store closed, I found that the Pendleton company website had two articles about their history in Disneyland. They're not in-depth, but they’re still fun. See one article HERE, and another article (with two of my photos!) HERE.

Here's an oldie from my collection showing a more general view of the Pendleton store.

Meanwhile, sandwiched between Casa de Fritos ("Hey, Klondike!") and the Mine Train queue, one would have found the Mineral Hall - but it only appeared to you if you were worthy. As most of you know, the hall was a paradise for rock hounds. 

"Ma, can I have this feldspar?". "No, son, it's one of the most common rocks in the world, making up around 41% of the Earth's continental crust (by weight). Pick something more interesting. How about this nice rose quartz?" "Aw, gee whiz!". Aaaaand... scene. 

Most people remember the display of fluorescent minerals that dazzled beneath a magical blacklight.

I can't believe I don't have a better picture with the Mineral Hall than this one, but I'm lazy and didn't want to spend that much time looking. Cartoons need to be watched.

Here's some nice glowy rocks, courtesy of Wikipedia! PSYCHEDLIC.

And finally, here's a busy December day in front of the Golden Horseshoe Revue. For many years the GHR made do with a printed cloth banner, which seemed so odd to me. They finally got this fancy sign in either late 1961 or early 1962, and the world was a happier place.

Knott's Haunted Shack Brochures

Digging through my box of non-Disney brochure and flyers, I discovered that I had three different handouts for Knott's Berry Farm's much-missed "Haunted Shack". Variations are something I love! Unfortunately none of these are dated, though I am guessing that they are all from the 1950's, and might have been used into the early 1960's. 

For those that don't already know, the Haunted Shack was similar to Santa Cruz's famous "Mystery Spot", in which gravity seemed to misbehave (water would flow "uphill", a broom would stand at a crazy angle), while optical illusions made people appear to grow or shrink. It was lots of fun!

This first flyer might be the oldest - it has a very spooky drawing of what appears to be a wailing ghoul clawing at the window. Yikes!

It's only a single-fold flyer - the back cover tells the "Legend of the Haunted Shack". I've always loved the names "Slanty Sam" and "Shaky Sadie". It sounds like the property has seen some pretty weird stuff over the years, going all the way back to the Nevada's Gold Rush.

Here's the inside spread. Look at those people. Witches, I say! That same pretty lady appears on a Haunted Shack postcard.

This next version seems to be a little bit scarcer than the others - it is printed on coated stock, which gives it a better print quality. The drawing of the ghost on the first version has been replaced with this crude, grinning weirdo. Is it Shaky Sadie herself?

Bonus points for "The Haunted Shack: By The Railroad Track".

Oo-la-la, this one is a three-panel (two fold) flyer! So fancy. They've added a photo of two carpenters standing at an impossible angle. Why did they have to throw their levels away? I'd like to think that one of the workmen needed to change his coveralls because of all the BLOOD!

The text on the inside spread is basically identical to the first version. Incidentally, that photo is the same one that's on the vintage postcard.

And finally, this is what I believe is the most common version. Shaky Sadie now dominates the front cover - perhaps she was drawn by a local high school student (remember, this was before everyone drew the Van Halen logo on their desks). The shack is "AMAZING, AMUZING, CONFUZING". Ghosts were never good at spelling.

"Men are fascinated, women adore it". So great. "Scientists and Engineers Baffled and Frustrated in this EMPORIUM of BEWILDERMENT"!. P.T. Barnum, eat your heart out.

And the back has more Grade "A" ballyhoo.

I hope you have enjoyed these Knott's items!

Buddy Rich at the Carnation Gardens, June 1972

Mr. X, that seemingly endless font of wonderful photos, has shared dozens and dozens of slides - photos that he personally took back in the early 70's when so many famous Big Bands performed at the Carnation Plaza Gardens. X was (and is) an avid fan of these bands, and is also very knowledgeable regarding the great musicians he was lucky enough to see and hear. Any information regarding musicians is courtesy of Mr. X - I only know the members of the Bay City Rollers.

Today I have a selection of pictures featuring Buddy Rich and his orchestra, from June 1972. That's Joel Di Bartolo on bass guitar - X says that Di Bartolo later joined the Tonight Show Orchestra when he was finished touring with Buddy. 

Buddy is going nuts.

Go, Buddy, go!

Mr. X wanted to especially call out "the great Pat LaBarbera on soprano sax/tenor sax, as well as Lin Biviano on lead trumpet".

Here's a very nice overall look at the Plaza Gardens stage. Man, they really had to cram all of those musicians into a small space.

I love this wide shot of the entire orchestra, as well as the rapt crowds near the stage.

Mr. X says that the soloing trombonist is Rick Culver.

Buddy surely got a good workout at every performance - he looks like he just ran a marathon here. Love the ankh hanging from a chain - groovy! Mr. X recalls, I remember the giant crowds for Buddy's week-long engagement -- it was a great experience to hear this band live. I'll bet!

Thanks so much to Mr. X for sharing his personal photos and memories! Stay tuned for more big bands, coming up.

Bad Frontierland

If somebody out there enjoys photos of the backs of heads, then this first photo is just for you! It's pretty crummy, but I tried to imagine being the photographer; perhaps he or she was a bit shorter than average, and they had to do the best they could with taller people blocking their view. At least they managed to get the old Stagecoach in there as it bounced away on the dirt path. Don't tip over, li'l coach!

And I know we've all seen views like this lots of times; let's see it with fresh eyes. The Old Mill is dead ahead, with the water wheel slowly turning. For years I never really thought about where the water was supposed to come from, but that sluice seems to be routing it from the spring that spouts from near Tom's Treehouse. In the lower right, guests are heading toward the landing to return to Frontierland proper, while Fort Wilderness appears like a pointy mirage in the distance.

The Mine Train, Knott's Berry Farm

It's time for more scans of Knott's Berry Farm slides - these things are a mess! You're seeing them after I've worked on them for quite a while, too. Over 50 years ago, somebody cheaped out and used some mystery film, or a crummy service to develop it - I'm not entirely sure what the problem was, but the damage was done.

In spite of all the issues, I still love this wonderful photo of one of the new(ish) Calico Mine Train locomotives. So shiny! I can't tell if this particular train is not in service yet - there appears to be another track that parallels this one, to the right. Notice the Shootin' Gallery in the distance.

The photographer took about 4 photos from this same vantage point - as bad as the color is on this one, the others are even worse. Don't worry, you'll see them in a future post! I've always liked the odd look of that massive rock face, so reminiscent of the "scenic railways" that one might have found at places like Luna Park or the Venice Boardwalk. Guests are passing by on Burros!

I love that the photographer stopped to take a photo of this sign! "Lydia L. Pinkham's Pink Pills for Pale People"! I wouldn't be surprised if Pinkham's Pink Pills were a genuine product - possibly "liver pills". Folks used to take all kinds of whackadoo things for their livers! Maybe because of all the heavy drinking?

Unusual Views

I have a couple of cool and unusual Kodak Instamatics from our pal Mr. X! 

Let's start with this very rare color view taken at one of the "Fun Photo" scenes that were located on Main Street; at first I assumed that these were from the Kodak shop, but now that I think about it, probably not, since the photos are Polaroids! For a while there was an Art Corner store on Main Street, that seems more likely. Anyway, there's a young X, cooking away in a large iron pot while a headhunter patiently waits until he is medium rare. X only allowed me to share this if I promised to disguise him, his head isn't actually made of squares. 

I have a small group of Fun Photo prints, but the headhunter scene is very scarce. Luckily for me, Matterhorn1959 had one (of course), and he graciously allowed me to share his example here. Thank you, Matterhorn!

Next up is this surprisingly clear and nice photo taken inside the Alice in Wonderland dark ride. Even with the flash I would not expect results like this. You can definitely get a sense of the painted "flats" that made up most of the ride in these early days.

Submarine Voyage, October 1963

Submarines are certainly nothing new, and yet there is still something about seeing photos of Disneyland's original "grays" that evoke the future - let's travel beneath the seas for weeks at a time without ever surfacing, thanks to Our Friend, The Atom! 

There goes the "Ethan Allen". I knew he was a Revolutionary War hero, but Wikipedia says he was also a "...farmer, businessman, land speculator, philosopher, writer, lay theologian, and... politician". I wonder if he could swim?

Moments later, the "Skate" scooted by. The U.S. Navy had a submarine called "Skate" (SSN-578). It was the third nuclear sub to be commissioned, but was the first to make a submerged trans-Atlantic crossing, the second to reach the North Pole, and the first to surface there. It had a long service, finally decommissioned in 1986. 

And there she goes; this is a nice angle compared to the first two relatively straightforward compositions. In less than a minute, the Skate would be descending into the icy depths, untouched by sunlight.