Back before our nation was taken over by "high-tech," these handpainted cutout images provided a heap-o-fun for guests who posed behind the face holes. I believe the Kodak Shop on Main Street, U.S.A. was the headquarters for these. For this particular cutout, there was one space for a guest's head inside the hippo, and probably 2-3 guests could get "inside" the Jungle Cruise boat.
I am always on the lookout for these souvenir backgrounds, as I have begun restoring/colorizing them. Most of the original shots have not survived too well over the years. Fading, chemical spots...you name it. I am guessing the film stock used for these was not exactly top-notch.
A Matterhorn cutout from 1962 (note that there were spaces for 4 guests; a cartoon head was inserted to fill the fourth slot):
In living color:
A Monorail cutout:
And my color version:
Although the color images are...well, more colorful, there is still something uniquely wonderful about the original black and white versions. Any of my readers have their photo taken at Disneyland in one of these? I've always wondered exactly where this occurred. I've also wondered who painted these. Was it one of the nine old men? Or just an artistic cast member?
See more vintage & current Disneyland photos on my main website.
7 comments:
Wish I had your answers Dave, but I never had the opportunity to pose in these cutouts. I love the restoration/colorization you've done with these. While the originals have that special patina, it's nice to see them brought to vibrant life through your restoration work.
Nowadays Disney does on-ride photos to sell, but I see plenty of guests snapping the photos from the viewing area with their cellphones or iPhones.
The Monorail one was at The Disneyland Hotel off the main lobby. Seem to have a picture in my mind it was in a hallway that had one side all in windows (maybe leading out to the pool area??) I had not seen it until some cousins came from Australia and they stayed for part of the visit at the Disneyland Hotel and had discovered it and shared it with me. We climbed up little stairs to a platform behind it and I don't recall any photographer attendant being there. The photos we had with it always had someone in the family or group missing who took the shot. It seemed like an after-thought with it being tucked aside in that hallway. I'm thinking the Silhouette Shoppe was small in the 50s - not big enough to have any of these in it, but I might be thinking of The Print Shoppe and not the Silhouette Shoppe. The Print Shoppe was really little and I think all that was in it was newspaper oriented. I know I was given a newspaper 'we' made while in there a few times. They always had a stack of one sheet newspapers already made on the counter. I don't recall the Matterhorn one at all unless it was somewhere in the line to get into your log - that seems to sort of be in my mind (not to say they didn't move them around). I do remember the Jungle Ride one. I seem to have flashes of it being also an unattended one you just walked up to and got into position for. My mind is blank right now where it was. I sort of think there was one of Donald and the Nephews too for a short time and was not there very long. I vaguely think there might have been one inside The Golden Horseshoe too. There was little to do in there when you got in. As a kid that place was a big time taker - the line up to get in for the next show - then waiting for review to start once you had a table - the break in the show -- All there was to do in there at the break was line up to go to the bathroom or line up to get into one of these cut out things - lines and more waiting - not what is entertaining to any kid who wants a pair of roller-skates on to get from one place to the next fast while in the Kingdom for a day. I seem to have a mind picture right now of the one in the Golden Horseshoe having a cutouts of can-can girls and maybe there was a 'boy' MC figure head in it. Sorry my memories are not more vivid other than the one at The Disneyland Hotel - guess that sums up how these were not real popular with locals but more for those who were the occasional/once in a lifetime visitors.
I called an old grade school/brownie troupe friend who also went to Disneyland incessantly as I did in those early years. She right off said without me prompting) the Matterhorn one was under a little tiny roof and you walked by it while in the line to the Matterhorn. She elaborated there was never time to get into it for a photo out of fear you might loose your place in line. She recalled right off the Jungle Cruise one was off to the side of the entrance cattle walk-way to get into the Jungle Ride and it too was in a bad place - choice of time to get into the cut out for a photo op vs. rushing through the cattle walk to get into line or right on a boat was a no brainer - it was the ride all the way. She sort of thought the Jungle Ride one was also in a lean-to with a little roof over it to shield it from sun/rain and was sort of at the side of the Tiki Room but she was not positive that was the lay-out (nor am I). You probably know right off if the Jungle Boat ride is next to the Tiki Room Dave. She also knew right away of the Monorail one at the D Hotel. She thought it was by the side door for the restaurant and bar in a long hallway.
My gal pal also said to tell you the cut out fills were on cable/chain things and whoever was getting into them, popped in or out the ones needed or not and that she also never saw these as anything that had a park attendant at. She wondered if you knew about the hill where the Matterhorn ended up going in at? She reminded me it used to be 'make-out' hill we called it. I had not thought of that in years. There were benches and some landscaping there at first. At night it was darker than other places and older teens were there to make out if it was a night that the park was open for like in summertime.
@beachgal - You're on a roll today. This is great stuff. Thanks!
Beachgal - You rock! So much great information. Thanks for clearing up the mysteries about these cutouts. And yes...The Jungle Cruise's exit is right next to the Enchanted Tiki Room.
For the Matterhorn, before it was built there was Snow Hill, which was known as a makeout spot.
I remember the Matterhorn, but the others are all new to me...
Thank you, this is a fun post.
JG
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