Friday, December 08, 2017

Two Beauties, 1950's

While going through a small batch of slides, I discovered four or five "orphans"... single slides that were not part of larger lots. Some of them are very nice, though, and definitely worth sharing.

I love the color in both of these, but this first image (undated) is so nice. There's something about the angle and the apparent movement of the people that gives it an immediacy that is not always present in old photos. I feel like I am there!

It's 10:18 in the morning, and a beautiful day to be at Disneyland - blue skies, brilliant sunshine. And even from this vantage point (outside the entry gates) the park looks freshly-scrubbed and lovely.


Here is a closeup of those mystery doors, lightened as much as possible - they are definitely little rooms! No phones are visible though.


Next is this pretty photograph (also undated) of Sleeping Beauty Castle on another perfect day. It looks like our photographer was standing on the bridge that leads into Frontierland; I'm not sure what to call that body of water in the foreground - it's not really part of the moat, although it IS a part of the  "dark water" system that included the moat, the Rivers of America and the Adventureland's "Rivers of the World". 

Anyhoo, this one is nearly "postcard worthy", with the beautiful landscaping and interesting composition.


20 comments:

Nanook said...

Major-

Both images are real beauties. The Park really does look all showroom sparkly. (And those 1950's fashions and hair styles). As for that mystery body of water, its proximity to Carnation Gardens influenced the name - why it's the Carnation Magic Crystals Pond, of course-!

Thanks, Major.

TokyoMagic! said...

In the first pic, that lady with the glasses and the white hair thingy looks like she has her dress on backwards. Maybe she just turned her head 180 degrees to see what was going on behind her. And I wonder what was located inside that little structure with the two open doors? Payphones? Toilets? An employee cafeteria?

Chuck said...

That first photo is actually the entrance plaza for North Dakota. You can tell by the sign.

TM!, that's just photographic proof that moms do have eyes in the backs of their heads.

K. Martinez said...

I really like the park like setting of the second image, but both of today photos of the two most iconic buildings at Disneyland are great. The color on both of these is nice too. Thanks, Major.

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook, are you serious about the Carnation Magic Crystals Pond name? If so, I have NEVER heard that one before!

TokyoMagic!, ha ha… it’s so hard to figure out which way clothes should go! I like thinking that she can turn her head like an owl Maybe she even eats small rodents at night. Yuu-uuum. And that small white structure with the two doors is Walt’s other apartment.

Chuck, but I don’t WANNA go to North Dakota! South Dakota, imaybe, but only under duress. (Just kidding, Dakotas!)

K. Martinez, I do love these more "prosaic" views - not spectacular, just nice shots of a beautiful park.

Anonymous said...

These are both great shots, just plain snapshots by plain folks.

I wish the castle pic had a bit less moat and took in the whole tower pinnacle, but I'll take what I can get of the castle with the best color scheme.

I wonder if the little rooms were restrooms? Seems like bad show to have the doors open like that, so probably not.

Thanks, Major. Happy Friday, everyone.

JG

Melissa said...

Ain't it a glorious day?
Bright as a mornin' in May.
I feel like I could fly!
Have you ever seen
The grass so green,
Or a bluer sky?


The picture of the entrance has an absolutely glorious you are there quality. I feel like I’m standing at the back of that line. What lovely summer dresses the ladies are sporting; I particularly like that one with the collar and bow in the back. I have a picture of my grandmother in something similar. And there's someone in one of my favorite paper souvenir hats!


Nanook said...

Major-

The Magic Crystals Pond sounds more at-home with the Frozen tie-in; but it was a real Carnation product. However, the water passing underneath the bridge at the Carnation Plaza Gardens entrance is [or was] referred to as "Carnation River".

And as for a guess as to what that "little building" with the two open doors might be - how's about Phone Booths-?? Hmmmm...

Anonymous said...

One thing I noticed about the bottom picture is how there aren't that many guardrails around. It looks like, if guests wanted to, they could walk right to that pond and jump right in it, and there's nothing to stop them from doing that. I guess it was a different time when people knew better?

Nanook said...

@ The Disney Dudebro-

Clearly with the diminution of a more "hands-on" society and an increase in what amounts to a "push button society", folks seemingly have little common sense. And I need not point-out a change in good manners...

Chuck said...

Maybe at least one of those two doors led into an information booth for people who have just entered the Park. Here's another angle (from over at Daveland), and you can see there were glass windows on at least two sides on the left-hand side. There was a matched set on the other side of the entrance. Phone booths are also a good guess, too.

It's maddening that nobody seemed to take any pictures in the opposite direction - everybody shoots the Main Street Station and the Floral Mickey. Both of those things are still there today, but the original turnstiles and Parking Lot...not so much.

Chuck said...

Wait - I posted too soon. I still think that's some sort of info booth on the sides of those buildings that face the turnstiles, but I'm going to agree with Nanook and call "phone booth" after finding this 1959 Daveland photo. Look at the doors.

TokyoMagic! said...

Chuck, thanks for the links to those other views. It makes sense that they would be phone booths. At second glance at Major's pic today, you can see that there is part of a door visible and it looks like maybe the kind of door that would fold up like those on a phone booth.

Major Pepperidge said...

JG, maybe I’m just trying to rationalize that my slides aren’t as amazing as Daveland’s!!

Melissa, that was the feeling I got as well - just a hint of the excitement and anticipation that was a part of approaching those ticket booths. It doesn’t hurt that it really WAS a glorious day!

Nanook, even the “Carnation River” is a new one to me. Phone booths, what are those? ;-)

The Disney Dudebro, you aren’t kidding - somehow people managed to not fall into (or over) things back then. I’ve been to the park and watched somebody else’s kids climbing on stuff that they absolutely should NOT be climbing, but the parent’s don’t say a word.

Nanook, I can’t hear “push button society” without picturing George Jetson’s mangled finger at the end of a long work day.

Chuck, gosh, you actually did research. Making me look bad again! ;-) It sure seems dark in those rooms to be information booths, but it’s hard to say. Phone booths… maybe. “Hey Grandma! We’re just about to go into Disneyland, and we didn’t invite you!”. I agree, it would have been great to see photos taken facing the other direction (once inside the turnstyles), but everybody was always too excited to turn around and look behind them!

Chuck II, I agree, the doors are phone booth-ish! Seems like a funny place to put them, in a way, but Disney did go the extra mile to make his park inviting.

TokyoMagic!, now I want to see if I can lighten up my photo - maybe we can see some vague details inside the little rooms.

Major Pepperidge said...

OK, take a look - they are either phone booths, or little rooms to cry in.

TokyoMagic! said...

Thanks for taking the time to zoom in and lighten it, Major! I just bet they were phone booths. Philippe's in Los Angeles (home of the original French dip sandwich!) still has a row of wooden phone booths inside their restaurant and each one has a little corner seat just like that!

Nanook said...

Major-

Of course - 'crying rooms' - just as back-in-the-day of the grand movie palace. Naughty, or disobedient children could be forced to spend the whole of a sunny day stranded inside one of those "rooms", and forced to look at B&W images from the Park, which they were not allowed to attend personally-! That'll teach the little brats-! "Here, kid - enjoy this-!"

Melissa said...

I’ve been to the park and watched somebody else’s kids climbing on stuff that they absolutely should NOT be climbing, but the parent’s don’t say a word.

Tell me about it! Half the time, the parents aren't even LOOKING, and I'm sure I'm going to have to either jump in and try to save the kid or watch them fall to a bloody death (or at least a messy head injury).

My theory is that those booths are where they plugged in Dean Jones and Annette to recharge when their batteries ran down.

Chuck said...

I have clear memories of waiting in line for Splash Mountain behind a mother, her boyfriend, and her son, Chaz, who was probably about 6 or so. As the line ran along the rockwork overlooking the mill race at the bottom of Chickapin Hill, Chaz continued to do more and more outrageous things to try to get his mother's attention, which was completely focused on Mr Boyfriend aside from an occasional, distracted, "Chaz, stop that."

Not getting the attention he so desperately craved, he decided to climb on the rocks. To our increasing apprehension, he kept moving closer and closer to the edge, which led to even more distracted, less attentive choruses of "Chaz, stop that" and "Chaz, get down." While Chaz miraculously survived the event unscathed, it was a long time before we could hear that name - which had been my wife's first choice for a son - without cringing.

Anonymous said...

Whether phone booths or information booths, wouldn’t we expect to find them marked on contemporary maps?