Imagine it's July 1962, and you've just landed at LAX, anxiously awaiting your first trip to Disneyland. The camera is full of slide film, and you're ready to go!
Check out the kids at Fort Wilderness; they're loving it! What could be more fun than exploring Tom Sawyer Island?
These two are kickin' it back at the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship.
Zooming in, you can see Paco the Talking Parrot's Cage, located at the rear of the ship, near Skull Rock Cove:
High up above, the Skyway buckets, still round in shape, soar over head:
My inner signage geek forced me to zoom in for this closeup:
The teacups were on pause at the moment this image was captured:
The Skyway, Storybook Land, and The Teacups; this couple got a little bit of a lot in the background of their photo!
I'll end the post with this up close and personal Skyway shot:
I can almost feel myself floating over the Subs with this closeup!
See more vintage and current Disneyland photos on my Disneyland photo web pages.
That would have been a great time to be there....except that I wouldnt be born for another two months.... Oh well.....
ReplyDeleteWow, great picture of the LAX Theme Building, a classic piece of '60's modernism by architect Paul Williams.
ReplyDeleteThere can't be any doubt this building was at least some inspiration to the central structure of the 1967 Tomorrowland.
Years ago in my LA years, I was very privileged to design a minor remodeling to a home designed by Paul Williams in Santa Monica. Williams was a noted architect in the region and one of the first black architects to really reach the "big time".
Spectacular photos today, Dave.
JG
1962 was a year before my first trip. I remember the Enchanted Tiki Room just opened.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I don't see the dumbo you mention in the "little bit of a lot" pic. I do see a yellow monorail and part of the Matterhorn though.
JG - Is the home still there?
ReplyDeleteK. - I'm sure Dumbo was there at 4am when I was putting the post together...he must have disappeared in the meantime!
Dave - I figured Dumbo took flight and left the area after you posted it.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I appreciate how you zoom in on the signage. When looking at Disneyland images, I'm always trying to figure out what is written on those signs when they appear.
Hello Dave, yes, the property is still there. I just researched it via Wikipedia which links to the Paul Williams memorial site.
ReplyDeleteHere is a link to the Paul Williams site showing a photo of the Hess house, 2209 La Mesa Drive, Santa Monica.
http://www.paulrwilliamsproject.org/gallery/residence-charles-hess-santa-monica-ca/
The black and white photo on the Williams site shows the property as I remember it.
Apparently Williams designed the Theme Building as part of the project team at William Peirera and Partners, the same firm that later designed the Transamerica Pyramid, and the Howard Johnson Hotel in Anaheim. The concrete struts at the base of that tower are lineal (pun intended) descendants of those on the Theme Building.
Thanks for the memory.
JG
Thanks for the followup J - I'd live there!
ReplyDelete