Early Casey Jr

Here are 2 early but undated views of Casey Jr., chugging along the track over what appears to be somewhat unstable wood supports! I would imagine from the lack of grass, these were taken before the Canal Boats of the World became Storybook Land.



For more vintage & current Casey Jr. photos, visit my regular website.

Poltergeist...The REAL Story

I think cemeteries are great places to visit; you can honor the dead, learn some history, and with the older ones, appreciate the art of the tombstones. One of the saddest cemeteries to me is this one in Mission Hills. Formerly known as Calvary Cemetery, it became the victim of vandals back in the 1960’s. By the 1970’s, the city made the decision to remove all the tombstones, leave the bodies, and dump all the headstones into a ravine, save for a handful that were deemed historically significant. Hard to believe? Well, it’s true. If you visit the area today, it is called Pioneer Park and unsuspecting kiddies cavort over the bumpy terrain. Just like something out of the movie “Poltergeist.” Fortunately, my great-grandfather’s headstone was rescued at the last minute from the dump. The city’s justification was that all the families were notified. Bull#$%^. I’d like to think that something like this wouldn’t happen today...



For more cemetery photos, visit my main website.

Autopia Medley

Image #1 is from October 1956 and gives a good overview of the Autopia; as always, so interesting to see how little is going on outside the park. The place looks positively primitive! The next 2 shots are undated, but most likely late 1950’s. Check out little Pugsley in his green car! He’s much happier NOT to be with mom...she can be a real drag, even though she has the cool cat-eye glasses.





Moving onward to June 1960 is the loading area; a little blurry, but still a nice view of the cars themselves and the gas pump.



Shooting ahead to the mod 70’s, the cars look very different, as do the Skyway buckets passing overhead.





See more vintage and contemporary Disneyland Autopia photos at my main website.

Fantasyland, June 1964

How about a caption contest for this one? “P-U mommy, something smells!” And granny, just exiting the bathroom, looks pretty smug about the whole situation. Moving away from the potty humor, we have a 2nd view from June 1964, showing Snow White entering Fantasyland:



See more vintage and contemporary Disneyland Fantasyland photos at my main website.

Fantasyland, 1950’s

Same batch as yesterday produced this view of Fantasyland, featuring the Dumbo attraction. Again, the park is not as crowded as it would be today, and it bears an overall simplicity that is nowhere to be found. EVERYTHING is totally pimped out in comparison. Here is a closeup view of Dumbo in its present day location showing the ornate detail that it now contains



See more vintage and contemporary Disneyland Fantasyland photos at my main website.

Astrojets, 1950’s

This undated slide features my favorite round Skyway buckets as well as the Astrojets, WAAAAY before it got remuddled, renamed, removed, and repainted with a metallic gold paint. A nice touch to have the Skyway poster featured in the same shot as the attraction itself.

For more vintage & current Tomorrowland photos, visit my main website.

Chateau Marmont: Room 29

For those that play piano, Room 29 is a dream. The studio grand in the living is a nice touch, and the balcony and views outside are to die for.



I also love the fact that they kept the vintage tile in the bathrooms:



For more Chateau Marmont photos, visit my regular website.

Billie Holiday

Billie Holiday is an acquired taste; the first time I heard her raspy worn-out voice I truly thought she was awful. However, as I have gotten older and have taken the time to listen to her songs...I mean REALLY listen, I can appreciate what she does with a tune. An amazing stylist, I could listen to her all day. Even in her later years, when the voice was tattered beyond belief, she was able to accomplish brilliant things with her phrasing and bending of notes. Few singers put as much of their life and emotions into a song as Billie. To see more of my paintings, visit my regular website.

Mr. Toad Façade

This undated shot of the Mr. Toad façade is most likely from 1959/1960. And yes, even though a stroller is in it, I am including it in my blog anyway. The halo around the gentleman’s head is because I did a little lightening behind him so that the mural on the wall would be visible.Here are two more vintage shots showing the old façade; first from October 1959 and the second from September 1966 (with a 3 Little Pig bonus!).





I’ll conclude with a comparison photo of how the exterior looks today; I really do prefer the Tudor look. I feel it is more timeless.



For more vintage & current Mr. Toad photos, visit my regular website.

Chateau Marmont Balconies

I love the little balcony areas off of some of the rooms at the Chateau; here’s 2 views from #62.



See more vintage and contemporary Chateau Marmont photos at my main website.

Little Shirley

70 years after the fact, most people today probably do not realize how famous Shirley Temple was back in the 1930’s. Imagine bigger than Madonna. Or Britney. Or even Lindsay. Back then, celebrities were positive role models, and this little girl was a beacon of light during a very dark period known as the Depression. She saved 20th Century Fox from bankruptcy and kept a weary nation smiling. This is one of my favorite poses by her, before she became a more manufactured and engineered actress.

See more of my art at my main website.

Adventureland, March 1956

Imagine a land with no Tiki Room, no Barker BIrd, and no Dole Whip, and this is what you’d see. The entry to Adventureland looks positively barren in this early view. Shot 2 from the same roll shows the area behind Plaza Pavillion that would eventually become the Tahitian Terrace. Please notice the little water fountain on the left; who says you can’t get a free drink at Disneyland?!?



Fast forward 20 years to August 1976, and you have hoards of people and Greg Brady afros.



See more vintage and contemporary Disneyland Adventureland photos at my main website.

Chateau Marmont Pool

Although the Chateau may not have the largest pool, it is certainly one of the most beautifully landscaped ones.

For more Chateau Marmont photos, visit my main website.

The Ruby Slippers

I know it’s weird, but this is probably one of my favorite frames of film. I have watched this sequence over and over again. I was semi-happy with the final result; the glow around the slippers was a bitch, especially with how quickly acrylics dried. I must have worked and reworked that part over and over again.

See more of my art at my main website.

Fantasyland Skyway Station, August 1958

Signage, a roundbucket, and no strollers...what more could you ask for in a slide?!?



I have also included a photo of the sign and how it looks today.



See more vintage Disneyland Skyway photos at my main website.

The PeopleMover

From January 1968 come these two shots showing the PeopleMover; shot 2 is really all about the Sub Voyage, until I zoom in on the closeup to feature the PM. It really was a cool idea; a constantly moving vehicle that serves as a transportation device. Had Walt lived, it would have been one of the main features of EPCOT. At this point, the PeopleMover is only a few months old, having just opened in July the year before. Hopefully the new regime at Disney will be able to put the unused track to good use again soon.





See more vintage Disneyland PeopleMover photos at my main website.

Lunch at Space Bar

Today I present to you an undated 1950’s snapshot of a gentleman eating a hot dog at the Tomorrowland Space Bar, while a Skyway Bucket cruises overhead. Something to the right seems to have caught his attention; maybe it’s a girl in a space suit.

See more vintage and contemporary Disneyland Tomorrowland photos at my main website.

Adventureland/Tiki Room Entrance

May 1967 brings us this photo showing the famous Adventureland arch as well as the entrance to the Tiki Room; be sure not to miss the very large bouffant on the left. Even in 1967, there are a ton-o-strollers. I have also zoomed in on the United Airlines sign/Jose the Barker Bird area.



See more vintage and contemporary Disneyland Enchanted Tiki Room photos at my main website.

Chicken of the Sea & Skull Rock Cove

This November 1955 shot would be so obviously vintage even if it weren’t in black and white. The little girl in her crisply pressed outfit is nowhere to be found in Fantasyland today. Next up is a grainy closeup from 1955 of the menu posted in front of the ship.



From January 1968 comes this set of COTS and Skull Rock photos, including a detailed shot of the Skull Rock Cove exit sign.











See more vintage Disneyland Chicken of the Sea restaurant photos at my main website.

Matterhorn for Matterhorn

Probably just a happy accident, but I do love the composition of this one; a man in a fedora looking over the House of the Future to see a climber on top of the Matterhorn in June 1964. Brilliant! A little less than five years later in February 1969, the landscape has changed as the House of the Future has been dozed.



What’s better than a jolt from a cup of joe? How about a roar from the Yeti!



For more vintage & current Matterhorn photos, visit my regular website.