Frontierland & Fantasyland, 1956

Here's a nice pair of scans from 1956 (I believe). They're a little bit dark, but still very presentable. 

There's the be-antlered Davy Crockett Frontier Arcade, full of western-themed souvenirs, clothing, jewelry, leather goods, and everything else you can think of. Yes, even a few cyclotrons. "I didn't think you'd have these!". They were made of birch logs.

I lightened up the shadows for this closeup, with a selection of genuine vintage people. Some with cigarettes! The lady in the foreground is holding a 1955 guidebook, I've seen other photos with people still carrying those in 1956. FYI it only had artwork because there was nothing to photograph yet. There's another 1955 guidebook with photos ("Disneyland In Living Color"). Notice the Bonekraft store, "Hand Carved Bone". The perfect gift for your sweetheart.

I always love early photos of the Fantasyland Skyway Chalet, from before the newly-planted trees grew large enough to obscure most of the structure. There's so much charming detail, from the gingerbread trim to the painted decorations, and even the finials on top.

That kid (four? five?) with the Keppy Kap is fascinated by the Skyway gondolas coming and going.

Photos From Kathy J.!

Many months ago, I shared some 1962 photos of Disneyland that our friend Kathy J. found. Those were fun, and Kathy sent me some scans of other non-Disney photos that were in that same batch of black and white negatives. So I'm sharing those, finally (apologies to Kathy for the long wait).

We all recognize this familiar building! It's good old Grauman's Chinese Theater, on Hollywood Boulevard. One of the great Los Angeles movie palaces, and the site of many movie premieres. You can see some of the terrazzo stars inlaid into the sidewalk as part of Hollywood's "Walk of Fame". And a few tourists mill around looking at the hand and footprints of celebrities in the theatre's forecourt.

I have no idea where this flamingo pond is located. I thought it could be Busch Gardens in Van Nuys, but that can't be right - there's no buildings visible. Could this be the Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay? Those clouds and that flat horizon make me think of Florida.

Jack Benny's famous (and decrepit) Maxwell automobile was on display at Universal Studios. At least the sign says that it's Jack's. This car doesn't look that decrepit to me! Looking at publicity photos of Jack online, it appears that he rode more than a few different Maxwells over the years.

I have to assume that this backlot photo is also from Universal Studios, but there were several other lots that allowed tours, maybe this is Warners, or MGM, or Paramount. Does anybody know?

The last two photos are from Forest Lawn cemetery in Glendale - a surprisingly popular tourist destination. It's a lovely place with lots to look at, and many celebrities are interred there. The statue in this photo is called "The Republic", by Daniel Chester French, who is most famous for the sculpture of Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial. It is a copy of a sculpture that originally appeared at the 1893 World Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

I can't find much about this sculpture, though one site calls it "Monument to Family". No artist is attributed. Chime in if you have any info!

MANY THANKS to Kathy J. for sharing more photos from her collection!

1960s vs 1980s

I happened to have two Tomorrowland slides taken from nearly the same location, looking in the same direction, allowing us a chance to see some of the changes that took place over two decades.

First up: sometime in the 1960's (the slide is undated)! The Carousel of Progress opened in July of 1967, so we can at least be certain that this is from after that date. Notice the folks walking down the exterior ramp after looking at the fantastic, large model of Progress City on the upper level of that building, while a few others linger to takin in the view. There's no doubt who sponsored that attraction! It must have been somewhat chilly, there's plenty of jackets and sweaters. 

The Tomorrowland Terrace is to our left. Wash your burger and fries down with an ice-cold Coke! The Peoplemover and Skyway both make cameos.

Next is another undated slide, but I am guessing it is from sometime in the 1980s. The most obvious change is the size of the trees near the Peoplemover track in the distance, and the palms near what was now the "America Sings" attraction are noticeably taller. Coca Cola needed to update their logo, and somebody had the genius idea of going from a circle to a square. He got a million-dollar bonus. 

Notice the Cast Member to our left; Tomorrowland had some pretty cool costumes at one time, but that red and yellow thing is kind of awful. We can see Rolly Crump's space age bandstand to the left, while people dine at the Space Place to our right.

EXTRA! EXTRA! GDB friend Mike Cozart has graciously shared images of artwork that he owns showing the concepts for costumes at the Tomorrowland Terrace. VERY COOL! Thank you, Mike!

The Jungle Cruise, 1960s

If it's Sunday, there's about a 50/50 chance that you're going to find Jungle Cruise photos on GDB. That doesn't mean that I dislike the Jungle Cruise, it's just that all photos tend to look the same. The boat did ride on a rail after all, so options were limited. Here's the "African Veldt" scene, added in 1964.

One of my favorite scenes has always been this elephant, happily splashing and playing in the beautiful waterfalls; I think part of me wished that I could sit right next to him and splash away myself!
 

Camera Club, June 1964

Today's "Anything Goes Saturday" offering consists of a set of photos taken by a random photographer at a beach (no idea where this beach is) who happened to catch what appears to be Camera Club activities. What's a Camera Club? Here's what the Photography Wiki says: Camera Clubs are generally formed by photographers wishing to share their experience with other photographers. Any number of related activities such as photographic outings to interesting locations, exhibitions, competitions and social activities are common. That's a good definition!

So, here we are, down by the shore; I suspect that this is the east coast, but it's just a hunch. You can see the large-format camera on a tripod, and a bevy of young lovelies posing in the shallows. The man to the left needs some Coppertone, he's looking pink.

Oh boy! They're running! I might even be so bold to say that they are frolicking. What a great day this turned out to be.

I thought I'd zoom in on the girls, strictly for tax purposes.

Maybe I need to get in on this photography thing. That young lady is certainly a beauty. Perhaps the woman taking the photo is Bunny Yeager, former pinup model turned pinup photographer; I know, it's unlikely, but a guy can dream, can't he?

Here's Ms. Yeager!

And just because it was in the group, here's one last photo, with no bathing beauties to be seen. 

Two Beauties From 1969

Here are two very nice photos from 1969. Somebody had a good camera and a good eye! For instance, I love this beautiful shot of the bright-red popcorn cart located in the Plaza. 15 cents? This better be gold-plated popcorn! The Cast Member is enjoying the shade of that olive tree for now. I love the color and clarity on this photo. Is that an electrical cord underneath the cart? It looks like it's going into a drain, so perhaps not. 

Next is an equally-beautiful shot of a Omnibus at rest by the entrance to Tomorrowland. We can just see blue Peoplemover cars in the upper right! Looking through the windows toward the front of  the Omnibus, there is a single Dwarf from Snow White, chillin', but not illin'.

To our left we can see the foundational remains of the old Monsanto House of the Future (an old house of the future, interesting), with its waterfalls still splashing away.

And of course I have to zoom in on those wonderful mini-posters affixed to the side of the Omnibus. The first three are rather straightforward adaptations of their larger brethren, but I've always found it fascinating that the Storybook Land mini-poster went with a blue color scheme (rather than the classic yellow). I love seeing the example for the Santa Fe & Disneyland R.R. too.

Monorail and Motor Boats, January 1961

I have a few photos from an overcast day in January of 1961. The sun manages to shine brightly on January 1st for the Rose Parade, but after that it just doesn't care. 

Sure, we've seen plenty of photos of the Monorail zipping over the Submarine Lagoon, but I can't say I get tired of the view. This is the cute li'l 3-car Mark I Monorail, the Mark II four-car trains would be introduced soon (the track was being extended to the Disneyland Hotel).  

Next is this nice Skyway vista looking down on Fantasyland. We get another good view of the Mark I Monorail, as well as the load area for the Motor Boat Cruise, and the small covered queue area for the Midget Autopia to our left.

Who doesn't love a zoom-in? I love the little ticket/information booth, the striped trash can, and even the striped benches!

More From Frontierland, July 1978

Here are four more vintage slide scans, from our friend, the Mysterious Benefactor. YES, he wears a false nose, but only because of doctor's orders. 

We've seen photos from inside the old Casa de Fritos restaurant before, but here are two more just to wrap up that series. A young lady makes a taco salad that looks pretty substantial. I hope they included a dollop of guacamole and little cup of sour cream. The Mary Blair wall murals are always fun to see.

Th blonde girl got the taco and burrito combo, a good choice. I'm not so sure about milk with Mexican food, but hey, to each her own. Don't forget to grab a bag of Fritos!

Meanwhile, out in the sunshine... A mom and her two sons buy pipin' hot burritos at a converted ox cart. Sometimes you just want a snack to grab 'n go. I think the Frontierland shooting gallery would be to our right.

Mom can keep 4 or 5 lukewarm burritos in her purse for everyone to eat a few hours later when they're on the spinning teacups. 

Thank you, Mysterious Benefactor!

A Pair From March, 1958

Here's a pair of scans from a beautiful March day in 1958, with blue skies and gentle breezes (look at those pennants on the castle!). Most of the ladies and gentlemen are dressed so nicely (there's even a few fedoras), it always makes me assume that they came to the park after church. Who knows! There's not much to say about this familiar scene, except that it is pretty and I would love to be able to step into the photo.

Looking to our right is the craziest durned house! But it has style. As small as it is, I see plenty of post-war bungalows in old Los Angeles that probably have less square footage. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the landscaping does wonders, making that modern home look warm and inviting. Notice Snow Hill to our left, with paths up to the top for a nice view, or for a place to smooch. 

 

Ice Cream Cones!

Today I have some photos to share from an eatery that is probably little-remembered by many people... the Ice Cream Cone walk-up window on East Center Street. The first five scans are from GDB friend Mike Cozart (not counting the map detail), along with some information from him. He always has information!

I shared this scan in THIS POST ((and cleaned it up a little this time) when a discussion of that shop arose in the comments. Do any of you remember getting ice cream at this location? This picture is from 1985. 

Looking at the souvenir "fun map" from 1995, you can see where the Ice Cream Cone shop was located. Right above Mary Poppins' head.

Another view from 1985, showing the fanciful sign above the service window. Notice that the Carnation name was used - Nestlé acquired the Carnation company that very year.

Ooooh, orange sherbet! Or maybe a scoop of Strawberry, with orange on top? This (and the next two) are from 1987.

"Junior Sundae" was my rapper name when I grew up in the 'hood.

Oh man, a "Super Waffle Cone Sundae", there we go. Why would you buy anything else? Extra cherries please.

Just because I have them, I'm going to repost some photos taken by my friend, Mr. X. Here's a December 18th view, as evidenced by the wreaths and garlands. Sorry lady, it looks like you aren't getting any ice cream from this place.
 

A few weeks earlier (November 3rd) Mr. X took this nice photo. Just because I'm a little stinker, I would go up to the window and ask for a Big Mac and 10 nuggets with honey mustard sauce.

And only days before that (October 28th), he took this lovely night shot! From what I can glean online, this Ice Cream location closed for good in 2012.

A big THANK YOU to Mike Cozart (and Mr. X too)!!