I dipped into the 1970’s the other today, and today, I’m taking another dip! The first image may look like a repeat, but it’s brand spanking new (compare with the one from Wednesday). Again, I will provide a detail shot of the other motels, hotels, flophouses, and restaurants nearby:
Welcome to Main Street, U.S.A. circa 1971; anybody care to start their day off with a Grand Circle Tour on the C.K.Holliday? According to my current blog poll, only a pathetic 8% would be interested. Sorry, Engine #1.
The other 92% can hop on the Omnibus for a journey to the hub:
In 1971, tobacco was just beginning to become the dirty word that it is today; note this door on East Main Street with its very descriptive prose about everyone’s favorite filthy habit to grouse about:
Here’s a shot of the Tobacco Shop so that you can put the sign into context:
The Wooden Indian has lost his historical context now that the Tobacco Shop is but a memory:
Back to February 1971; I’ll leave you with this shot of the budding foliage near Central Plaza:
View more Disneyland Main Street U.S.A. photos at my main website.
16 comments:
Great photos!!! It's amazing how you can go to a place so many times and not notice the simplest of things. I am referring to the steps in front of the old tobacco shop! When I go this afternoon, I'm gonna look for them, LOL.
Love the Main street shots.
I've thought that the Indian looks out of place there, now that the tobacco shop is gone... surprised he hasn't wondered over to Frontierland.
and the window... How cool is that?
Thanks Dave
Do you know if they actually sold tobacco in the shop? Or was it just a facade?
Love the 70's pix, and I guess I even miss the flophouses. Where's a guy supposed to flop nowadays??
Your picture of Main Street is a nice photo, but I have to rant again (sorry!) about the simply terrible color choices used on the buildings these days. In the past it was colorful and yet felt appropriately vintage. Now it looks like an "old timey" shopping mall or a Six Flags park. I'm surprised how strongly I feel about it... those awful pastels are just wrong.
Snow White - It is my understanding that they actually sold tobacco there. Back in the day, the vendors on Main Street functioned like a regular little town: swimsuit apparel, musical instruments, baby shop, watches, camera shop, stationery store, etc.
@Snow White, I remember going in the shop with my Dad and smelling the cigar/pipe tobacco smell in the air, very different from the smoke, of course. It definitely sold tobacco. I still have the matchbook cover, which was why we went in. Dad did not smoke, but he collected matchbooks. There has been a dramatic change in public attitudes to smoking in the last half-century and this shows it.
Dave, that was one of the best things about old Main Street. It really was like stepping back into a town of that era, all the buildings had businesses like a real town. Now, they are all Disney Stores.
Now that we have to walk through a giant Disney Store outside the park, can we have Main Street returned to themed merchandising?
Thanks for the pictures and the opportunity to rant.
JG
yep, back then Main St. was similar to downtown disney now. the store fronts were occupied by independent businesses that had been approved by disney, and had to adhere to the disneyland way. ah memories.
They also sold that disdained commodity, GUM. But, you had to ask for it.
Indeed, I was known to have purchased a pack or two there. I have several unused match books from the shop in my collection as well.
That first picture, what an unusual view of the marquee. I remember no ditch on that side of the road. Is that just an odd view or was the ground much lower on the east side of the road there?
As to the voting for favorite engine, I voted for no preference in that I enjoy them all equally. One engine is of no preference to another, they all provide for joy and the start of a 'Happiest' of days.
That first pic (& close up shot) shows an A-frame type of building similar to the old House of Pancakes buildings, but the roof is painted yellow. I vaguely remember a building like that sitting across from the park, but can't remember what it was. Anyone else remember it? Was it part of a motel?
No fair Dave, you have to factor in the "no preference" votes. :)
There probably wouldn't be that many for the Ominibus, because some folks are strictly vegetarians.
(The Maj is currently wondering why he didn't think of that dire joke for his blog - but no worries, he has my permission to lift it hehe)
I'm a sucker for a neat T-Shirt but I agree there's way too much convenient repetition in the merchandise. Can't but think a wider range could also be quite profitable done right and besides which it will make the visit more memorable and that's important for $ too. More theme, it's a theme park y'know.
Oh and thanks also for the "now" shot. A couple details occur to me... I wonder two things:
1) Is that door above the steps usable and if so is it in use now or do you still need to "use other door?"
and
2) Did they have such super glossy paint around the turn of the 20th Century? Makes it look kinda plastic-y or something.
Tokyo Magic: That A-Frame building was the entrance for the Carousel Motel.
The Motel still exists but was torn down and completely rebuilt on the same site sometime in the late 80's/early 90's.
Take care!
Great photos! Love the Disneyland sign. Hope you have a great weekend!
The "Dirty Weed" window is now the Sherman Bros. tribute window.
I don't smoke, and hate cigarettes, but I loved the Tobacco Shop as a kid because it smelled great. They sold pipe tobacco and the shop had that wonderful sweet old-timey smell. I actually miss it even though, as they say, "it's the worst darn stuff you've ever seen."
On another note, I experienced a sharp pang of nostalgia when I saw that Chinese lantern-sign for Chaos Restaurant. A popular hangout after work for many of us!
@Chiana: The door from the little porch is fixed now, no entry.
Not sure if that ever worked, or if the internal configuration corresponded. (often they do not, the door might not even appear on the inside of the wall).
It might have been operable once, but I don't think so.
@KevinK, i felt the same way about tobacco, loved the un-burnt smell, but not the smoke.
Also...More Chao's!
JG
JG
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