A vintage Main Street, U.S.A. interior shot...I feel my pulse racing! This image of the Arribas Brothers Crystal Arts shop is from 1975. I love the “Place Order Now Pick Up Later” engraved glass at the forefront of this shot.
I found this background information on the D23 website:
Participant at Disney parks and resorts, first as glassblowers in Fantasyland at Disneyland Park beginning June 15, 1967. The glassblowing and cutting work of Alfonso and Tomas Arribas had reportedly caught the attention of Walt Disney when the brothers represented Spain at the 1964–65 New York World’s Fair. After the success of their operations in Fantasyland (which ended in 1987), their brother, Manuel, joined them to open Cristal d’Orleans, which opened July 24, 1966 in New Orleans Square. Items ranging from affordable small jewelry to large sculptures have been sold. In 1971, Alfonso and Tomas relocated to Walt Disney World to open Crystal Arts on Main Street, U.S.A., and a similar shop opened at Disneyland on June 24, 1972, where Manuel has continued to work. At Walt Disney World, the brothers’ work could be seen in The King’s Gallery inside Cinderella Castle from December 1972 until July 5, 2007; they continue to operate in Caribbean Plaza at Magic Kingdom Park, at the Marketplace at Disney Springs, and at the Germany and Mexico pavilions at Epcot. Their work could also be found at Euro Gifts & Collectibles at the Disneyland Hotel until 2010 and the Downtown Disney District in Anaheim. Additional locations are in Tokyo Disney Resort, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland. The company’s work is also sold at Disney Store online. Tomas passed away in 2002, and Alfonso has retired in Florida. Alfonso’s son, Rudy, is now president of the company.
A nighttime exterior shot from 2011:
An interior view from 2013:
See more Disneyland Main Street, U.S.A. photos at my main website.
3 comments:
That first shot looks so familiar to me. A number of times in the early 70s, as an employee, I'd purchase items for family and friends specially engraved by them. I'd get a Disney employee discount too. KS
Like KS, that first shot looks really familiar.
My Mom loved these shops and we often visited on the way up or down Main Street or in NOS.
I wanted to get an engraved tankard on one of my high school trips, but couldn't afford it. I settled for a standard design with a painted Mickey Mouse, which I still have.
These shops were part of what made old Disneyland special to visit. You would never find goods of this quality in a regular amusement park, or even in most downtowns, or malls.
Thanks for these memories, Dave.
JG
On my Jan 2019 WDW trip I had a bucket list item to purchase something ( anything ) from an Arribas brother's store. ( Mexico Pavillion or Disney Springs ) After hours of looking I never could settle on any one thing that caught my eye and ended up leaving with nothing. Returning to WDW in late Sept / early Oct and hoping that this time I can find something appropriate. They're a cool piece of Disney history influenced by Walt himself.
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