Wednesday, January 13, 2021

1957 Skyway Sequence


Welcome to 1957! I am always interested in seeing the sequence a photographer shoots; what story they are possibly telling, and what they chose to capture, especially for vintage film shots when each photo was expensive and couldn’t be redone if it came out wrong (vs. digital shots of today). In today’s four-shot sequence, our Disneyland Guest Photographer was shooting from their Skyway bucket as they flew from the Fantasyland Skyway Station towards Tomorrowland. Monstro and Storybook Land were apparently of particular interest. A closeup view of the Wendy boat entering Monstro’s mouth:


Only a few seconds later the photographer decided to snap again:


…capturing some backstage construction going on. Look how deserted it is back there!


Now the photographer is facing forward on the way to Tomorrowland. This time they captured Holiday Hill/Lookout Mountain, which is where the Matterhorn would appear in two years.


And true to its other nickname, “Lover’s Lane,” I see a couple meandering around the mountain below in this detailed view:


The last shot I have in this sequence shows the short-lived Viewliner:



How about that vintage gas station in the background, too?


Last one for today is a bonus shot of the Tomorrowland Skyway Station, also from 1957:


This one warranted two zoom shots, with the first showing the passengers:


…and Harbor Boulevard in the background. Hard to believe it’s the same road of today!


None of these shots could easily be duplicated today, as the loss of the Skyway has taken away that vantage point of the Park and Anaheim.

See more vintage Disneyland Skyway photos at my main website.

2 comments:

Fifthrider said...

Great pics. Some of the few that show Casey Jr.'s switchtrack by the red-roofed structure.

Always great to see the viewliner. Would loved to have gone on it, but it doesn't strike me as being a memorable ride. Rocket Rods/Superstar Limo of it's day.

Given all the real traffic on the other side of the berm, it's hard to believe Autopia is still a thing.

Anonymous said...

Fun sequence today, Dave. I barely remember sitting in one of those old buckets and never saw the Viewliner.

JG