Although they are a bit dark, I am very excited to present this series of images from Disneyland circa December 1959 showing the Christmas parade.
Today's batch seems to have mainly been shot near the Mark Twain dock/Golden Horseshoe.
I wonder what the camels thought of this place?
Is that an ostrich at Disneyland?
Although the parade is definitely not high tech or glitzy, which is just fine with me. I truly enjoy the simplicity of it, and the variety of countries that are represented.
Bagpipes in Frontierland. It must have sounded wonderful!
The scary Three Wiseman. Looks like their boxes were gift-wrapped!
Presenting the Swedish Folk Dance Club:
I just had to see this sign up close:
Last one for this set shows the United States.
I am assuming the arm bands represent the number of this particular "act" in the parade. If correct, looks like this young couple is 178. That's a lot of acts!
A few more from this batch show the Horseless Carriage when it used to go to the Matterhorn.
The guests in the Carriage seem fascinated by something behind them. All I saw was Alice.
Looks like some nighttime construction in Central Plaza, or perhaps tearing down a stand for a Christmas show.
What a great nighttime view of Town Square and the Christmas tree.
More vintage and current Disneyland Christmas photos at my main website.
What a wonderful collection of unusual vintage Disneyland photos today. Hope you had a nice Christmas yesterday. Thanks, Dave.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if this parade was sort of in honor of the Olympics coming up -- winter Olympics were in Squaw Valley in '60. We had a house in Tahoe back then, and Squaw was my first Olympics I got to go to. I remember some of the early Christmas parades at Disneyland before the big ones started that were themed after Babes In Toyland and were the Parade of Toys. But before those toyland ones, the parades I saw were not the exquisite ones folks think of from the 60s on.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely coincidence: today at the Facebook group Vintage Disneyland
ReplyDeletethis bit of footage was posted. It contains backstage shots of just about that whole parade forming up and heading out.
OMG Dave! I actually KNOW the members of the Swedish Folk Dance Club of Los Angeles! Many have passed away since this 1959 photo, but I see some of these folks on a monthly basis when I travel from San Diego to Los Angeles for a monthly Vasa Order of America Lodge meeting up on Sunset Blvd. Although they are in their mid 80's to early 90's, they're still a vibrant group of Swedish Americans. I would love to enlarge this photo to share with them! I have an original copy of the program flyer from that day, but have NEVER seen a photo. This is amazing!!!!!!! Can't wait to see if I can identify all of the dancers pictured.
ReplyDeleteWow - you just rocked my day!
Lenda Earl
Pacific Beach
These are rare and seasonal photos, Dave. Thanks for posting them, and thanks for your wonderful blog. It's Christmas every day reading a new post.
ReplyDeleteBest for the holidays.
JG
I think what looks like construction is stacked up chairs. Probably didn't have to pay extra for them, like today.
ReplyDelete