Treasures from 1957, Pt. 2

We are back at Disneyland in 1957 inside the Swift Market House on Main Street. Guests are busy perusing the wares, probably not noticing what immediately caught my eye: a flyer high on the wall promoting the Southern Fried Chicken Dinners at the Chicken Plantation Restaurant in Frontierland.



The Chicken Plantation:



Back to the Market House – imagine going to Disneyland to purchase toilet soap!



Up the street, guests are relaxing outside the Coca-Cola Refreshment Corner:



Over to the right is the Cole of California shop, which closed the year this shot was taken.



This particular shot from 1957 was dated June 9, showing the Adventureland entrance gate:



This guy must have been a professional photographer; that’s some rig he’s got strapped around his neck.



Here’s the main drag of Adventureland, circa 1957:



Interesting to note that the Jungle Cruise attraction was still being referred to as the Jungle River Boat Ride. That’s a mouthful!



See more Disneyland photos at my main website.

The Coke Corner Split Bulb

If you’re on Twitter and you love to dive into the deep minutia of Disneyland History, then Jason Schultz’s account is a must. One of the recent topics brought up is the split bulb(s) found at the Coke Corner on Main Street, U.S.A.

If you’re not familiar with it, here’s the condensed version. Because the bulbs in the area shown below (May 2006 photo) have an odd number of sockets, the red and white alternating sequence would eventually be ruined at the point that they meet. According to lore, Walt Disney provided the solution of having the one bulb painted half white and half red.



My first recollection of hearing about this was on a Disneyland Tour that I took circa October 2008.



The guide pointed out the bulb which I of course had to photograph!



It looks like there are two spots where this painted split bulb occurs:



Checking out my collection, I found this Genuine FauxD© shot of the Coke Corner, circa 1955, before it even had bulbs!



A closeup of the soon-to-be-bulbed area:



…and the Disneyland News available at the time of the shot. Anyone have a copy of this particular issue?



By August 1958, the bulbs were added:



It’s hard to tell whether or not the split bulb idea had been executed or not though.



I love this detailed view of a guest relaxing at the end of the evening inside the Coke Corner:



How many of you have noticed the split bulbs before?

See more Disneyland Coke Corner photos at my main website.

Coke, Cops, and Cole

Guests at the Coca-Cola Refreshment Corner at Disneyland are being serenaded by the Keystone Kops, circa August 1958. The Dapper Dans weren’t the only musical group on Main Street, U.S.A.!

Behind the Kops you can see the window for the Cole of California shop.

Founded in 1923 by Fred Cole, this swimwear company was once represented by Esther Williams (so you know they were legit).

This shot gives you an overall view of the area:

How about those mermaids in the display window? Wonder where they are now…

See more vintage and contemporary Disneyland Main Street photos at my main website.

Disneyland at Night

Disneyland during the day is a magical place; at night, it is beyond spectacular. The lighting transforms it into a completely different world. I am sure guests zoom by the Main Street Emporium Windows while the sun is out; at night, the lighting makes them leap out and beg to be noticed. Here are a few of the newer windows that have been added to the roster, beginning with The Princess and the Frog.







Toy Story:











Aladdin:











Frozen…quel surprise!



Cinderella:



Although these photos show the detailed craftsmanship that went into the creation of these gems, seeing them in motion in person is a completely different experience. To round out the post, here are a few shots I snapped as I sauntered out of the Park after the fireworks:



Jolly Holiday:



Coke Corner:



and the last one shows the Carnation Cafe:



More vintage and current Disneyland photos at my main website.

Vintage Nerd Alert

Nerds. You have to love 'em. Especially vintage nerds. Today's post hails from April 1963, and our first image shows Papa Nerd, the man who gave us the child featured in the rest of the shots you will see here. You can see by the uncomfortable gaze and awkward pose that this man was once a nerd, too. For all we know, his nerd-dom could have continued into adulthood. Chances are, it did.

And here we have the star of today's post, the ultimate vintage nerd. Glasses…check. Embarrassing clothing…check. Military-style haircut…check. Jeans rolled up by mama…check. This kid has it in spades.



The shot shown here is why I bought this set in the first place.



How about these Monsanto House of the Future panels? Timex, Sylvania, Crane, and Bell Systems. This little nerd was obviously in future-career heaven!



Back to Central Plaza for another uncomfortable photograph. Stiff posture with belly sticking out…check! The day must have been getting hotter as the sweater has now disappeared.



The Snow White Wishing Well was a mere two years old at the time this photo was taken.



Back on Main Street, the Omnibus cruises by Coke Corner.



Here come three more nerds…and they love red, too!



More vintage (and current!) Disneyland goodness at my main website.