Tomorrowland 1958

Here's a beautiful picture of the entrance to the classic Tomorrowland of 1958! Wowee kazowee. I don't know about you, but that's a place I would want to check out. This image resembles some of the postcards from the same time, which makes it officially "POSTCARD WORTHY" (as certified by the International Board of Postcard Studies, or IBOPS).


Be sure to get a nice ice cream sandwich from the vendor, and then thoughtfully consider the displays of fabulous posters and perhaps plan what you want to be sure to do next. It would be mighty difficult to not walk directly towards that magnificent rocket gleaming white against that cyan blue sky. But that clock is pretty interesting, let's figure out how it works. To our left, Circarama. To our right, the Hall of Chemistry. And I hear that there are little cars you can drive, which sounds like fun. Let's do that first, and we'll work our way back out towards the hub!

Disneyland Entrance, August 1960

How many trips to Disneyland begin with a photo like this? Ya gotcher train and that impressive station, Mickey's usually-flowery face (not very colorful here), and of course, the POSTERS!

Those of you who have been reading Gorillas Don't Blog for a while might know that I am plumb loco about the beautiful silkscreened attraction posters that were seen around the park in the 50's and 60's. There are many examples of wonderful vintage artwork that was produced for Disneyland over the years, but for me, nothing beats those amazing posters. The bold designs and vivid colors are incredibly appealing. I love how many of the compositions incorporate large diagonal elements that contribute to their visual excitement.


My favorites in this photo? Well, it's close, but the incredible "20,000 Leagues" poster just beats out the Submarine Voyage, in my book. Just as a side note, most vintage posters tend to use no more than 6 or 7 separate colors, while the 20K poster uses about 12.

Matterhorn, July 1960

The Matterhorn still had that new-rollercoaster smell when these photos were taken. It only had a light dusting of snow, too. Hey, look at those darn teenagers up there! Somebody oughta call the cops. And why don't they get haircuts?

A few of you might remember that, for Disneyland's 50th celebration, an rumor was spread that the heads of the "fab four" (Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy) would be added to the Matterhorn a lá Mount Rushmore. Thank heavens that never caught on, what a horrible idea!


Oh my gosh, it's Mamie Eisenhower posing in front of the Monorail! OK, maybe it's not Mamie. Both of today's images are from stereo slides, and the most "3-D" item is that lady's head in the foreground. You can practically reach out and give her a noogie!

Macy's Parade 1968, part 2

I love a parade! Especially an American classic like the Macy's parade.

In 1967, "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" debuted off-Broadway, and was a surprise hit, running over 1500 performances. By the end of 1968, the Peanuts gang and the cast of the show got their own float. Who is that standing at the front of the float with his arms raised? None other than Gary Burghoff (who starred as Charlie Brown). Of course he became even more famous years later playing Radar O'Reilly in M*A*S*H.

As this float passes by, let us all reflect upon how lumpy it is.


Oh, if only I could play Godzilla's famous roar as you viewed this photo! Snoopy has come a long way since his days at the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm. Here is the World War I flying ace as he peeps into a few 10th story windows! See anything you like, you crazy beagle?


And lastly, there he is, the man (or elf) himself, Saint Nick at the reins of his sleigh. I love the crowds at the windows in the background, that's where I'd like to be! Ho ho ho!

Macy's Parade 1968

I really should have posted these photos last month, seeing as they are from Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. But what the heck, it is as much a Christmas parade as anything.

Lest anyone should forget just who sponsored this shindig, Macy's reminds us all with this helpful banner. Let's all go to Gimble's right afterwards!


Mickey Mouse and many of his fellow Disney characters are standing on a giant birthday cake...there's Snow White and some of the Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Honest John and Gideon, Goofy, some li'l pigs, and the Big Bad Wolf.


There they go, in all their blurred glory.


And in keeping with the Disney theme, a giant balloon shaped like a certain duck looms, Godzilla-like, over the Dakota. "Rosemary's Baby" used the Dakota for exteriors that very year (just a fun fact for you).



I hope you enjoyed these, because there will be more tomorrow!!

Sunday Jumble

Welcome to another Sunday post on GDB! Today ya gots 3 slides for which to feast your eyebones upon.

It's July 1963, and if you wanted to go see the usual shenanigans over at the Golden Horseshoe, you were in for a surprise. The Ward Singers had taken over, perhaps to give Wally Boag and friends a much needed rest (during the peak season though?). The Ward Singers were founded by Clara Ward, a renowned gospel singer who made her first recording in 1940. By the 50's, The Famous Ward Singers were performing on television, at Carnegie Hall, and even in Las Vegas (the appearances in Sin City apparently alienated many of their longtime fans). They continued to perform at Disneyland during the summer months into the early 70's.


Let's take a load off of our feet and relax at the Hills Bros. Coffee House. This oddly-composed photo gives us a glimpse into the neighboring Coffee Garden, painted a cheerful yellow and decorated with plenty of attraction posters. Drool. Look, there's are even a couple of empty horse hitches for our ponies.


Thirdly, here is yet another look at Fantasyland. Teacups, check. Pirate Ship, check. No Skyway, though you can see the cables. The happiest cables on earth, that is. To the extreme right, a display of postcards and guidebooks tempts passers by. How many postcards do you recognize even at this tiny size? I admit that I recognize more than a few, which further enhances my standing as a true geek.

Tomorrowland, July 1964

Take a gander at these two fun Tomorrowland photos from 1964! If it wasn't for the Skyway, Tomorrowland images would be even scarcer than they are now, and that's saying something.

It's true, we've seen lots of similar pictures before...I can hardly believe that I am so blasé about these. There's the Astro Jets and the Douglas Rocket, what's not to love?


1964 Tomorrowland would be a good place to visit with my almost-completed time machine. You heard me right, a real time machine. I only need 3 pounds of einsteinium to get it running, if you have any extra please send it to me!

Adventureland Babes, 1961

Hubba hubba! Let's all go ahead and bare our midriff's in honor of these lovely ladies from Adventureland, circa 1961. For Pete's sake, don't show your navel, though, that would be more than any decent person could handle. The babe in yellow seems to be having a laugh at her fellow castmember, who is asleep on her feet. Or maybe the photographer just caught her in mid-blink. Happens to me all the time.


If this slide wasn't so durned dark, we might be able to see more of the incredible exotic treasures that were offered back then. As it is, there are hats of woven palm leaves, plastic leis, "grass" skirts, and handbags of various materials. What, no shrunken heads? I want a vintage rubber shrunken head in the worst way. I'd like to believe that there are plenty of plaster skulls and rubber snakes as well. And please tell me what those colorful feathered things are in the bin next to the sleepy girl!

Pirate Ship Construction, 1955

This slide was a fun find, since it was in a box with no other Disneyland slides, AND it shows the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship sometime within the first few weeks of the park's opening. Go ahead, compare it to Daveland's magnificent photo ! I admit it, his is better! There's still scaffolding, and we can see workmen probably still painting and applying gold leaf. The ship wouldn't open to customers until the end of August, although I could almost swear that it was shown on that famous opening-day television program with guests aboard. I'll have to dig out my DVD and check.


Note that there is no Skyway, it wouldn't be there until the following year. There is also a large generator to our right, and a giant drum that looks like it belongs in a parade (perhaps from opening day??).

On a side note, I noticed that the counter at the bottom of this page finally passed the 100,000 mark. Does that mean that I have 50 readers who have visited the site 2000 times? I have no idea. My spidey senses tell me that the number is inaccurate, somehow. But it's a cool milestone, anyway!

Main Street U.S.A., 1950's

I am guestimating that these two images of Main Street date from about 1957. Find the Keppy Kap in this first photo! Judging from the number of photos of Main Street, folks found this stylized recreation of a "typical" small town to be a pretty neat place. I wonder how many of the adults might have actually grown up near a place that looked very much like this? On occasionaly trips through the midwest, I'll still pass through little towns that haven't changed too drastically since the 1920's and 30's, and they always make me think of Disneyland.


It must be fairly early in the day, the sun is to the east leaving long shadows. The benches are empty, but it won't be long before they are filled by guests resting their weary feet!