Adventureland and Frontierland Signs

At the juncture of Adventureland and Frontierland a plethora of signs direct guests to the attractions of each land. The photograph showcases the great layering and depth of Disneyland theming, with tiki totems and rattan designs in the background. I am going to assume that Amazon Belle is now wanting to see a series on the phone booths at Disneyland.

Souvenir Friday- Marc Davis Lecture at Walt Disney Imagineering

Marc Davis is one of Disney's Nine Old Men as well as one of my favorite Imagineers. In 1992, Imagineering had Marc as a guest lecturer. In order to promote the event, WDI created this great poster featuring a sketch of Pirates. This poster has been signed by Marc to Leon Janzen. I miss Leon's friendship and the long discussions we would have about Disneyland at the local swap meets.

Mark Twain Landing Sign in Frontierland

A nice view of the dock on the Rivers of America in Frontierland. This is prior to the addition of the Columbia, so the landing is known as the Mark Twain Landing. I like the moose horns on the side of the landing adding to the rustic feel of the landing. Even at this time, the landscaping is pretty barren around the landing.

Plantation House Sign Frontierland

This contact print shows the lovely Southern Gothic sign for the Plantation House in Frontierland. The wheel motif is a nice touch on the top and the oval Chicken Dinners sign is great. The best part is to look in the background and see a number of Jungle Cruise launches docked at Fowler's Harbor. There was a recent Facebook post showing the same situation and discussion that there was only one dock at the time and the launches were being worked on. I think the ride of moving the launches to Fowler's Harbor would be a fun one.

Frontierland Attractions Sign

Sitting at a small park besides the Rivers of America was this large sign with the various attractions found in Frontierland. I like the peek of Tom Sawyer's Island buildings in the background.

Unknown Amusement Park Car Ride- Mercedes Benz Cars

Two vintage black and white snapshots of an unknown amusement park car ride. The cars look like 1950s era Mercedes Benz roadsters and the park is set in a lovely forest location. The track is interesting, looking like a plank road with a single bus power source. The young drivers look very happy to be on the ride.

Late Souvenir Friday- INA Insurance Advertising Poster

A delayed souvenir Friday post...this is a nice poster published by INA to promote their various insurance programs. Since INA was a proud sponsor of Disneyland, the advertising ties the joy of Disneyland to the joy of being insured. I believe there are two other posters featuring Disneyland and INA insurance.

Guest Photographs Part 2- Bandits and Steam Train

Two more photographs from Matt of Vintage Disney Alice In Wonderland Blog. First up is a shoot out in front of the Golden Horseshoe Review. Quite a crowd of guests watching the action.

The second image is from Edaville, I believe. I like the pose and the water tower in the background. Let me know if you have a specific location for this image.

Guest Photographs Part 1- Frontierland and Monstro

Two nice photographs from Matt of the Vintage Disney Alice In Wonderland Blog. We saw each other at the Disneyana Fan Club show and he handed these lovely images to me. Thanks Matt! First up is a view of the Kodak Picture Spot on the shore of the Rivers of America in Fontierland. The sign has my favorite silhouette of the photographer on top.

The next image is of the same young girl posing in front of my favorite whale- Monstro! I like the shadow cast by the ticket booth. Both of these images are circa 1963.

Frontierland Directions

The directional sign that stood in the middle of Frontierland in front of the Pendleton shop in 1957. Note one of the directional signs is for the Davy Crockett Frontier Museum. The old Frontier miners lamp is a nice touch on top of the directional sign.

Mark Twain Tree Sign

A nice image from the 1957 contact print of signs showing a very faded set of signs that promote the Mark Twain. The signs read Steamer Mark Twain leaves from foot of Frontierland pier for a cruise on the historic rivers of America. The signs appear to be nailed to a tree.

Souvenir Friday- Strombecker Rocket to the Moon Models

A two-fer on souvenir Friday featuring a couple of versions of the Strombecker Rocket to the Moon models. The models are the same as are the instructions, but the boxes are different. One cover is very colorful and the other is a nice illustration in blues and red. The box sides are interesting with information on Disneyland and Tomorrowland. The color box features various models from Strombecker.

Walt Disney World 1977

Two Polaroids from 1977 featuring the sister park to Disneyland, Walt Disney World. First up is a very storybook like picture of Cinderella's Castle. The landscaping is quite colorful and also expansive.

The next Polaroid is the family posing in Frontierland with Liberty Square in the background. This is quite a slice of life image, I like the pose of the family.

Columbia and the Matterhorn

Two nice views from Disneyland from 1961. First up is a nice view of the Columbia at the Frontierland dock. Note the fishing shack in the background. Of course my eyes focus on the figure head.

The second image is of a dapper couple posing in the landscaping with the Matterhorn in the background. I love the Ike jacket and tie combination. I can not make out what the girl in the right hand side of the picture is holding, maybe a brochure from the Monsanto House of the Future?

Views From Disneyland Flower Market 1961

Two somewhat dark views of the Disneyland Flower Market on Main Street. First up is a dapper group posing in front of the flower cart surrounded by great flowers. All the guests in the background are also dressed in their Sunday best.

The second image shows a better image the Disneyland Flower Market cart and lots of lovely fake flowers.

George Washington and Princess Aurora

Two slides from 1961 featuring Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. First view is a nice shot of the Submarine Voyage with the George Washington taking center stage. In the background is the colorful world of tomorrow including the kinetic skyway sign and the Monorail station.

The second image is of the guest posing in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle. The guest is in a fifties staple of clothing, the patio set based upon the Navajo clothing style. She can be seen posing in the same outfit on my other blog- The Corner Cafe. She is a model for those readers thinking what should I wear for Dapper Day?

Souvenir Friday- Playland at the Park Advertising Poster

Another recent find is this advertising (one could call it an attraction) poster for Playland at the Park located in San Antonio, Texas. The park was open from 1947 until 1980. The major draw was a fantastic wooden roller coaster named the Rocket. The coaster first hill was 78 feet high and 3200 feet of track. When the park closed in 1980, Knoebbel's park in Pennsylvania purchased the coaster and rebuilt it as the Phoenix. The poster features the coaster and the Dipsy Doodle with a nice clown face. The poster would have been placed in windows of local stores to advertise the amusement park.

Even More Knott's Berry Farm Snapshots

The last two snapshots from Knott's Berry Farm. First up is a guest posing by one of the many rusty farm vehicles and implements that were on display throughout Ghost Town. I do not remember this piece of International truck sitting in Ghost Town or even seeing an image of it prior.

The final image from this trip is the Old Prospector with his mule in front of the Ghost Town Gold Mine. Knott's had lots of walk around characters at this time to add flavor and entertainment to Ghost Town.

More Knott's Berry Farm Views

Two more black and white snapshots from Knott's Berry Farm. These two images have a similar point of view and appear that a young kid was taking the pictures. First up is a crowd looking at one of the peak ins, the structure is a cabin so I am not sure what was inside the cabin it may have been Granny's Cabin...maybe one of my readers can assist?

The second image is in front of the popcorn vendor in Ghost Town. The sign on the machine states that you order from the other side. I like the way the popcorn wagon is placed into a rustic cabin like cover.

Knott's Berry Farm Views

A couple of interesting black and white snapshots of Knott's Berry Farm. First up is the water wheel that fed the Pan for Gold attraction. When the coaster Ghost Rider was built, this scene was removed and the Pan for Gold attraction was moved.

Next up is an image of what I think is Virginia's Gift Shop. In the windows are various souvenirs, plates and vases. I like the exit sign just to the left of the lady.

Space Family Posing

One of the best snapshots I have found in a while. Unfortunately, no other Disneyland photographs were with this image. Note the lovely squeeky Donald Duck hat on the young guest. The photograph is dated 1958.