Two Views on Main Street

I was asked by Tim at Vintage Disneyland Tickets what is the Kodak collection. It is the name I have given to a unique collection of images I have been showing for years now. The photographer was an employee on Main Street in the Kodak shop and took photographs of virtually every sign, along with slides and other images of Disneyland. Most of the images are sans guests and some include the maintenance vehicles. Here are two more, the first is the Kodak shop on Main Street.

The next image is an unusual shot of the Red Wagon Inn from the Main Street side. This is where the Hot Dog truck now sits. The Red Wagon Inn is one of my favorite restaurants at Disneyland.

The Walt Disney Studio Grand Opening April 10, 1940

I have several images of the new Burbank Studio that I plan to show over the next several weeks. The first image is one that I particularly like as it is of a rarely photographed building, the movie theater at the studio. This is the grand opening date of April 10, 1940. On the bill is the RKO Pathe News Reel, MGM's Mad Maestro animated film from 1939, RKO Information Please, The Blue Bird featuring Shirley Temple and released in January of 1940, and Elephant Boy starring Sabu released in 1937. Quite a bill. The poster is nice with Stromboli the showman holding the title.

Souvenir Friday- Disneyland Almanac 1966

This is a really neat souvenir piece that was given to Disneyland employees in 1966. More of a date book than an almanac, it does show some of the operating hours and the Mondays and Tuesdays that Disneyland were closed in 1966. Distributed through the date book is information on the new attractions, upcoming attractions and the movies to be released by WDP in 1966. I like the address part with Disneyland's address and phone numbers already filled in. The final two pages include important information about Disneyland. I thought Jason at Disneyland Nomenclature would like this post.

Public Telephones On Main Street

One of the most obscure images from the Kodak collection is this shot of the pay telephones on Main Street. I believe this was located next to the current location for the lockers. With today's liability and risk, the steps would not be in use.

Two Views of the Emporium

Two side views of the Main Street Emporium. The first is from Main Street showing the windows.

The second view is from Town Square with Mickey Mouse Club Merchandise in the windows.

Let's Hop Aboard the Mekong Maiden

Just imagine it is a nice spring day in 1961 at Disneyland. Look a Jungle Cruise boat, let's hop on board and take a ride....

The Studio Strike of 1941 Part 3

Some more images from the strike at Disney Studios in 1941. Based upon some of the fliers and also the signs, this must have been one of the most colorful strikes in history.
(Based upon the comments received from the readers, I have corrected and updated the posting. Thanks everyone!)
The first image is of Herb Sorrel who was the leader of the strike. He was a studio painter who was influenced by Australian-American labor organizer Harry Bridges. Herb would later lead the bloodiest strike in Hollywood history with Combined Screen Unions in 1945 and the infamous Black Friday on October 5, 1945 when strikers and Warner Brothers Studio clashed.

The next image is actor and screen writer John Gleason. Best known for his New York characters, being nominated for an Academy Award for playing boxing manager Max "Pop" Corkle in the film Here Comes Mr. Jordan.

I love this image and should have placed it next to the effigy of Gunther Lessing in the guillotine. This is the procession marching the guillotine to its location. I love the dramatic look and feel of this procession.

And to add a little background, a handout from the strikers describing the reason for the strike.

I would like to once again Bob Cowan (rcowan@mywdo.com) for sharing the images with me and my readers. To see more of his collection, head to Didier Ghez's Disney History blog.

The Studio Strike of 1941 Part 2

Continuing with the strike photos from the Cowan collection, I start off with another night shot with the strikers in their formal attire.

The next two images are of the soup kitchen. The tables were constructed by the Warner Brothers Carpentry department and staffed by members of the Coral Room and Disney Studio Restaurant. It was set up in a nice shady grove right across the street from the Walt Disney Studios. The man in the center of the second image is of Herb Sorrell who was one of the strike leaders from the Union. Walt was convinced Herb was a full fledged communist out to destroy the United States.

The photographs are some of the earliest from an animator who left after the strike and became a famous photographer. The animator Kosti Ruohomaa returned home to New England and took photographs of the landscape of New England with a special interest in Maine. He eventually earned the nickname the Ansel Adams of New England.

Finally another nice image of the picket line at the Studios. p>

Once again I would like to thank Bob Cowan (rcowan@mywdo.com) for his generosity in sharing these images. And thanks to all who wrote comments. Look for some more documents and a couple of images tomorrow from this collection.

The Studio Strike of 1941 Part 1

This blog thing is a really great way to meet people and see things you would have never had a chance to see otherwise. Such is the case for the following images. A reader of this blog has sent in these wonderful images. The images are of animators on the picket line at the Walt Disney Studio in 1941. The strike is one of the defining moments for Walt Disney and the Disney company. It exposed a rift between Walt and his staff and may have sent him off exploring many other avenues. I believe it may be argued that if the strike did not happen, neither would have the live action films and Disneyland. The first image shows the strikers walking the picket line wearing their evening clothes. It appears the Ink and Paint department (or the wives of the animators) have joined the strike. This may have taken place at a Movie Premiere.

The second image is of an effigy. It may be of Walt or of Gunther Lessing the Disney legal rep.

The next image shows a great picket sign featuring Walt caricatured as the Reluctant Dragon.

The fourth image shows a great Jiminy Cricket sign. The anti-strike sign hanging off the studio building is interesting.

I would like to thank Bob Cowan (RCowan@mywdo.com) for letting me post the images. I will post some more images tomorrow.

Souvenir Friday- Television Viewers

I love these little television shaped viewers. This is only part (although a large part) of my collection of these. The pictures inside the each television viewer date from a series in the late 1950s up to the mid 1960s. The little viewers are very hard to locate. I also collect them from other theme parks with the San Antonio Zoo and Lion Country Safari included in the collection. I wish I could show the images from the viewers, but nothing seems to work. These are fun little souvenirs.

Just to add to today's post, a publicity shot of Walt Disney from the opening of a Television show.

Entrance to Adventureland

Looking like an image taken directly from a postcard or a guidebook is this nice shot of the entrance to Adventureland. The number of items decorating the entrance is amazing, looking like a classic tiki bar. I do not remember seeing many images with the cannibal head on top of the sign and the crossed paddles hanging from the sign. The masks on the fence are also very nice. A definite portal to a land of adventure.

The Restrooms at City Hall

In the collection of sign shots there are some pretty obscure shots. This is one of the more obscure images, the set of restrooms attached to City Hall on Main Street. This part of the building is very unremarkable architecturally and looks just like a blank brick wall. However the photographer inadvertently made the image into a classic art photograph with the two older gentlemen sitting on the bench, the sign in the foreground matching the flag pole coming off of the roof and the father and daughter on the other bench. The more I look at the photograph, the more I like it.

Bank Of America Main Street Branch

One of the many innovations of Disneyland was a true working branch of the Bank of America. Visitors to the park could cash checks and purchase souvenir money orders. Walt Disney and the Bank of America had a long relationship all the way back to Snow White and The Seven Dwarves. B of A was the bank from which the loan was secured for completion of the film. Additionally, a real working bank added to the concept of realism, allowing visitors to really feel they were in a small town of the early 1900s and a helpful banker was available to assist them. In the corner, almost out of view is a section of attraction posters.

Sailing Ship Columbia Dock at Fowlers Harbor

Years ago there used to be a designated dock for the Sailing Ship Columbia. Some times when the ship was not out on the river, guests could still walk on board and visit below decks. This is a nice sequence of photographs of the old dock showing the great signage that was once found. Now the Columbia docks there, but there is no easy access and guests are not allowed on board. But you can get yummy fast snack food and drinks at the Harbour Galley.

The faux restaurant at Fowlers Harbor is Maurie's Lobster Dinners named after Admiral Joe Fowler's wife.

A Final Visit to the Walt Disney Studio

Today is the last set of images from the Ink and Paint Department employee. The first image is marked Betty Underhill Mrs. Robert Jewett now 1939 or 1940.

The next image is of the Minneapolis Club at the Studio with a large Charlotte Clark Minnie Mouse doll.

The next two photographs are of a Studio picnic at Griffith Park. The first photograph is marked Griffith Park 1938 Helen Nerbovig and Faith Rookus.

And this is marked Betty Underhill

A couple of more shots of the Patio at the studio. The first is captioned Patio Betty Ann Gunther.

And the caption on this one is Ruth Pardner in white.

One more shot outside. The original owner taped the two photos together. The caption on this one is Marguerite Jate, Minette, Phyllis Bounds Walt Disney's Niece, Doris, Ann, Patio at Disneys about 1938.

One of the readers has a similar but much more spectacular scrapbook kept by Ingeborg Willy. The reader has made the scrapbook available as a blurb book. The book is filled not only with pictures of her fellow employees, but also original sketches, memo's, timing sheets and more. Here is the link, I recommend it if you are interested in the history of the Walt Disney Studio in the late 1930's. Working For Disney 1936-1937

Souvenir Friday-Elitch Garden Amusement Park

In speaking with my friends and co-workers who grew up in Denver, Elitch's Garden was one of the most beautiful, peaceful and amazing amusement park. Located in a suburb of Denver, the park had immaculate landscaping as well as some great rides. The park also had a history stretching back to 1890. The park moved closer to Denver in 1995 to allow for expansion of the park and was subsequently purchased and then sold by Six Flags. The new park does not have the charm nor the landscaping of the old park (in fact it is on an old toxic waste dump, a superfund site.) The area of the old park has been developed with only the Elitch Theater and the large Carousel barn still remaining on site. The brochure below dates from circa 1952 when the Kiddie Land was added to the park.

Sorry for the little stitch glitch in the middle of the long brochure image.