1959 Beauties

Today's post takes you back 56 years to 1959, providing a simulated photo journey of Disneyland as it looked way back when. Your car journeys down Harbor Boulevard and then turns into the entrance of Anaheim's famous theme park.



Let's approach the ticket booths from the right side, as seen in this November 1959 shot:



The park entrance is decorated with the flags of many nations:



A closer look lets us see the Kalamazoo Handcar and the population board showing that 10,000,000 guests have gone through the turnstiles.



For guests who can't wait to get their first Disneyland souvenir, this little Town Square booth is perfect!



A closer look so we can see the 25¢ guidebooks:



as well as the construction of the Matterhorn:



Let's climb aboard the Horse-Drawn Streetcar and explore each land of the park:



The entrance of Adventureland, circa November 1959:



Frontierland is very patriotic looking in the summer of 1959:



New Orleans Street is bustling, May 1959:



Zooming in we can see a glimpse of Aunt Jemima through the trees, wearing her red checked top and yellow apron, standing in front of her restaurant:



Popcorn anyone?



A good crowd has gathered for the Ceremonial Dance at the Indian Village:



Continuing to move in a clockwise direction we find ourselves in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle, painted in lovely subdued hues:



Dumbo’s ears may not flap, but as of October 1959, they still appear to be hinged:



Over in Tomorrowland, more international flags can be seen:



In June 1959, guests appear to be lining up for something; anyone figure out what it could be?



Forget the crowd; I want to get closer to see the Tomorrowland Skyway Station:



So ends our journey back to 1959; let's board the Monorail and head home!



See more Daveland vintage & current Disneyland photos at my main website.

Three Cheers for Beachgal!

Daveland reader Beachgal was kind enough to send me two photos and accompanying backstory. Seems like she has many fond memories of visiting Disneyland during its early years. As she recalls:

"I had lots of fun times growing up in the Southland - I remember very well meeting Walt Disney at Disneyland in '55 and again in '56 and getting to shake his hand. I also remember meeting Annette and other Mouseketeers at Disneyland in 1956. Annette made a lot of appearances to sign autographs at various Broadway Department stores around the Southland in those first early years as a Mouseketeer. Tim Considine and David Stollery also made appearences at Disneyland in 1956 after they had made such a hit that first year on "Spin & Marty." I had my photo taken with Tim on one of those appearances.

"The High School I went to was Mira Costa in Manhattan Beach; we were known as the Mustangs and our high school was often referred to as MiCoHi. The first photo here is from 1964 and shows the MiCoHi Yell Leaders near the Frontierland Gates.

"This second photo (from our 1963 school yearbook) shows the girl flag team atop the Nautilus submarine in Tomorrowland.



"Disneyland used to invite different High School spirit teams and some local other non paid/non professional teams like baton/tumbling to appear in the park for a day. I seem to recall a few glee singing groups too. There were no competitions for this, it was all by invite from Disneyland management. I recall a lot of excitement 'round the Southland about who would get invited next. The troupes never appeared at a formal entertainment venue in the park like Carnation Plaza Gardens, but instead were just set up in open areas and they rotated to a few different spots during the day.

"My cousin was in High School when the park opened and I recall her being envious that this program was not going when she had been a High School yell leader. I think it started in the late 1950s around the time Annette began to make movies like "The Shaggy Dog." I also remember seeing various troupes there, running around in their uniforms and performing; as a kid, I was sort of envious because they seemed so much cooler than I was, being able to run around in cool uniforms AND without their parents close by!"

Many thanks to Beachgal for sharing today!

See more vintage & current Disneyland photos on my main website.

More Opening Day Photos From Michael Black

Awhile back, I posted a number of photos that Daveland reader Michael Black had been kind enough to share from his Blackened Roots blog. Recently, he uncovered ten more shots that were also taken on the official public Opening Day of Disneyland, July 18, 1955. Beginning with image number one, I will let Michael narrate:

My father’s foster brother, Richard, realizing too late that he’s in my grandmother’s shot of the entrance to Frontierland.

The departure of the Mark Twain Steamboat to an adventure on the Rivers of America:



The Mark Twain Steamboat on the Rivers of America:



The Golden Horse Shoe Revue, taken from aboard the Mark Twain Steamboat:



The half-completed entrance to Adventureland:



What a great shot this could have been…this is a view from a Jungle Cruise boat, back when the ride was intended to be a serious adventure:



A rhino from the Jungle Cruise:



The TWA Moonliner and the Avenue of Flags in Tomorrowland:



Another shot of the TWA Moonliner, this one surprisingly well executed (although the negative has gotten crinkled from rough handling):



And last, but by no means least, the iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle. It’s an odd vantage point; did they go “off trail” to get this shot?



Many many thanks to Michael for sharing this amazing collection of historic photos.

See more vintage Disneyland Opening Day photos on my Opening Day web page.

B&W Memories, June 1958

This charming batch of guest snapshots from June 1958 show what I can only surmise are a boy and his mother, most likely taken by poor old dad, who didn't get to be in any of the photos. The first shot is typical; what kid wants to stand and pose when the entire Park is waiting to be explored and experienced?!?

Mom and son casually stroll through the Frontierland gates.



This kid is not about to remove his souvenir hat, not even for the Pack Mule attraction!



Zipping through the Autopia, he manages to keep his hat on.



At the end of the day, the boy proudly beams while showing off his booty of souvenirs:



He can't wait to read his comic book on the way home!



Looks like another satisfied customer, don't you think?

See more vintage & current Disneyland photos on my Disneyland web pages.

The Franklyn Taylor Collection: Frontierland, Pt. 2

More from the fantabulous Franklyn T. Taylor collection today, as I continue this week's Frontierland theme.

Obviously, Franklyn loved the Strawhatters, as he seemed to capture them each time he visited the park.





The little tots seem pretty fond of them, too.



There was also an appreciation for the Keel Boats, as Franklyn photographed both the Gullywhumper:



and the Bertha Mae:



The uniform on this cast member seems a bit odd, as if it would be more in line with someone working the Matterhorn.



One more of the Bertha Mae; perhaps this was his favorite Keel Boat.



Journeying around the Rivers of America, there's a nice sharp shot of Fowler's Harbor on the left:



And Fort Wilderness to the right:



It would appear that some guests are attempting to climb the side of the Fort:



The Indian Settlement scene has undergone a few changes over the years; the little brave standing on the canoe is not yet part of the happenings here:



The Burning Cabin:



Not much detail on the dead settler, but I had to zoom in anyway:



A shot of our ROA vessel, The Mighty Mark Twain:



Zooming into the right, you can see the bridge that took guests over to the Chicken Plantation Restaurant:



Westward Ho! These wagons didn't venture too far into the west, but they did provide a nice bumpy journey through the desert scenery of the Mine Train attraction.



The Devil's Paint Pots:



Cactus in the foreground and the sails of the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship in the rear:



Last one for today show some of the beautiful rock work done for the Mine Train attraction:



See more Franklyn Taylor Disneyland photos on my Taylor collection web page.