The Royal Street Treatment: Hotel Monteleone

Once I was able to escape the Conference hotel, I moved down the street to experience the legendary Hotel Monteleone on Royal Street. I was not disappointed by this New Orleans classic that was founded in 1886..



The staff was friendly and attentive, and the lobby was inviting.



The hotel's famous grandfather clock still works!



The Monteleone's guestbook reads like a who's who of the literary world, and they are immortalized in this lobby display case:





The room was decorated in a style that honored the classic nature of the hotel without being stuffy.



Love the little touches like the embroidered pillowcases:



Upstairs you can get a workout in:



while enjoying panoramic views of Bourbon Street:



and the riverfront:



The rooftop area was lively; a great place to sip a beverage while cooling off with a dip in the pool.



This was the best angle I could get on the rooftop of the Hotel's neon sign:



At night, this one really stands out from down below in the French Quarter:



The Monteleone is probably best known for its Carousel Bar, which actually revolves. Good luck scoring a seat though; there are only 25 and every time I walked by, they were full.



Maybe on my next visit to Nawlins I can get an opportunity to sit at the bar and sip a Sazerac!



Yes…the smiling jester is very similar to the one you see at Disneyland's King Arthur Carrousel:



Last one for today is the fab-tastic neon sign for the hotel's garage.



If YOU want more of the Royal Street treatment, visit my main website.

Mary Blair Tomorrowland Murals, circa 1974

Another recent find for me are these 1974 black and white shots that will bring both joy and sadness to readers. The simple childlike designs that artist Mary Blair created for "New" Tomorrowland are sure to delight all who see them, even if they are a bit of a stretch design-wise for the rest of what was created in this area of the Park back in 1967.



I am still amazed that these were covered up without any thought to preserving Blair's work.











I am fairly certain that nobody will mourn or regret it when the Disney Corporation decides to take these murals down.



Refresh your memory of Mary's tile murals by visiting main website for more.

Candle Extravaganza!

Disneyland actually had a shop on West Main Street entirely devoted to candles…and books. This gent looks like he's doing bicep curls with the very ornate candle in his hands in this circa 1974 photo.



I remember in the 70s how candles such as the ones seen here were all the rage.



Zooming in, you can see some of the books that were sold in this shop, as well as two of the young ladies who sold the waxy merchandise.



Another area of the shop:



A closeup of the window shows what I believe to be the Flower Market, which sold plastic flowers. I am sure they went very well with the plastic slipcovers on the family sofa!



Nothing says love like a flower candle. I'll bet this guy made a hit with his girlfriend when he presented it to her!



Light a candle and journey on over to my main website for more.

Eating in Nawlins: Brennan's

Located at 417 Royal Street, the Patio Royal Restaurant, seen in this 1950's image, featured the world's first air-conditioned outdoor dining patio. It was also known as the home of the Banker's Cocktail.



Today, it is home of the world famous Brennan's, where I had the pleasure of dining last month. The service was impeccable; just enough attention…but not too much.



The original Brennan's Restaurant, called Owen Brennan's Vieux Carre Restaurant, was located on Bourbon Street, as seen in this November 1954 photo:



The patio is still there; no air conditioning necessary in March!



The restaurant has eight dining rooms.



The one we dined in resembled a Parisian Cafe:



The Roost Bar, with light fixtures resembling bird cages. The perfect place to have the official New Orleans cocktail, a Sazerac. I had my first sip of one, which was plenty. An entire one would have knocked me on my ass.



The lamb chops were delicious (sorry vegetarians!).



The highlight of the evening was the preparation of dessert, Bananas Foster. In the early 1950's, Owen Brennan decided to name a dessert after his friend and fellow member of the Metropolitan Crime Commission, Robert Foster. The dish was originally invented at Brennan's Vieux Carré, but its popularity did not fully take off until Brennan's began "Breakfast At Brennans' with Fosters as a signature dessert.



As it was served; it may not look all that appetizing, but trust me...it was de-lish!



Hungry for more of Brennan's? Pull your chair up to my main website.

The Rainbow Desert Stage Coach

A rarely seen view of the entrance to the Disneyland Stagecoach attraction, known as The Rainbow Desert Stage Coach according to this February 1, 1959 photo.

Get that "D" Coupon ready; this attraction does not take cash!



What does that "D" Coupon translate to? A 50¢ purchase for adults and a 35¢ price for the kids. Conestoga Wagons are a flat fee of 25¢ regardless of your age, which means you need a "B" Coupon. The Disney Powers-That-Be must have thought the Pack Mules were more fun than the Wagons, as they required a "D" Coupon.



What do you think? Would you spend 50¢ to ride the Stage Coach?

See more vintage Disneyland Stagecoach photos at my main website.

Makeup for Shirley

In honor of what would have been her 87th birthday, today's post features a makeup test shot of Shirley Temple from May 22, 1947 (exactly 17 years before I was born!). She was filming "That Hagen Girl" which costarred future President Ronald Reagan as her romantic interest and possibly her father. Yuck!

Also posted here are both sides of the makeup and hairstyle chart from the Warner Brothers Studio; looks like Shirley required a lot of the Gene Hibbs Special! Hibbs did the makeup for "Green Acres," "Here's Lucy," and "The Judy Garland Show."



Apparently the Make-up Artist for Shirley was Nicki Marcellino, who most likely followed Gene Hibb's instructions.



The final result: a very dreamy looking Shirley!



So dreamy that she has to fight off the advances of Rory Calhoun!



The writers of this potboiler should have been more ashamed than Shirley's character!



See more of Shirley on my main website.