70 Years Ago: Disneyland, August 4, 1955

One of my longtime readers VERY generously supplied these rare images that they recently acquired showing a visit to Disneyland on August 4, 1955. How do we know the date? Read the back of the photo (and note the Kodak Velox Paper watermark!):



I have assembled these in the order that one would take as they journey to the Park from front to back. I let out a yelp at this one, which is an extremely rare shot of the Disneyland Police Department, which once resided to the left of City Hall:



It was also for Lost Children; wonder if the two tots sitting on the steps were lost or just looking for playmates?



City Hall:



Closing in, we can see a very different type of Disneyland AND the guests that once frequented it. In August 1955, people took time to enjoy life. They dressed up for a special occasion and cherished the friends and family that they were with.



The Bob Gurr designed Carnation Truck shown below. As he recalled years later:

An early sponsor at Disneyland was the Carnation Milk Company. They wanted to have an antique delivery truck parked on Main Street right in front of their Carnation Ice Cream parlor. Walt had me design an antique looking truck which Carnation built right in their own truck maintenance shop in Glendale.  I based the antique design on a “modern” 1931 Model A Ford chassis. A friend made a custom radiator emblem for it naming the truck.....Gurrmobile. I used to get a kick out of 'know-it-all' guests who would tell others how they remember the old Gurrmobiles that were built in Los Angeles long ago. For years it served as a photo-op prop in front of the ice cream parlor. When folks would take each other’s photo seated in the cab, behind them would appear the words 'Carnation Milk'…clever publicity.



Strolling down further our August 1955 guest focuses on the Penny Arcade:



On the opposite side of the street is the Swift Market House. Who was the slob who blocked this shot?!?



Another yelp of excitement when I saw this shot of the Coca-Cola Refreshment Corner, taken BEFORE the hotly contested red/white alternating bulbs were installed:



Look Ma - no light bulbs at the entrance!



This appears to be a ho-hum shot of the Horse-Drawn Streetcar in Central Plaza:



…but when you zoom in, you can see the short-lived Central Plaza Bandstand in the background:



A shot of the Sleeping Beauty Castle was a requirement for all guests (not really, but it seems like it):



The second shot was an occasion for a third yell:



While the uncomfortable siblings holding their Disneyland popcorn containers are fun, the exciting part of the shot is this detailed view of two Disneyland News Boys, hawking their wares:



Guests could have their names imprinted on the Disneyland News for a very fun personalized souvenir:



The Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship Restaurant was still being finished up one month after the Park opened, as you can see by the surrounding scaffolding:



Over in Frontierland, the name Davy Crockett was a huge draw:



The Mark Twain yielded excitement from our August 1955 photographer:



Written on the back:

Steam Boat, Disneyland, August 4, 1955. We all took a ride in it - Harris, Harold, and I, John and Sherylann.



Tom Sawyer Island had not been constructed yet, but the land could already boast a waterfall feature:



From the Twain, our guests could see a Disneyland Train leaving the Frontierland Depot as it passed around Fowler’s Harbor:



Over in Tomorrowland, the Flags of the Nations were placed in a star formation in front of the TWA Moonliner:



HUGE shout out to the donor who provided this amazing glimpse of Disneyland from seventy years ago!

See more vintage Disneyland photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: A Saddle for Shirley

In 1936’s “Stowaway,” Shirley Temple played an orphan stranded in China who eventually gets rescued by a millionaire playboy and his girlfriend (Robert Young and Alice Faye).



In between takes, Shirley posed with one of the many gifts she received during the time that she was probably the most famous person in the world.



Joseph Schenk, Chairman of the Board at Shirley’s studio, 20th Century-Fox, gave her this leather saddle to go with her Shetland pony (another recent gift!). That’s a pretty darn good likeness of Shirley carved into the leather!



This saddle ended up in the 2015 Love, Shirley Temple auction. How it looked when I saw it on display at the Santa Monica History Museum:



Almost looks brand new! Shirley’s mother sure took good care of her daughter’s possessions.



Edited from the Theriault’s catalog description:

#383 Hand-Tooled Leather Saddle Gifted to Shirley Temple by Joseph Schenk

Of superb leather workmanship, the beautifully engraved hand-tooled saddle was custom made for the young actress, featuring Shirley's hand-tooled image with smiling expression and classic curly locks on each fender, her name in raised lasso-style lettering on the seat back, and a silver plaque inscribed "Presented to Shirley Temple by Joseph M. Schenk 1935".



The saddle was custom made by the prestigious Los Angeles leather firm of Lichtenberger-Ferguson. The saddle includes all accessories including the saddle blanket, and is in excellent condition. Provenance: the saddle was gifted to Shirley by Joseph Schenk, Chairman of the Board at 20th Century Fox, on the occasion of another gift to her which was a Shetland pony. The pony was traveling to America aboard the May 1936 maiden voyage of the SS Queen Mary and then by rail to the Los Angeles train station. Shirley Temple wrote of this in her 1988 autobiography "Child Star". "Burdened with a specially-made western saddle with my face tooled into the leather skirts..., [the pony] was introduced to me in the railroad freight yards in downtown Los Angeles. A welcoming flower garland which it promptly tried to eat, was draped around the pony's neck...'Giddap!' I cried. The pony moved ahead but...the saddle started to slip sideways, me with it...A switch engine tooted just as a line of freight cars came screeching along an adjacent track. The pony whinnied, kicked and reared up, while I held on. “I'm going to call him Spunky', I shouted...'He's not afraid of anything.'”

Estimated price  was $6,000-8,000; sold for $3,200. What a value!



See more Shirley Temple in “Stowaway” photos at my main website.

Monday in Adventureland

In August 1958, little Kirk posed by the tiki statue near the entrance of Adventureland. The dark image below is from June 1958 and gives a better look at the statue:



Back to Kirk - there’s something about the early signage in Adventureland that I prefer. It seems so much more natural and rustic.



Here is a corresponding view I shot back in 2011. Huh. I think that’s about all I can say for what happened to this area.



See more Disneyland Adventurelandphotos at my main website.

Disneyland Hotel Miniature Golf, 1971

This November 1971 shot was taken from the Disneyland Hotel. So many things to see here! Below, you can see the Midcentury Modern Howard Johnson's Motor Lodge, with Tomorrowland in the foreground. I see the Rocket Jets, I see the Carousel of Progress…yes, Romper Room at it's very best (IFKYK).



In this detailed view, you can see the Matterhorn Christmas star, still twinkling away.



Here, you see the sign for the Golf Course and Mini Golf Course. What?!? Yes…at one time you could play golf at Disneyland.



Below is a shot I took back in May 2004; same view, but way different sights! Downtown Disney and mature trees have almost made this image unrecognizable compared to the 1971 shot.





The August 1961 Disneylander Newsletter featured this info about the miniature golf course:

The most interesting miniature 18 hole course is practically a replica of Disneyland itself. It will be completely lighted for night play and many feel it will be so popular with Disneylanders as well as Hotel guests and residents of the Disneyland area that it will be the wee small hours of the morning before it closes for the night. Each hole on the miniature course will remind players of one of Disneyland's many features. As an example, the first tee is a replica of the Santa Fe and Disneyland Railroad Station at the Main Entrance to the Park, while the third tee has a miniature of the Fantasyland castle, draw bridge, courtyard parapet and rock island. The fifth tee represents the Matterhorn ticket office and the hole will feature raceways to three separate greens and will include two metal tubes for crossing the bobsled waterways. The seventh, eighth and ninth holes will remind players of the Rocket to the Moon, the Submarine Voyage and the Richfield Autopia respectively while the eleventh will consist of rock work, benches, and simulated cacti. The Frontierland area is easily recognized in the next three holes with a reproduction of the Frontierland Fort entrance, Indian Village and the Grist Mill on Tom Sawyer's Island. The popular Story Book Land adventure is reproduced on the fifteenth hole with a replica of Monstro the Whale while Peter Pan and the adventures of the Darling children will be seen and enjoyed on the next hole. The eighteenth and final hole will feature a water fountain showing Mickey Mouse himself, holding a golf club, which will make a fitting finale to a delightful experience for anyone who cares to play a game of miniature golf, the Disneyland Hotel way. The Disney art director on the miniature course has been Yale Gracey and Al Applegate [Engineering] has acted as the coordinator of construction. Other Disneyland experts who have supervised the construction include Andy Anderson [Carpentry], Larry Smith [Paint Department] and Bud Washo [Staff Shop]. Their advice is that even Disneylanders who have never had a golf club in their hands should be sure to try a game as soon as possible.



The above and below images were supplied by Daveland reader Ross; a score card and a view from the Park map showing the location of the golf course, driving range, and miniature golf course.



See more Disneyland Hotel photos at my main website.

1950s Disneyland: Town Square

Today seems like a good day to relax in Disneyland’s Town Square, especially with some photos from the Park’s early years. In this 1956 image, chicken wire is still the standard for protecting the plants, and the Bekins Storage area features the unique architectural details that would later be removed.



Ugh. Who approved this change?



Back to happier times…a detailed view of a cast member cleaning up one of the A-Frame signs in the Square.



A few from March 8, 1956:



Who wants to be a Fireman? This could be your opportunity.



Note that City Hall at this time is for First Aid and Press Information:





Both these boys are doing their part to show support for Mickey Mouse!





Mabel Normand is at the Main Street Cinema and two Keystone Kops are getting ready to wow guests with some music as they cross the street.





Glad I wasn’t there that day; the Disneyland Railroad was temporarily closed!





Music stands are piled up in the Opera House alcove, awaiting the Disneyland Band to pull them out for a concert.



See…I don’t make this stuff up!



This was back when there was a Print Shop in Town Square; the Disneyland News is for sale in front of the window:



These two DANGEROUS gents are getting ready to attempt some mischief in Town Square, roughly 1955-56:



Be glad there was no ammo in the 19th century cannon. Walt was smart enough to have these sealed up before these screwballs arrived. Also note the chicken wire around the landscaping:



One of the goofballs thought it would be funny to have his buddy take a photo of him pretending to blow his head off with the rifle the Tobacco Wooden Indian was holding. I wonder if these kids survived into adulthood?



Moving ahead a few years to August 3, 1959:



Bekins is still there!



Thus ends our day in 1950s Town Square.

See more Disneyland Town Square photos at my main website.