Main Street Station, 1957

Check out this beautiful photo of Main Street Station, circa 1957! The scene is lit with the late afternoon's golden light... everything seems to glow. The E.P. Ripley looks splendid as it sits next to the Kalamazoo Handcar; the old yellow passenger cars may have been difficult to load and unload, but don't they look wonderful? They are painted the same color as a Ticonderoga pencil. And mama mia, look at the posters! The Art Corner, Astro Jets, the 3-level Frontierland... some of the very rarest and nicest.


This slide is from the same lot as the previous one, but for some reason it came out very dark. Still, it's a nice look straight down the tracks for the Horse Drawn Streetcars (with only two jaywalkers to be seen). Favorite detail: The little buckaroo to the left, look for his cowboy hat!

Teacups and Mill, August 1965

It's teacup time! Well, it is for a few people, anyway. Half of the cups are empty (see how I'm a "cup is half empty" guy?), but then again, the park doesn't look very busy at all. I'll bet this attraction was popular with hippies. Smoke a funny cigarette or take a little pill, and suddenly this was the greatest ride ever!


Harper's Mill is looking very much like a cottage in a Thomas Kinkade painting, the way it's covered in ivy or some other creeping vine. Kudzu?! Three ladies strike a pose (pretending they are the Supremes) as they exit the mill, overwhelmed after learning so much about flour. You can just see Rainbow Ridge in the distance...

EXPO '67

It's time to return to Montreal, 1967! Somehow I have acquired a bunch of slides from Expo '67, so I might as well use them.

I am happy to see that my art education has not totally gone to waste... I didn't know anything about that crazy sculpture except that it looked like it was done by Alexander Calder. And sure enough, he done did it! It's called "Man". What else would it be called?


Here's the lovely Thailand pavilion, which was built in Thailand and shipped in pieces to Montreal. "In the pavilion area both the scenic beauty and the oriental atmosphere of Thailand are represented. Both ancient and modern Thailand have their place in the display, and there are exhibits of fine art, handicrafts and other aspects of the culture of the country." In the pond to our left is a model of a ceremonial barge.


Here's another angle of the Thai pavilion (and barge). Say, what's that crazy rainbow building in the background?


It's "Kaleidoscope", that's what! "This pavilion presents Man and Color - an adventure in color, motion and sound. The exterior of the pavilion is round, with 112 fins painted in a spectrum of vivid colors surrounding the circular steel frame.
Seen from Expo-Express, Minirail, or the ground, it appears to change its color. Entering the pavilion, the visitor is carried away by a world of moving colors. Using a completely unique process, this remarkable structure actually places one inside a kaleidoscope. The show proceeds through a 12 minute "day" from sunrise to nightfall, during which one experiences the emotional, psychological and even physical effects of color."


There is an excellent website that has been very helpful to me in researching these photos, it is: http://expo67.ncf.ca/, and it has been invaluable. Check it out if you want to learn more about this popular fair!

Fantasyland at Night, June 26, 1966

I loves me some Disneyland at night! But decent vintage photos of the park when it is at its most beautiful are somewhat scarce. Here are two beauties from 1966 that came out great!

You've seen the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship umpteen zillion times, but this lovely picture is especially pretty. The sails are partially unfurled, something I prefer compared to having them tightly, um, furled. They have a strange shiny appearance here. The long exposure turned the people in the foreground into ghosts.


Now we'll climb aboard the Pirate Ship and take another beautiful photo featuring the Teacups, King Arthur's Carousel, and Sleeping Beauty's Castle. Peter Pan's Flight (to the right) is surprisingly blazing in this image. Luckily the Teacups were at a standstill, although it might have been cool to see them as a blur!


I will be out of town for the weekend, starting today. But keep checking in, there will be new posts!

Disneyland in Black and White

Do not adjust your monitors! Today's photos may be in black and white, but they are great anyway. I love the rather ornate edges of the photos, and believe that this is evidence that the photographer was using a Kodak "Brownie".

Let's start with this fun (and undated) picture of Black Bart, standing on that authentic-looking split log bench. It sure looks like he has an itchy trigger finger, don't do anything to rile him! For many men, that crazy look in Bart's eye is the last thing they ever saw.


As we take our steamboat further into the wilderness, we pass a friendly Indian village. The Chief waves hello, while a few white settler's look on. Frontierland looks pretty undeveloped, I can only assume that these pictures were taken around 1956.

Golden Horseshoe Revue, 1960

I will always regret the fact that I never saw the original Golden Horseshoe Revue with Wally Boag, Betty Taylor, and Fulton Burly. So, when I find nice photos of that legendary show, I'm a happy gorilla!

Here's a great shot of Betty, aka Slue Foot Sue; I wish I knew what she was singing here... my guess is that it is some sort of ballad. Partially hidden to our right is a polka dotted sleeve. Could that belong to one of the other performers? Maybe a member of the Firehouse Five (plus two)?


Whoo-hoo, the cancan! Kind of racy for Disneyland, don't you think? But that was the point, giving the flavor of an authentic stage show from the old west. And you just know that Americans would be anxious to import this scandalous French dance for all those dusty ranchers and gold miners. Top it off with an ice cold Pepsi, and there is no doubt that life is good.

Souvenir Tuesday: 1957 TWA Brochure

Several Disneyland/TWA brochures were available in the early years, but this one is (as far as I know) the most elaborate, with 16 pages! Presumably this brochure was handed out by travel agencies all over the country. I think you'll agree that the artwork is exceptionally great as well. Plus I haven't seen it on any other blog!

In case of an emergency, a slide will inflate and deposit you directly into Disneyland. You must walk like an Egyptian during this procedure. Don't ask why, just do it, OK?


There's fun for all! Relive the days of the old west, or be an astronaut and zap your wife with a ray gun. She can be a princess, isn't that what all women want to be?


I love the way the illustrator shows the guests interacting directly with the rides; Peter Pan himself is escorting dad and son as they fly over London, and the 7 Dwarfs are showing off a cartful of gems.


Those are some sorta cool illustrations for Frontierland! Definitely reminiscent of other Disneyland flyers from the same era.


Main Street and Tomorrowland only get a page each instead of a nice 2 page spread. Freedomland in New York had the great Chicago Fire, I wonder if there was ever a consideration for Disneyland to have a similar attraction on Main Street?


Man, as a kid I would hear about people who stayed at the Disneyland Hotel for a multi-day visit, and turned green with envy. In this case, you get to fly on a beautiful Lockheed Constellation before spending 2 full days at the park.


More travel details and suggestions...


As long as you are in California, you might as well see more of the state! I think there are some buildings you can go see. And some trees. Or something. Who am I, Rand McNally?


How can you resist? Make your reservations NOW! As you can see, this brochure was handed out in Michigan at the Vacationland Center. Hope you liked it!

A Pair From 1957

Here are a couple of nice images from 1957, starting with this "murky but nice" picture showing the bridge that used to cross over a waterway to the Swift Plantation House. Both the waterway and the Plantation House would go away when New Orleans Square was built. Notice the storage of an unused raft underneath the bridge; there is a sign that guests passed beneath touting the Keel Boats and the Canoes; and if you look to the right, you can see the gazebo peeking through the foliage. Oh yeah, and these were the days when there were bright red fire hydrants right out in the open!


This one is from the same lot, and I admit that it isn't the greatest photo in the world. The Casey Jr. tracks are beneath us, and you can see the graceful many-arched bridge that Casey passes over. Fantasyland Station is to the left, and in the distance, to the right is the pink arch of the Fantasyland Viewliner Station.

Knott's Berry Farm Miniature Train, August 1958

Here's an image that I found in a box of miscellaneous slides; It is from Knott's Berry Farm, and shows the "Knott's Miniature Train". I have to admit that I didn't even know that Knott's had a miniature train! But when I go back and look at various maps of that park, I see that the mini train was there for many years. Anybody know if it's still there? It's hard to judge the scale in this photo, so I am wondering just how small the train was. Is it similar to Walt Disney's "Carolwood Pacific"?


In yet another box of slides, I found this somewhat damaged photo (undated) of two girls posing with a pair of friendly Indians. I love the expression on the youngest girl! There were also many Disneyland slides, some so badly faded and damaged (MUCH worse than this example) that I think they are beyond any reasonable restoration attempts. Bummer! I may still share some of them, as long as you don't mind their less-than-great appearance.

Casey Jr., January 1962

In this first photo, we can see the surprisingly modest entrance to the Casey Jr. Circus Train. Like much of the pre-1983 Fantasyland, there is a lack of decoration and ornament. But considering the charm and attention to detail throughout that attraction, it still surprises me that your first view of the ride looks like this.


From up in a Skyway bucket, you can see the fanciful patchwork quilt landscape that Casey chugged through. That row of trees blocks the view (for the most part) of the many industrial sheds in the "backstage" area.