Souvenir Friday- Wide World In Wax Wax Museum Anaheim California

Today's souvenir is a neat guidebook from the short lived Wide World in Wax Wax Museum in Anaheim, California. Originally featured at the New York World's Fair in 1964 and 1965, the museum was moved to Anaheim at the corner of Harbor and Katella near Disneyland. The guidebook is interesting in that it was the original brochure from NYWF and just has a new paper cover attached. According to Chris Jepson's excellent blog O.C. History Roundup O.C. History Roundup the building is now the lobby for the Radisson Hotel Maingate Anaheim. Enjoy this tour of the wax museum, I like the Superman figures and the French girls fighting.

Knott's Berry Farm July 1946

Sixty six years ago a fun loving group spent a day at Knott's Berry Farm and captured the day in photographs. First image is of Soldado Jose and an admirer. She appears to be punching poor Jose in the head.

Next image is the group posing on one of the many wagons found on the Main Street of the ghost town. In the background is the post office and the saddlery.

Final image is another view with a different group, this one waving friendly. The saddlery sign of the horse with Harness is a great piece of folk art.

Chicken of the Sea August 1959

The original photographer documented the location and date on these two images of the Chicken of the Sea Pirate ship. the first image shows the side of the ship with the cannons being very prominent. This is one of the best focused images I have seen of this vantage point.

Next up is the rear deck of the ship with the red and white sail and Cinderella's castle in the background.

Adventureland and Tomorrowland July 1966

The last three images from the photo album with pictures from a visit by a family in July of 1966. The first two pictures are kind of ho-hum, but are still pictures of vintage Disneyland. First up is an image of the elephant bathing pool on the Jungle River Cruise. The photographer did manage did get the elephant in mid squirt.

Next are the troublesome hippos waiting to attack the next boat of intrepid travelers. Remember they are only dangerous if they are blowing bubbles and wiggling their ears.

Final image is my favorite. Although not very scenic, the image depicts a rarely photographed location, the entrance to the Monsanto Hall of Chemistry in Tomorrowland. As an additional bonus, it appears that the building is vacant with plywood in the windows and door while the attraction was being removed. I am enthralled with the giant ball lights and the metal railings.

Main Street Disneyland July 1966

Four pictures of Main Street Disneyland in July 1966. First up is the owner of the album relaxing on a park bench waiting for the rest of his family. It appears to be a fairly light day attendance wise.

Next up is a view of the Main Street Station. Though not rare, this view was not often photographed.

Next image is of the Horse Drawn Trolley heading off for a trip down Main Street to the Castle. Note the Opera House in the background, home to Mr. Lincoln.

Final image is of the owner's younger brother planking on one of the cannons at Town Square.

Souvenir Friday- World War 2 Disney Studio Training Film Carictures

During World War 2 the armed services invaded Disney and contracted with the studio to create many training films for the vast number of new recruits in the Army, Army Air Force, Navy, Marine and even the Coast Guard. This piece is from that time period and is a hand colored print of the various technical advisers who were stationed at Disney. The artist is Art Elliott. I found this information on him online: Born in Philadelphia in 1913, studied at the Philadelphia art institute in 1931 and moved to Hollywood in 1936 where he worked until the end of the war. He has animation credits for Bambi and Fantasia- Dance of the Hours. He also was an animator on a majority of training films. He left Disney after World War 2 and received a scholarship to travel and paint in Europe where he had many one man shows, even one on the S.S. Andrea Doria in 1954. Art passed away in 1983. I am not sure who the eight advisers are but I do like that the background is the Walt Disney Studio entrance.

Here are some close up of the advisers.

And the signature on the piece.

it's a small world Interior Images July 1966

Three interior snapshot images of it's a small world from the July 1966 trip. The interior images are very nice featuring the classic Mary Blair style as interpreted by Marc Davis and dressed by Alice Davis. Enjoy the nostalgic images.

Monorail and Skyway July 1966

Two snapshot views from the Disneyland trip in July of 1966. First up is a view of the entrance to it's a small world from the Skyway. it's a small world was brand spanking new in 1966 and something unlike any other attraction.

Next up a nice image of the monorail speeding over the parking lot.

A Visit With Mary Blair

Last weekend I took a quick trip to San Francisco to see the Mary Blair exhibit at the Walt Disney Family Museum. Mary is one of my favorite illustrators and designers. Mary of course was a story artist and colorist for many of the late 1940s to 1950s films and then the designer for it's a small world as well as the tile murals in Tomorrowland and at the Contemporary Hotel in Florida. However, I appreciate her other art work especially her advertising, Little Golden Book and personal art. The first image is of Mary as painted by her husband Lee Blair.

This model is one of my favorites from it's a small world.

The next one is one of my wife's favorites, a cute girl with a kitty.

The next two paintings have a lovely story. Alice Davis purchased the previous painting and Lemonade Girl together from a charity auction. Later, Mary sent Alice Watermelon Boy as he missed Lemonade Girl and they needed to be together. To this day, both of these paintings hang in Alice's house.

Here is the letter that accompanied Watermelon Boy to the Davis' house.

If you get a chance to visit the exhibit, I highly recommend it and also the Marc Davis exhibit currently running.

Two Views of Cascade Peak

From the same 1966 photo album featuring a trip to Disneyland in July of 1966. These two images show Cascade Peak taken from the Mark Twain. The first image is a long distance shot, showing the peak in relation to the rest of the river.

The second image is a nice close up of Cascade Peak. Note the tracks to the Nature's Wonderland on the left side of the picture.

Souvenir Friday- Date Nite at Disneyland Record Sealed

Sorry for the delay, had to work on the computer to fix some issues. This is a neat piece, a still sealed Disneyland record of Date Nite at Disneyland. Featuring music recorded at Disneyland by Date Niters Orchestra led by the Elliot Brothers. I like the plastic extolling a new vista of sounds for Disneyland records.

Nature's Wonderland in Black and White July 1966

These photographs are from an album of a Marine Corps kid who visited Disneyland in July 1966 when his Dad returned from Vietnam. There are a couple of neat images coming up, but these two are nice as well. First up are the paint pots seen from the train. I was always amazed that the pots would be bubbling and steam shooting every time the train came through this area....now I know better!

Next up is a view of the bears cooling off as those Anaheim summers can get very warm.