Wonderful shot of a spaceship style spinning ride at an unknown carnival in the early 1950s. Same design as many other rides, this has a great look with 1930s style streamline rockets and ray guns for the kids to pretend to shoot. I love the blurriness of the kid in the foreground and the focus in the background and those sunglasses on the girl! Plus the fact the carnival is set up in the middle of a grass field surrounded by trees. Very much a small town look. Kodachrome slide from the 1950s.
Early view of the Tahitian Terrace restaurant. This shot is from a series of slides taken during a 1959 trip and shows the unique restuarant overlooking the Jungle Cruise. It shared kitchens and the roof line with the Plaza Pavilion and did serve polynesian fare. However, there was no floor show, dancers or musicians, just a place to get a meal. The roof piece is awful neat and adds a nice tropical theme. Kodachrome slide.
Wonderful image of a young girl taking her own ride in a Caterpillar vehicle on the Alice In Wonderland attraction. This was taken during the first year of the ride. Very cute image with the girl looking like a princess. And the caterpillar cars have always been one of my favorite ride vehicles. Image is from a slide from a 1958 trip.
Yesterday and Tomorrow meet in this slide, great shot of Grandma posing in front of the Monsanto Hall of Chemistry. I love the Enid Collins style purse she is holding and the hat she is wearing. Whatever happened to those days when going to Disneyland was treated as a big deal and you actually dressed up for the trip? Now, everyone wears anything and everything, including some very tasteless T-shirts. I am going to blame casual workplace rules! Allright, I am off my soapbox, nice shot from a 1959 trip captured on a Kodachrome slide.
I don't think I ever went to Marineland of the Pacific during my childhood. Growing up in San Diego, my Grandparents would always take me to Sea World. So, I missed seeing this wonderful Shell fountain and South Sea's Garden with two large Tikis at Marineland on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Marineland did have some wonderful structures such as the large Oceanarium stadium where the shows were held and the restaurant with the shell ceiling. I have visited the site several times just to see what is left and it is not much. Another one of the extinct parks with just memories for those lucky enough to have actually been there during its heyday. Image is from a Kodachrome slide marked Jul 63.
Dramatic shot of two girls surviving the last scene of hell from one of the best Fantasyland rides, Mr. Toads Wild Ride. I absolutely love the expressions on their faces and the composition of the shot with the red rock work for Hell seen in the background. Whenever I go to Disneyland, I try to ride Mr. Toads just to see the laughing devils. Several years ago Disney auctioned off the devils that were removed as part of a rehab of the ride, but I was never able to win one. Oh well, something to keep looking for as a goal in my collecting life. Also, notice the Toad car is the old single seat style, all the ones used in the ride now are double seat style from the extinct Walt Disney World ride. Image is from a slide marked FEB 71.
One of the best lost Disneyland items was the evocative Skull Rock located behind the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship restaurant. This image is from the first year that the rock was in place and is an absolutely gorgeous shot. I definitely miss the rock and the pirate ship restaurant. I am happy that the swimming pool for the Disneyland Hotel had a make over and the imagineers did do a homage to Skull Rock. Slide is marked Disneyland Sept. 61 and is kodachrome.
Vintage back stage images of Disneyland are very rare as most people had no access to the back stage areas and also not a lot of people saw a need to take a photo. So, this image showing the backside of Tomorrowland is very unique. I love the cars just parked on the dirt against the yellow plywood wall, the telephone pole in the middle and the unique view of the Rocket to the Moon ride. I believe this slide was taken by an Antique Automotive enthusiast whose car was in a parade at Disneyland, and the blue panel van with the trailer was his tow vehicle used to haul his antique auto. Slide is date marked 9-55 and View of Tomorrowland on the slide.
For many years, the dedication plaque for Disneyland was placed at the foot of the flagpole in Town Square. The plaque is the philosophy of Disneyland when Walt was still alive. My opinion is that the Disney company has lost sight of this and my hope is that they are getting back to this philosophy. This plaque has now been reproduced a couple times recently, once as a paperweight and from the Disney direct 50th Anniversary collection. This is from a slide taken on a 1959 trip.
Two views of the boot hill cemetary located in Ghost Town at Knott's Berry Farm. I like the posing of the shots so both the guy and the grave marker can be seen and read, especially the one where he is reading the grave marker. I always enjoyed going to the boot hill graveyard at Knotts as it had more of a sense of humor than the graveyard by Fort Wilderness in Disneyland. Both are taken from slides from the 1950s.
Two wonderful interior images of the Fantasyland ride Its A Small World. Say what you will about the song, the design and colors in the ride are absolutely awesome. As a teenager, this was the last ride I would go on, skipping it almost every time I visited Disneyland. But as you gain years, you also gain appreciation. Although the song is still not one of my favorites, the attraction is a favorite mainly due to the cute kid design and the wonderful fun sets created by Mary Blair. I love looking at all the artwork created and also the souvenirs created in 1966 to support the opening at Disneyland of this childs view of the world. Images are from Kodachrome slides from the 1970s.
I don't know why, but usually in every slide group there is a picture of the parking lot to the theme park. Maybe the folks were so happy to finally be at the destination, or they are telling a story with their slides and wanted to show progression, or maybe they just wanted to check the camera and took pictures out in the parking lot. This is one of the better shots I have seen, with the 1950s nuclear family (mom, dad, son and daughter) walking into Knotts Berry Farm via the long trail to Ghost Town. The dad is very cool with his brightly striped shirt and mom in her sleeveless blouse and clam diggers, both wearing Ray Ban sunglasses. Slide is a Kodachrome slide that is undated but from the 1950s.
1959 image of the desert and balancing rock section of the Rainbow Mine Train with the Disneyland Stage coach in the background. In the foreground can be seen the tracks for the train. In the upper left hand corner can be seen the little town of Rainbow Ridge. Kodachrome slide from a 1959 trip.
This image features my favorite attraction, the first all tubular steel roller coaster in the world, the Matterhorn Bobsled ride. Gorgeous opening year image of a single sled with two tone paint coming around the final corner into the unload area. The girl in the back appears to not have enjoyed the ride very much, but her mom and sister are smiles. In the background can be seen the Alice in Wonderland ride with the outdoor plants where the catterpilar cars run. The boy in the Hawaiian shirt and the girl with the souvenir sun bonnet are added bonuses. Image is from a Kodachrome slide from a 1959 trip.
View showing the various types of Indian homes that were actually constructed at Disneyland. Rather than just show one type of Native American village, Disney actually constructed several different types including the one in the foreground of this image. In reading about the Indian Village and viewing the limited postcard and guidebook images, I always thought that the village was comprised of the stereotypical teepees and just one big round dance circle. I have some photostat copies of drawings done for the Northwest Pacific Indian lodges and on the tick tock toy site from Dan Goodsell is a great image of the Northwest Pacific Indian lodge. Image is from a 1959 trip documented on a Kodachrome slide.
Wonderful 1955 view of the colorful land of Fantasyland with swirling tea cups, stately carrousel, and the old style primary color fronts on the dark rides Snow White and Peter Pan. Pictures was taken from the old Chicken of the Sea Pirate ship to get a nice height for this panoramic view. The old teacups were probably a safety nightmare with no doors and no chains. What would todays society think of such a thing where everything is gated and signed to the extreme? Looks like it was a fairly crowded day. Slide is dated July 1955.
I know the title sounds like a jumble, but how else to describe this image. Taken from the monorail station, the view is back towards Fantasyland with the Submarine Voyage underneath, the Fantasyland Autopia (with the older Autopia cars, not the sleek modern cars seen in the Tomorrowland Autopia) with the Atlantic Richfield Eagle tower, a peak of the Motorboat cruise and in the distance is Its A Small World. Off to the left hand side can be seen the Swiss Chalet for the Matterhorn. Great action and interest in this picture, I love the red and white striped canopy for the line for the Fantasyland Autopia. Slide is a kodachrome slide with a date stamped holder of April 1970.
One of the main attractions at Disneyland has always been the Disneyland Band. I do not think the band gets its due for being an original attraction. It has always been one of the best marching bands in the world and in the early years was led by a grand statesman of bands, Vesey Walker. The original contract for the band was for a two week stint that has now turned into 50 years of playing music. This shot shows the band making the turn from Main Street down the main thoroughfare in Frontierland. In the background can be seen the TWA Rocket. The crowd of kids is great, especially the little girl sitting on the hitching post. And the Blue band uniforms are different as most of the time the uniforms were red. Image is from a Kodachrome slide from a 1959 trip.
My first collecting passion is Disneyland, but I also love vintage Knotts Berry Farm. It was the first true theme park with a great Ghost Town and the originator of a Western style steam railroad at an amusement park. The souvenirs are cool and I have great memories of going to Knotts and really enjoying the Ghost Town and Sad Eye Joe in the jail. And the mascot of the early park was the old prospector and his mule. This statue used to be more accessable as it is now on the corner of Beach Boulevard and elevated. But at this time, it was placed in front of Ghost Town with directions to the Chicken Restaurant in the background. Much more photogenic in this location. I like the cactus around the prospector. Image is from a Kodachrome slide dated August 1961.
Rare action view of the Royal Tahitian dancers at the long gone and now highly nostalgic dinner and dance show restaurant the Tahitian Terrace in Adventureland. I do like the red effect from the lights during the fire dance seen on this slide and the frenetic motion. Unfortunately, I do not think I ever had a meal there. My family was much more interested in eating at the old Casa De Fritos (later turned into Casa Mexicana) for a big lunch and then some Kentucky Fried Chicken on the way home. I hope this brings back some memories for you, or at least lets you know some of the entertainment at this restaurant. Slide is a kodachrome slide with an Aug 73 date stamp.
Fresh new Submarines in their classic gray war paint (so much better than at the end of this ride's life when they decided to repaint them in the obnoxious yellow) with the newly constructed Monorail gliding over head. Each sub was named after a vessel in the 1950s Nuclear submarine program, I especially like Seawolf. Employees on the right in their Disneyland navy uniforms getting ready to dispatch the next group of intrepid undersea voyagers to the North Pole. This is one cool slide with great composition showing the seventh largest submarine fleet in the world at that time. Slide is Kodachrome with an August 1959 date stamp.
This view comes from a Kodachrome slide circa early 1960s. I love the lady in plaid pants standing on top of ambush rock on Tom Sawyers Island. In the lower left hand can be seen the rustic signs pointing to the various locations on the Island. Some of my strongest memories of being at Disneyland are of playing and running around Tom Sawyers Island, especially the caves. My favorite was always the escape tunnel from Fort Wilderness. I also enjoyed the spinning and balancing (teeter totter) rock and who can forget the tree house and its commanding view of New Orleans Square. Although still quite enjoyable, today's TSI pales in comparison to the one of the 1970s. Or maybe that is just my nostalgia clouding my mind. Anyways, a wonderful view and remember to beware of ambushes from ladies wearing plaid pants.
Wonderful crowded view of Fantasyland in 1959. Off to the right hand side is the short lived Midget Autopia and in the background is the Alice In Wonderland ride, a year old when this slide was taken. Up in the sky is the Skyway. I believe the lady walking in front of the wheelchair is an early tour guide with a cast member pushing the chair. I just love the look of all the guests in this image. This is from a Kodachrome slide dated August 1959.
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Two wonderful images of the long gone parts of the Disneyland Hotel. The first is a great image looking over the shopping arcade and Monorail station with the old parking lot and Disneyland in the background. I have fond memories of going to the stores here so I would not have to pay Disneyland admission to purchase ceramics and pins. And before that, of heading over the Neon Cactus and Sgt. Prestons Saloon for a mid afternoon drink. And before that of going to the arcade that was under the pool. The second shot is of the garden rooms. I love the pink color, so very much Miami like, especially with grandmother standing out front. Both images are from Kodachrome slides both dated August 1973.
Wonderful image of one of my favorite rides- Casey Junior the Circus Train going through the giant quilt. I love this shot that shows the backstage area and the hill that Casey "Thinks he can..." In the foreground is the London park from Peter Pan and some very green water for the Storybook Canal boats. The bushes have definitely grown up and now cover the backstage area. Image is from a Kodachrome slide circa 1959. The photographer was most likely on the other train when taking this picture.
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Interior image of Professer Keller working his Lion and Tiger act at the Mickey Mouse Club Circus. Extremely rare interior image that I had to lighten up. In the background can be seen the circus wagons and the circus tent. The show was in the last half of 1955 and Keller's animals was held over for 1956 in the large circus tent. Keller appears on a scarce 1956 postcard and actually published a scarce book titled Here Keller, Train This detailing his Tiger and Lion taming days. Image is from a Kodachrome slide.