Daveland in Variety!

Yesterday, I got my first photo credit in Variety, thanks to a photo shoot with comedian/actor Jimmy Fowlie earlier this year.



While we were shooting in Hollywood, he told me that he and his friend Jordan Black were collaborating on a "one-woman show" that would flesh out the play that Emma Stone's character performs in "La La Land." Audiences never get to see the play that Mia (Stone) performs before a virtually empty theatre, but now thanks to the comic touch of Fowlie and Black, we get to experience it in the most wacky way possible.



I got to see the play during its first run in Hollywood, which was extended numerous times thanks to back-to-back sellouts.



Now the show is making its way to Off-Broadway at the Subculture Theater.



Here's a link to the complete article.

And because it's Halloween, I will leave you with this photo from Disneyland showing some of my favorite villains:



More photos at my main website

Blurry Pirates 1975

I was very excited to bid on this series of consecutive images from the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction circa April 1975...until I received them. The composition was great; but the shots were all blurry. Meh. In an attempt to make up for the crappy images, I have done my best to do a contemporary compare and contrast post. Here goes!







From Blackbeard:



to Barbossa:









Enjoy this version while you can!









Another casualty to politically incorrect changes:



















What happened to this guy?



More Pirates of the Caribbean photos at my main website.

Contemporary Primeval World

After posting my two-year old "contemporary" shots of the Grand Canyon Diorama, I couldn't very well leave out the Primeval World shots. Here are my seven shots from my last spin around the Park:













More vintage and contemporary photos of the Disneyland Primeval World Diorama at my main website.

Contemporary Grand Canyon Diorama

In uploading the vintage images, I also realized I hadn't posted my most recent "contemporary" shots of the Disneyland Grand Canyon Diorama. Hard to believe I haven't been on the train in almost TWO YEARS! Here are all four panorama views from my last journey on the Disneyland Railroad.







More vintage and contemporary Disneyland Grand Canyon Diorama photos at my main website.

Disneyland Railroad 1950's Medley

While scanning one image, I realized there were a few more that I had yet to post, all from the 1950s, and all showing the Disneyland Railroad. Let's begin with the earliest one, which hails from September 1958. The banner over the entryway hails the recently opened Columbia sailing ship and the Grand Canyon Diorama. In addition, we can see the Disneyland News stand, as well as two Disneyland Guide Book Salesman/Boys. This is the same job that started a young Steve Martin on his show business career!



A 1958 interior view of one of the passenger cars:



And two interior shots of the recently opened Grand Canyon Diorama. First is from 1958:



This one is from October 1959:



A shot of the Main Street Train Station from November 1959:



A closeup of the Kalamazoo Handcar:



The last one for today is undated, and shows the E.P. Ripley pulling into the station. In the background is the parking lot, which eventually disappeared to pave the way for Disney California Adventure.



More vintage and contemporary Disneyland Railroad photos at my main website.

Going to William and Mary

As a young lad, I ate up history like a bowl of Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch. After my first visit to Williamsburg at the age of 7, I knew I wanted to go to William and Mary. Alas, life had other plans for me. By the time I had reached the age of high school, my grades fell a bit short and my interests had also shifted, and I ended up attending Indiana University. No regrets. But who says you can never go back? At the age of 53, I returned to the campus of William and Mary for a visit. Founded on February 8, 1693, I was greeted by the statue of Norborne Berkeley, Baron de Botetourt. He was the Governor of the Colony of Virginia, 1768-1770 and a respected Friend of the Students and Faculty of the College. Gordon S. Kray, Class of 1978, is the sculptor. His statue is a re-creation of the original marble by Richard Hayward (1728-1800) that stood here in front of the historic Wren Building from 1801-1958 (now in the Botetourt Gallery of the Earl Gregg Swem Library) and was given to the College of William and Mary by thoughtful alumni on the occasion of the 300th anniversary October 23, 1993.



A closeup of the top of the Wren Building:



I was delighted to be able to go inside...especially without having to attend classes!



I am a staircase nut; they can give such interesting perspectives for a photographer.



The back side of the Wren Building:



Tucker Hall:



A statue of President James Monroe:



One last shot of the Wren Building:



I sometimes wonder where I would be today if I had attended this historic College. Would I have ended up working in Colonial Williamsburg? Maybe I would have opened that Ice Cream Shoppe that I planned to open. Oh the ideas we have when young!

More William and Mary photos at my main website.