Friday, July 29, 2016

Souvenir Friday- Gourmet Shop New Orleans Square Salt and Pepper Shakers

A rare set of salt and pepper shakers from the Gourmet shop in New Orleans Square. Any souvenir from a specific shop is very rare as not many shops created or sold specific souvenirs. The shakers may actually be samples as they came in a large collection from the main importer of souvenirs. The shape is nice and feels great in the hand. The top has a great desing in gold which is a nice touch. The front design is also interesting, I wonder if it was used on other items such as spoon rest, trivets or mugs.

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Garden Party With the People of America, America On Parade 1976

Another image of America On Parade in Disneyland in 1976. This set feature the people of America having a lovely soiree. I call this the Garden Party. A couple questions have come up with what happened to the floats and the people costumes. I have seen one picture of the big headed person in Germany in EPCOT Center when it opened. The character was redressed in a German barmaid outfit. (You can check it out on Yesterland.)

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

The First Thanksgiving, America On Parade

One of the more memorable floats from the America on Parade was this one featuring the first Thanksgiving. The memorable part is the gigantic turkey who will be the main course. The turkey is surrounded by Pocahontas and the pilgrims. The turkey looks very happy not knowing its eventual fate.

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Davey Crockett and Mike Fink Float America On Parade

A nice float celebrating the industriousness of the citizens of America, a keel boat used to transport goods on the Mississippi River. On Yesterland the float is marked for Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher, and the souvenir slide calls it Mississippi flat boat. I think the float encapsulates all three ideas. Note the cast member hanging out on the roof of the Main Street Hotel/Magic Shop.

Monday, July 25, 2016

America On Parade- 40 Years Ago

40 years ago both Disneyland and Walt Disney World hosted a large parade to celebrate the Bicentenniel of the founding of the United States. The parade was called America on Parade and used large doll like characters and oversized whimsical floats to show the history of America. It was a major deal with lots of merchandise and many viewers. I will be showcasing a nice set of snapshots of the parade taken from the sidewalk in front of City Hall. The first parade float was of Mickey, Goofy and Donald on a drum with the stars and stripes behind them. This float was based upon a drawing used on the Mickey Mouse magazine from the late 1930s.

Friday, July 22, 2016

Souvenir Friday- Disneyland Skyway Chalet Weather Predictor

One of my grail list items has been this lovely souvenir of the now lost Fantasyland Skyway Chalet. Most famously featured in the 1960 Disneyland Gift Catalog, the souvenir captures the charm of the Fantasyland Chalet. The souvenir also features design elements from the Skyway including the city shields from Switzerland and also the great clock design from the Chalet.

Kevin Kidney posted the 1960 Gift Catalog featuring the weather forecaster.

Thursday, July 21, 2016

George Washington on Patrol 1964

The submarine George Washington starting its journey under the North Pole. I hope it can avoid steering into the Monoral track supports!

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Tomorrowland on the Move 1964

Submarine Voyage, Monorail, Autopia, and Motorboat Cruise all in one image. From the Foster Family Christmas vacation in 1964.

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Astro Jets and Tomorrowland Overview 1964

A nice view of Tomorrowland with the Astro Jets in the center. By 1964 there was not that much interest in the Asro Jets. In the background are some great signs for the Space Bar, Skyway and the Richfield Autopia.

Friday, July 15, 2016

Douglas Rocket Ready For Liftoff 1964

The original TWA Rocket to the Moon was rebranded for Douglas Jets in 1962. This view from 1964 is spectacular showcasing the lovely rocket and the rocket port which was were the attraction was. The day looks a little chilly but is uncrowded.

Thursday, July 14, 2016

The Flying Saucers Have Landed- Foster Family Trip 1964

One of the best images is this close view of the Flying Saucers attraction found in Tomorrowland. It appears everyone is able to pilot the saucers quite well. Note the wear to the floor of the attraction. I do like the simple exit signs.

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Caterpillars at Disneyland in 1964

Another image from the Foster's trip to Disneyland in 1964. The old end of the Alice In Wonderland attraction featuring a multitude of Caterpillars! I love the various colors and the openness of this image. Although the finale for the 1984 rebuild is much better.

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Carnation Gardens In the Evening 1964

Recently a friend was at an estate sale and purchased a large group of Disneyland slides. The family was the Fosters from Denver and visited California in Christmas 1964. There is a nice range of images, from the normal attractions and Christmas decorations and parade. The first image is from the Carnation Gardens inside the bandstand. There is a band on stage, but it is too dark to see who is playing. It must be dinnertime as there are many families sitting at the tables eating their meal of hot dogs, hamburgers and Carnation milk.

Friday, July 08, 2016

Souvenir Friday- Mexican Boy and Girl Limited Edition Animation Cels

Recently there was a large auction that was all Disney items. The items ranged from early animation, Charlotte Clark Dolls, Merchandise from almost every animated film made during Walt Disney's lifetime and of course Disneyland items. Although these two items are not Disneyland items, they still feature artwork by a Disneyland designer. The two cels are of a Mexican Boy and Girl from the Los Posadas sequence in Saludos Amigos. The sequence was based upon artwork by Mary Blair. You can see the genesis of the it's a small world "rubber head" dolls. The cels were a limited edition of 250 and are hand inked and hand painted by the Disney Ink and Paint department. They were sold by the Courvesier Galleries in the mid 1940s. First up is the Mexican Boy in the original mat.

A closer image of just the cel.

The girl is just as lovely.

The back of the cels have this nice certificate on the back.

Thursday, July 07, 2016

Knott's Berry Farm Stagecoach Ride

I posted a nice black and white snapshot of the Knott's Berry Farm stagecoach ride in 1960. Now here are a couple images from a couple years later. First up is a different load system. I assume this may have been the exit and the stagecoach has not pulled into the more permanent structure. The family appears to have visited the park late in the day.

The second image is of one of the bad guys getting ready to rob the stagecoach. You can tell he is a bandit by the way he wears his bandana.

Wednesday, July 06, 2016

Knott's Berry Farm Stagecoach Ride and Nice Roller Coaster Images

Two different images of two parks today. First up is a nice image of the Stagecoach Ride at Knott's Berry Farm. The loading looks efficient and the workers look very authentic. The photograph is dated 1960.

The second image shows a classic view of a roller coaster with a nice Ferris Wheel in the foreground. The photographer managed to snap the image as the coaster reached the top of the hill.

Tuesday, July 05, 2016

So So Walt Disney World February 1973

Two so so photographs from the early days at Walt Disney World. First up is a shot from one of the many viewing sites with Cinderella's castle in the background. Two redeeming factors are the babuschka head dress on the grandma and the lovely fashions on all the guests.

The second image is of the couple sitting on a planter in Adventureland. The sign is nice, but blurry! It appears the couple stayed a couple days as their clothing has changed.

Monday, July 04, 2016

Happy Fourth of July, Celebrate America Sings

Growing up in the late 1970s and early 1980s I would always ride America Sings in Tomorrowland. It was a show that the whole family enjoyed. Several years ago I posted a set of slides featuring the musical acts. I have decided to share the images again in one post so you can relive the attraction. I loved the alligator boys and Uncle Sam as well as the weasel who kept popping up in the scenes.

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Friday, July 01, 2016

Souvenir Friday- Dizzyland USA Advertising Banner

In the 1950s many tourist attractions gave out advertising banners meant to be tied to the front or back of the car, or could be hung up in a kid's bedroom. This attraction played upon the success and fame of Disneyland even going as far as using a similar font. I tried to find information on this park, but could not find anything. I believe this attraction was like the Santa Cruz Mystery spot with haunted shack and maybe even a gravity hill. The attraction is in the tourist area of South Dakota near Mount Rushmore.