Disneyland August 1958, Pt. 1

This glorious image from August 1958 shows the colorful attraction posters and Mickey Mouse entrance floral just as the E. P. Ripley is pulling into the Disneyland Main Street Train Station.



In Town Square, Vesey Walker is conducting the Disneyland Band as guests relax on the surrounding benches. Below, White Wing Trinidad Ruiz pushes his cart down Main Street, collecting the horse puckey from the Horse Drawn Streetcars.



Last image for today is a shot of the Monsanto House of the Future, perched atop its concrete foundation off Central Plaza.



I’m glad plastic homes never caught on, aren’t you?
 
See more Disneyland photos from my collection at my main website.

Old Town: Church of the Immaculate Conception

At the heart of Old Town you can find the Church of the Immaculate Conception. Whether you are Catholic or not, it is hard to deny the beauty and serenity of this little gem surrounded by the festive businesses and restaurants of one of San Diego’s biggest tourist areas.



Edited from the church’s website:

Saint Junípero Serra celebrated his First Holy Mass in California on July 2, 1769, near the site of the present Immaculate Conception Church, and it was on the hill overlooking Old Town that he planted the cross which marked the site of the Mission and the Presidio. In 1849, the parish was established with the appointment of Rev. John C. Holbein as the first pastor. He laid the cornerstone for the old adobe church in 1851. Masses were celebrated in the homes of residents of Old Town. A chapel dedicated to The Immaculate Conception was dedicated in 1858. It still stands and is known as the Old Adobe Chapel on Conde Street. The cornerstone to the present Immaculate Conception Church was laid in 1868 under the direction of Father Antonio Ubach. Due to the population swing toward the south, a lack of funding and a devastating fire in Old Town, it was not until July 1917 that the church was completed and Masses began to be celebrated. It was dedicated by Archbishop John J. Cantwell of Los Angeles on July 6, 1919.



In 1998, the church was seismically retrofitted to withstand earthquakes and it was rededicated by Bishop Gilbert E. Chavez. On July 14, 2019, the parish celebrated the 100th Anniversary of the Dedication of Immaculate Conception Church with a Mass officiated by Bishop John P. Dolan. It now serves over 300 families throughout the San Diego region as well as visitors from around the world.



The decor is tasteful and simple; and unlike the surrounding areas of this church, inside it is very serene.







For those that didn’t take Latin, “Sanctus” means holy, sacred, or consecrated. Once a requirement in Western education, it began to be phased out in the 1960s. I was able to bypass it as a student; not sure if that was a good thing or not, but I remember being relieved as a kid that I didn’t have to take it after hearing what a struggle it was to learn and how nobody used it in the real world anyway. But I digress, as always.



If you decide to hit Old Town for a margarita or a meal, take a quiet moment first and check out this historic church.



See more Church of the Immaculate Conception photos at my main website.

Cinco de Shirley

Six years ago, I did a Cinco de Mayo themed Temple Tuesday post; one pitiful photo that is new to my collection is what I have to offer today. Scanned from a badly faded transparency, this undated image is most likely from 1949. The chopped caption on the sleeve states, “Ektachrome by Arnold Johnson. Shirley Temple shops for imported Mexican fabrics in the Maya de Mexico shop in Beverly…”
 
Deductive reasoning would conclude that the shop was in Beverly Hills. I did the usual internet deep dive and came up with very little about the shop itself, however, I did find an Etsy listing for a skirt that has a Maya de Mexico label as well as some eBay listings for similar items. Perhaps the caption was off and the shop was a different name but carried these colorful and vibrant fabrics. Any vintage Beverly Hills aficionados know the story?



It would appear that based on the decor in her 1949 home, Shirley was no stranger to bold prints!



Above and below, Shirley poses with then husband John Agar and her first child, Linda Susan.



These were shot for the April 1949 issue of Modern Screen, shown below in full color!



See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.