Sunday, January 17, 2016

A Blurry Pair from 1956

I'm using up a few less-than-stellar (blurry) images today, starting with this 1956 shot of the Pirate Ship as seen from the Skyway. I like the blue Skyway bucket in the foreground. The cement pond (no critters!) that the ship sat in was no-frills at the time, but it still works. 

From this angle we can see beyond the berm for quite a distance; Anaheim still appears to be mostly undeveloped and rural.


This next photo, also from 1956, was strangely faded for some reason. But we get a look at Geppetto's charming village as seen from Casey Jr. The detail and level of craftsmanship is really wonderful. In the upper left we see the candy-striped light posts from Fantasyland Station.


6 comments:

Nanook said...

Major-

Utility poles and a hazy Anaheim - that's the Disneyland of my youth-! And the second image is definitely a keeper as the 'harsh shadows' make for an interesting "village scape".

Thanks, Major.

Unknown said...

Rural Anaheim: I remember how much of that WASN'T orange groves. There was so many flat crop fields out there, too, all surrounded by their eucalyptus tree windbreaks.

That second shot is a great view. I so wanted to build Geppetto's village in the backyard! Those Alps! Those cobble stoned streets! All I lacked were money and experience...

Chuck said...

As a kid, I wanted to find somebody with a shrink-ray and LIVE in that village. Now I'm wondering what that would have been like.

I'm guessing that inside those buildings is probably the miniature version of a Hollywood backlot - lots of empty space and unfinished surfaces. But at least that giant incandescent bulb lighting the frosted windows would have kept me warm on a chilly January night...at least until they killed the power when the Park closed.

TokyoMagic! said...

Chuck, I have one of those Big Little Books from childhood called "Mystery at Disneyland". From what I remember, the story involves little people living in the Storybook Land houses, but nobody knows they are living there.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BIG-LITTLE-BOOK-WALT-DISNEYS-MICKEY-MOUSE-MYSTERY-AT-DISNEYLAND-1975-/272104161441?hash=item3f5aac00a1:g:BncAAOSwzrxUvrJX

Chuck said...

Something for the reading list. Thanks, TM! (Can I call you "TM!"?)

TokyoMagic! said...

You are welcome, Chuck! Maybe I'll get mine out and read it again. And yes, you can call me "TM!"!!! :-)