Although it might be hard to believe today, New Orleans Square was actually a fun little place to browse and shop for unique and rare treasures. First up is Mlle. Antoinette's Parfumerie. The shop name has recently been restored, but the concept is still not quite as high end or unique as it was back in the 1970's.
Here's a closer look at the display window. Do you see any plush or Disney merchandise? A window like this today could mean somebody's job!
I could be wrong, but I believe this vintage shot shows a display window that is outside the Café Orleans Restaurant:
This show of the Cristal d'Orleans shop was probably featured in my previous April 1977 series but thought I'd include it again with the other N.O.S. shots.
Zooming in to the display window:
You can still find beautiful and unique items in this store today and not feel like you're being force-fed more mass-produced Disney merchandise. Here's a recent shot of the same shop:
See more vintage & current Disneyland New Orleans Square photos on my New Orleans Square web page.
Those are some neat and unusual detailed shots!
ReplyDeleteThanks Dave for featuring the Perfume shop! My mom adored this place, and I was always happy to be sure that she spent as much time here as needed. She was flabbergasted when it was removed, especially since the perfumes she had formulated (and bought on each visit) were now "lost".
ReplyDeleteI love(d) both of these stores.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't much on perfume, and my Mom was a confirmed Avon devotee, so she didn't care. but the notion of blending an exclusive scent was fascinating. I did not realize it had be removed and restored.
I went in last trip and was disappointed to see it look like Needless Markup or the Duty-free shop at the airport. Sigh. It's so strange how it went from "Blend your own scent, be unique" to "Buy a Celebrity scent, smell like someone else." The Britney Spears perfume smelled like Chee-Tos and Menthol cigarettes.
The glass and crystal was equally engaging. Mom loved this stuff and had a lot of "depression glass" etc. the fussier and more ornate, the better. She could spend an hour in here each trip. There are several pieces in that window closeup which very much resemble things we had at home (not purchased in this shop). I still have some of them today. I much prefer crystal to silver since it doesn't require polishing.
I visited this shop in the year of your photo on one of my high school ventures with the intent of getting a personalized cup or mug and realizing that I was far too poor to have anything like that. I settled on a mug with a silk-screened Mickey. It's here on my desk as I write, filled with pens.
I agree, the crystal shop is a rare opportunity to get beyond the plush toy and keyring marketing into some very interesting things, not easily found elsewhere, in or out of Disneyland.
The architectural detailing of both shops is marvelous, a tour de force of moldings and trim like a walk-in wedding cake. I could stare at that for hours.
Thank you Dave.
JG
The pictures are absolutely incredible! Thank you so much for sharing them!
ReplyDeleteDisneyswedishprincess