Two Leftuggies

I have a pair of Leftuggies™ for you today, but they are particularly tasty examples.

First up is this nice shot of the wonderful Motor Boat Cruise (from May, 1960). Sure, everything looks placid and peaceful now, but at the end, the hair on these two will be swept straight back, permanently. No comb will ever tame it. This picture makes me miss this calm, relaxing ride through beautiful "backwater Fantasyland".

Just for fun I am reposting another Motor Boat photo that is also from May, 1960. So it's not a leftuggie, but rather a re-uggie. 

At first I thought that this next photo (dated "August, 1969") showed the Alpine Gardens, where the Monsanto House of the Future used to be (but the ponds and waterfalls remained), with pathways leading to the entrance to Tomorrowland in the distance. But now I'm thinking that it might not be? It seems awfully far from Tomorrowland proper. In any case, it's a pretty view. What are those flowers, snapdragons? 

I zoomed in because I thought I spied the red vests of Disneyland Tour Guides, but it appears to be a group of school girls who just happen to also wear red vests. And maybe even plaid skirts?

Alice Snapshots, 1965

Looking through various folders, I realized I'd forgotten about some scans of some 1965 photo prints. These all feature the Alice in Wonderland ride's exterior... part 1 was published over a year ago! Admittedly those first examples are nicer, but I have to share the rest, as per the Geneva Convention.

The Alice ride is trippy and weird, which is why it's so great. But one of the most unexpected features is when our snooty Caterpillar emerges from the madness out into the clean, refreshing Anaheim air. How'd we get up so high? Maybe one-a them crazy mushrooms? You can just see the Caterpillar through the Mary Blair leaves.

Ah, there's a better look. I was going to eat that Caterpillar, but those false eyes on the side startled me. I guess I'm not much smarter than a bird. Hello, Skyway.

I also loved the simple-but-wonderful sensation that our ride vehicle might just plummet off the side of our leaf ramp. Ingenious.

Our little family has survived their trip through Wonderland, but they might have flashbacks when they least expect it. 

New York World's Fair, September 1964

It seemed like a good time to delve back into the folder full o' 1964 New York World's Fair images (these are all from September). I hope you agree.

Sure, you've seen the U.S. Rubber Ferris Wheel (or "U.S. Royal Giant Tire") before, but if you're like me, it's always worth another look. It lifted guests 80 feet up, presumably for some sweet views of the Fair. It just occurred to me that I don't recall ever seeing any photos taken from one of the gondolas, which is a bit surprising. 

If you waited in line for General Motors' "Futurama" exhibit (and why wouldn't you?), you would have gotten a look at the company logo, mounted on the giant angled canopy. Futurama was one of the most spectacular - and popular - exhibits at the Fair.

Not far from the Eastman Kodak Pavilion (just visible to the right) and Pepsi pavilions (and the Schaefer Center, where you could get a cold beer) you would have found one of the giant inflatable "moon berries" (that's what I calls 'em, anyway) where a Brass Rail restaurant could be found. It was hard to eat food off of a brass rail, but in 1964, Americans were game for anything. Notice the arched area, the "Pan American Patio".

And finally, you know it, you love it, it's the New York State pavilion, with its "Tent of Tomorrow" roofed with stained glass (colored plastic), and the two observation towers. It was very considerate of them to provide a ladder on the outside of that one tower, in case King Kong wanted to climb to the top. 

I hope you have enjoyed your visit to the New York World's Fair! 

Town Square

I chose two very early scans from Town Square. Early as in "possibly from 1955", but I don't want to say for sure because I don't want to go to prison again. 

It's late in the afternoon, and the shadows are getting longer. Pretty soon, all the lights will come on, the air will cool off, and maybe we'll even hear some soft music (was there "area music" in those early days?). For many people that is the best time to be at Disneyland. Notice that we have a familiar style of  trash can in the foreground, but over by City Hall there is an early yellow version that says TRASH so that you don't accidentally put your Fabergé Easter eggs in it. 

Panning a bit to the right, we see the firehouse, with a group of people gathered around the Chemical Wagon (perhaps they are about to board for a ride). It looks like the window is open up in Walt's apartment (I think?), which always makes me wonder if he was up there, eating a bowl of chili. 

I thought I'd try to merge the two photos into a panorama, without much hope for success, but it mostly worked, though the little arched arcade behind the couple got a bit jiggered. I'll still sleep like a kitten tonight!

Two From August 23, 1962

Continuing with the wonderful photos that have been sent in by Junior Gorillas, I have this fun example from Ken Martinez (from 1982). I'm sure all of you remember when that gorilla escaped from the zoo. Well, the enraged ape stormed into Ken's workplace and nearly ate Ken in one gulp (I've seen it happen!). Luckily, Ken was able to give it a banana, which no gorilla can resist. Then Ken grabbed his handy cello and played Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, lulling the beast into a deep slumber. Crisis averted.

Thanks Ken!

ON TO THE REGULAR POST!

I have some oversized slide scans for you today - they ain't half bad! They are hand-dated "August 23, 1962". "You have the exact date?? What does Jason's Disneyland Almanac have to say about that day?". Glad you asked!

August 23 was a Thursday, the park was open from 9:00 AM until midnight, the high temperature was 83º and the low was 61º, and the attendance was 36,279. Hooray!

We've seen plenty of photos of the Burning Settler's Cabin, and our good buddy, Dead Settler Sam. But this one is very nice, the roaring flames are very apparent even in bright daylight. That thing must have been built from genuine old-growth Dura-flame logs. The Settler was running with an arrow in his hand, and... well, you know the story. How many times did his teachers warn him?

Because of the way these slides were mounted, it was hard for me to tell which side was the right one to scan. In other words, is this view flopped? Or not? The dead settler slide is easy because we are all so familiar with that view, but this look at the fascinating waterwheels on the Swiss Family Treehouse is harder for me to judge. Maybe YOU know! Admittedly there is not much in the way of clues.

Subs & Lagoon, November 1974

Here's a pair of Snoozers™ (I had to trademark "Snoozers" so that others don't make millions off of it!) featuring the Subs and the Lagoon. Not terrible, but a bit wide of the mark too. 

I thought that this first view was taken from the Peoplemover, but based on the next image, it might have been taken from the Monorail. It's not exactly a "bird's-eye" view. More of a "giraffe's eye" view. The safety railing prevents us all from plummeting 30 feet into the drink ("Sid, another one fell in, I guess we'd better install that railing"), but it also runs right through the middle of our photo. Wars have been fought over less.

Now we're at ground level (a "rhinoceros'-eye view") waiting to board our own personal submersible. See the Monorail overhead? What do you think, was the first picture taken from up there? The warm sunshine makes this picture feel mighty inviting, but we're about to board our own Submarine, where we'll travel to depths that sunshine never reaches.

Pontiac Road Trip, 1957

Back in the days when I used to actively collect boxes and boxes of vintage slides, I got the impression that the BIG SUMMER ROAD TRIP was something that many Americans aspired to every year. Pile the kids in the car, and schedule at least a week (maybe two) to see the USA. If you didn't see the Grand Canyon, you were a putz. Thinking about it makes me nostalgic for my own family's road trips (though I still have never been to the Grand Canyon - partially due to my allergic reaction to sedimentary rocks).

I have a series of four photos featuring a delightful 1957 Pontiac Star Chief Safari station wagon (I hope my ID is correct, but if not, go ahead and humiliate me on my own blog). I'm pretty sure this one had the dash-mounted gizmo that made frozen daiquiris while you drove. This wagon has a Connecticut license plate, and the neighborhood sure looks Connecticut-ish. The car could use a wash, but hey, so could I.

 

They've pulled over to a wooded roadside rest area. Just the place to stretch our legs, and have a picnic lunch. I would expect a bigger bundle on the luggage rack; my dad was an expert at efficiently arranging everything (he would have been great at Tetris), including multiple tubes containing fishing poles. 

   

I'll have salami and cheese, and you can have a tuna sammich. Potato chips on the side (not those ruffled abominations!), and a thermos of iced coffee for the grownups and Hi-C for the kids. Maybe a nice home-made brownie for dessert. Judging from the coats, this was no summer vacation. Did they do Spring Break in 1957? My theory is that the family was heading south towards a warmer climate. 

Well, they've done it! They're finally at their motel. Is that a Pindo Palm tree? Maybe they are in Florida. Sure beats 20-degree nights, I'll tell ya what. I hope this family had a wonderful vacation! 

Family in Disneyland, December 1965

I'm starting today's post with two fun photos contributed by GDB friends. Last Saturday our friend Grant sent in a photo of himself back in the days when he had long hair. Steve Stuart (you know him as "Nanook") sent in this picture of himself, circa 1969. He's very relaxed! Love the groovy striped pants, which were definitely the fashion of the day. I don't think Steve's hair looks that long, but my grandpa probably would have had a few choice words for him! And maybe he would have loaned Steve a bottle of "Vitalis". Nice and greasy. Thanks Steve!

This next one is bittersweet - it's a photo of our old pal Pat Devlin, who passed away back in 2018. His brother Tom kindly sent this high school portrait of Pat, circa 1974. While I was in high school a few years later, Pat looks like he could have been one of my classmates. My grandpa would give him a bottle of Vitalis too! It's nice to have Pat with us again, even for one day, and I am grateful to Tom for sharing this wonderful picture.

And here's a late addition! Not a "long hair" photo, but quite the opposite... it's none other than our friend Chuck, just as he was starting his crazy adventures. I won't say where he was, but let's just say there was a lot of yelling and running of laps and doing 20 pushups. Talk about joie de vivre! You can see by the twinkle in Chuck's eyes that he's as happy as can be. Thanks Chuck!

Here's the regularly-scheduled post:

Sometimes I have found that vintage photos of Disneyland are fun even if they don't feature the park that much. In other words, the people who are the subject of the picture are where it's at, daddy-o. 

Because of the gnarled old olive tree, I'm guessing that this photo is from somewhere around the Plaza. maybe the little stone bridge on the Matterhorn will help somebody figure out the exact location! Notice the Kodak Picture Spot sign nearby. 

The two girls are resplendent in their plumed hats.

Here's a Kodak brochure from 1963, maybe they were staying next to #20.

One kid wears a Union Army kepi while another apparently needs to pass a kidney stone.

Over in Frontierland, big things are afoot (but not Bigfoot, he's still playing hide-and-seek), those construction walls hide a massive project, the addition of New Orleans Square. Somebody had the bright idea of sticking attraction posters to stun and dazzle nerds like me so that I won't even care about that corner of the park being off-limits.

The little girl in the center is operating the home-movie camera, pretty cool of Mom to let her do that. 

EXTRA! EXTRA!

GDB friend Bu sent me this comparison of a tree that is at Disneyland today (from his own photo), and the tree that is in today's first photo. I can definitely see how they could be the same tree, nearly 60 years apart! What do you think? THANKS, Bu!

Knott's Berry Farm Pitchur Gallery

It occurred to me that I have not shared any Knott's Berry Farm "Pitchur Gallery" souvenir photos for a while. Since November 1st, in fact! So it's time to delve into the folder where those scans live, and choose a few.

The covered wagon tableau was probably the most popular, but this bucking bronco was right up there. Especially if you happen to have three cute girls with curly locks and gingham dresses. Pop cowboy hats on their noggins and let them all climb aboard Smokey, the only horse who was able to stand for long periods of time on just his two front legs.   

Another day (probably from the 1960s, I'd guess), another horse. Smokey had to retire, but his son Tartar Sauce could stand on his front legs, having learned from The Master.

Hmm. Well. This photo is labeled "Knott's Berry 1948", but I am very skeptical. If I had to guess, I'd say that this could be from Olvera Street in downtown L.A., or maybe even Tijuana. My money is on Olvera Street. But I'd love to be proven wrong!

Nearly every Pitchur Gallery souvenir photo has a stamp on the back with instructions on how to order duplicates, I've never seen another that was printed with a postcard back. BUT... it's still a fun photo, so why not share it?

I have more Knott's Picture Gallery photos for you!

Happy Birthday, plus Two Ships

It's time for another GDB BIRTHDAY... this time we are celebrating David W's special day. Go to the store, buy a whole chocolate cake, and eat it in David's honor! Just think, David got this close to being born on February 29th!

Meanwhile, a little bird told me that David is especially fond of the classic pie-eyed Mickey Mouse (as am I), so I decided to find some good examples from around the internet and share a few of them with him, and with all of you!

How about this cute vintage birthday card? Mickey is with his two nephews, Morty and Ferdie.

Next is this wonderful cover for "The Pop-Up Mickey Mouse", from 1935.  I'm sure an example would fetch many hundreds of dollars if you wanted to acquire one today. 

Just look at those colors, those pleasing shapes... what's not to love? This is a book from 1934.

From 1933 comes this rare Mickey Mouse Cut Out Doll Book. Imagine finding something like this in a thrift store! I know, about as likely as finding one of King Tut's artifacts in Oxnard, but you hear stories!

And finally, here is the cover of the first issue of Mickey Mouse Magazine, from 1935. So many familiar Disney characters are spilling out of the pages, including Horace Horsecollar, the Three Little Pigs, Clarabelle Cow, and what may be Max Hare (from "The Tortoise and the Hare").

I also decided that today would be a good day to share some photos of a sculpture that David W. made. All by himself, with no help from mom! You might not know it, but he's a VERY talented sculptor, just look at how adorable little Dumbo is (in his "circus clown" costume)! Incredible. He really captured that innocent baby cuteness.

David sent me these photos long ago, suggesting that I could share them the next time I posted a photo of the Dumbo attraction, and then it seemed like I didn't have any good photos of that ride for months and months (and months). So today's the day! BTW, "Dumbo" is one of my favorite Disney animated features.

I just can't get over how good this sculpture is! Thanks for sharing, David!

NOW, ON TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAM

Yesterday we had two trains, today we have two ships! Very different ships. These are both from "sometime in the 1950s" (I have a lot of slides from that time frame!) 

We'll start with this view of the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship. This one is a bit of a mystery, at first I assumed that it had been taken from the Skyway - but aren't those Skyway cables at the top of the frame? We can see a bit of the Castle in the lower left, as if the photographer was somehow standing up there. But HOW? I'd love to hear any theories you guys have, or if I am just plain wrong.

Meanwhile the angle is interesting, as we get a nice juxtaposition of the ship and Casey Jr. in the distance; and I like the people milling around down below. 

  

Next is this look at the Moonliner (a ship to the Moon, see?), dramatically lit by the last rays of the setting sun. I'm noticing a tiny bit of  difference in red color if you look just above the rocket's cockpit, as if the "cap" of the rocket was painted separately. Hmmm! Proof the the world is flat. Or something. In the lower left, a "tri-level" Frontierland poster, one sold at auction in late 2021 for over $28,000. Yes, it's rare.