Mine Train, 1959

I can't explain it, but I particularly love the way the old Rainbow Mountain Mine Train looked when it was painted with its pre-1960 dark green. Rainbow Ridge looks pretty cute here, very neat and tidy for a frontier town. The train's grizzled engineer waits patiently as a new load of greenhorns come aboard. I like to think he's chewing tobaccy! 

Look at the fathers, all lined up with their cameras! Hilarious.

This one was pretty dark, but you can still see the Mine Train entering the tunnel that was the portal to the Rainbow Desert. Just a year or so later, the ride would undergo a fabulous expansion into "Nature's Wonderland". 

In the foreground are the elevated boardwalks that made it easier for passengers to climb into the saddles of the Pack Mules. Simple, but elegant.

Frontierland, August 1970

Here are two Instamatic slides from 1970 - these are not from the fabled collection given to me by "Mr. X". They're just ordinary old photos!

Here's a pretty shot of the Mark Twain, heading toward the load/unload dock. Cascade Peak can just be seen behind it. Look at how lush the trees are! That one tree on Tom Sawyer Island (is it an oak?) is sticking out so far that it appears as if the steamboat is going to scrape against it, and ruin the paint job from Earl Scheib. 

Now we're aboard the Mark Twain, looking back toward parts of New Orleans Square (there's the "Pirates" building with Old Glory on top), Frontierland, including part of Aunt Jemima's Kitchen, which closed that very year to become the Magnolia Tree Terrace (briefly). And right in the middle is Adventureland, including the Swiss Family Treehouse.

Westwood VIllage, 1950's

I've already done one blog post featuring Westwood Village (take a look HERE); if it's worth visiting once, it's worth visiting twice, right? 

We're looking north on Westwood Boulevard, near the corner of Kinross Avenue. There's the domed B of A (now a sushi restaurant, as I mentioned in the previous post). The street looks so great with the wonderful old cars. I wonder when that center divider with the bushes was removed? 

This is as close as I could get to replicating the previous image using Google's "street view". It lacks that vintage charm, but Westwood is still a pretty nice place.

Next is this view of some small office spaces, done in a sort of "Old California" motif. Faux adobe, and plenty of red tile for the roofs. You can go to the dentist, and then buy a fur coat when you're done. 

I didn't know the location of the previous image, but this looks like it could be it - Glendon Avenue, near the corner of Kinross. Some details have changed in the intervening 60 years - who knows, maybe it was earthquake damage. Still, I am reasonably sure that these are the same buildings.

Rediscovered Treasures - Tomorrowland

Oh boy, vintage Tomorrowland! My favorite. Both of today's photos had been rejected long ago due to the fact that they had turned so magenta that I was unable to adequately restore them at the time. But that was then! I've taken a crack at them again, and thanks to the wonders of technology I managed to make them presentable. 

Howsabout this lovely shot of the Clock of the World, from August 13, 1955? The park had only been open for a month; Tomorrowland was famously behind schedule, and much of it really didn't open until August. The Dutch Boy "Color Gallery", Richfield's "The World Beneath Us", the "20,000 Leagues" walk-thru, all debuted that month. Other attractions would open as the year progressed. So, this was a minty-fresh place, and it looks like it. To our left is the Circarama building, while the Monsanto Hall of Chemistry is to our right.

Thanks to Jason's Disneyland Almanac, I can tell you that the August 13, 1955 was a Saturday. The park was open from 10 AM until 10 PM, and the high temperature was a comfortable 80 degrees. Attendance was 17,928. Two days before, Richard Nixon and his family had visited the park.

This one still appears slightly funky, but trust me, it's so much better than the original slide. I love this shot of the mighty Matterhorn (just look at those waterfalls!) with the Skyway buckets, the Monorail track, and the adorable mid-century architecture of the Yacht Bar. Sweeeeeeeet!

GDB TENCENNIAL!

Well, I made it, homies! Gorillas Don't Blog (oy, that name) is 10 YEARS OLD today. You can call it the "Decennial", but I prefer the made-up Disney term, "Tencennial".  I haven't missed a day for the last 2,368 days, which ought to count for something.

It has occasionally been a grind, but mostly it's been fun, thanks in large part to the GDB regulars who have offered so much support over the last decade.  Those of you who take the time to comment get special thanks, since that is what often keeps me going.

I have some nice photos for you! Let's start with this neat shot taken near the Flight Circle (with the Hobbyland souvenir booths visible to the right). There's the Tomorrowland Spaceman along with two jump-suited flight attendants. It's strange to see the Spaceman in something other than his usual silver lamé. Presumably the attendants worked inside the "Rocket to the Moon" attraction.

It seems pretty clear that the Spaceman's costume was based on the space suits used in the 1950 sci-fi classic by George Pal, "Destination Moon". 

Here's a beautiful shot of the Disneyland and Santa Fe Railroad's #3 locomotive, the 1894 "Fred Gurley". When this photo was taken in July of 1958, the Fred Gurley had only been operating in the park for about 4 months. It's so new and shiny, even if it was 64 years old by then. The picture was taken while the train rested at Tomorrowland Station. Howdy, fellas!

Next is this wonderful photo taken from the Skyway, probably circa 1958. Look at the color! There's just something extra lovable about those round buckets. The Viewliner makes a special appearance, as does the Space Bar, the Autopia, and Tomorrowland Station again (sporting a hard-to-read sign announcing the new Grand Canyon Diorama). This slide was in an unusual mount that cropped it to an almost wide-screen format; part of me is tempted to remove it from the mount to see if there is more image. But... I'm not going to do it.

And now for something completely different! Say, does that poor corpse in that open grave look familiar? Kind of like an Eskimo? Why, it is none other than GDB reader/contributor Steve Stuart, aka "Nanook"! There he is, looking pretty spry for a dead guy. Until Steve sent me some of his slides to scan, I had never seen this Tom Sawyer Island feature before. Have you?

I am happy to report that we will be seeing more of Nanook's photos from Disneyland (and beyond!) coming up in the not-too-distant future.

Since they were a matched set, here is Steve's childhood pal, Gary. He died with his hat on. Steve mentioned that in spite of what that tombstone says, the photos were actually taken in April of 1962.

And lastly, here's an awesome picture of a kid posing with the fabulous Viewliner.  We've seen that boy before, and as usual he looks like he is about to undergo a root canal. Cheer up, buddy, you're in 1957 Disneyland!

Thanks again to all the GDB readers who have checked in faithfully during the past 10 years!

The Mark Twain, November 1955

As is often the case, this photographer who took today's photos was mighty impressed with the Mark Twain - so much so that she took four pictures of it in succession. I can't say that I blame her - nowadays we take it for granted, but it is a beautiful sight, lit with the warm rays of late afternoon winter sun. 

Note the gambler in the foreground, who we saw more clearly in THIS POST.

Here it comes, slowly and smoothly toward the dock. Look at all the people! And a large group is looking forward to their own ride around the River.

When I become a slick riverboat gambler, I'll have to remind myself to NOT have an ace of spades  clearly on display in my hat band - it's just a rookie mistake. 

Main Street, The Magic Kingdom - November 1971

We're continuing our look at some very early Magic Kingdom (that's in Florida, folks) photos, taken on a beautiful November day in 1971. It was the Thanksgiving break, and while "Mr. X" described it as very busy, it looks pretty sedate in most of his pictures.

Here's a neat photo of the Emporium 

As always, I get a kick out of looking at the people in these vintage pictures. I especially like the lady with the big hair, cape, and patriotic-striped pants.

Meanwhile, just off of Town Square was "Le Chapeau" - "Gentlemens & Ladies' Hats" (what if you need a hat for your teacup chihuahua?). I would march right in and demand something "floppy; casual, but not jejune; most importantly, it must have panache".

How about that Coca-Cola hat on the lady to our right? I am generally opposed to wearing clothing with giant logos (Nike, etc); why would I pay to be a walking advertisement for a giant company? I might make an exception for Disneyland stuff (though I don't wear that either). Hey, it's a free country, people can do what makes them happy!

The man in the middle is detail-oriented, and is taking a photo of the gas lamp with its tasteful Christmas decor. I wonder what else he took photos of?

The Skyway Chalet, 1956

Rumors of the Fantasyland Skyway chalet's demise have been in the air for well over a year; now, supposedly, its days are truly numbered. I'll be very sad when it is finally torn down, though it has been abandoned since the Skyway closed on November 9, 1994. Yes, over 22 years ago now. Yikes.

Here's a beautiful early photo of the chalet, taken not long after the attraction opened (the official date is June 23, 1956). The evergreens are pretty spindly, but they would quickly grow to create a serviceable little Alpine forest. 

The building looks like it could have been lifted right out of Geppetto's village, with the wonderful carved details and painted devices. I kept hoping that they might make it into a restaurant (snack bar?), or even a souvenir stand, but its elevated placement probably would have made accessibility for wheelchairs and strollers difficult.

Nearby, one would have been able to see Cinderella's "Dream Castle" (as it is called on an old postcard). It almost looks as if it sprouted from the craggy rock formations by magic.

View From a Streetcar, September 1972

Oof. While today's photos are unusual, having been taken from aboard a crunchy Horse Drawn Streetcar, they aren't that great. Guess what? There are two more that I'm saving for some future Sunday. Wheee!

We're looking over the driver's shoulder toward the Fire House and Walt's apartment. Is the bell in mid-swing? I am always surprised at how small that apartment must be (I've never been inside). You'd think that Walt Disney would want some roomy digs! After all, he had grandkids. I wonder if there were other places considered besides the top floor of the Fire House?

Next, a look up Main Street past the flag pole; The Omnibus is heading toward the castle, and chairs and music stands await the Disneyland Band.

Santa Catalina Island, 1950's

Today I have kind of a lazy "quickie" post for you. Sorry! I have more vintage photos from Catalina Island, just off the coast of Los Angeles. I did another post about Catalina last year that had a lot more useful information, take a look HERE.

All of today's slides were in thick, heavy plastic mounts, I've never seen anything like them. And while they were undated, I believe that they are from the 1950's. 

A common sight was the old S.S. Catalina, the ferry that transported visitors to and from the island in style; the trip only took about 20 minutes. I love the old-fashioned look of this vessel, with that nearly-vertical bow. I wonder how those life rafts would have been deployed (had they ever been needed)... did they just slide sideways into the sea?

When arriving or departing, there was often a band to serenade guests. What are they playing? My guess is "Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-De-Ay". It's the perfect song for all occasions. OK, smarties, what in the world is that strange structure that the musicians are standing beneath?

Of course, no group of Catalina photos is complete without a shot of the famous casino. It is a pretty striking building. I'd like to imagine myself visiting the island in the 1940's, where I'd rub elbows with the Hollywood elite!