These Boots Were Made For Moonwalking

I always get a bit excited when I acquire a “new” image of the Disneyland Tomorrowland Space Couple; this July 1967 shot is no exception. My favorite part is the little boy looking at the Spaceman’s silver painted work shoes. Even he knows something ain’t right here! The boy in the red cap is guarding his Disneyland Popcorn box with his life. If he knew how much that might fetch him in 2026, he would be holding it even closer.



Any idea what the window in the background is showing? I’m in too much of a hurry this morning to check!
 
See more Disneyland Space Couple photos at my main website.

Sunday in Space

On the afternoon of April 10, a number of my friends texted me, “Are you photographing the landing?” I had just left a shoot at a nearby gym and had no idea what they were talking about. I was educated about the Artemis II first crewed lunar mission in over fifty years. Huh. Why hadn’t I heard about this? Growing up in the 60s/70s, anything related to space travel made frontpage headlines and EVERYONE knew about it. Seems kind of fitting I guess that I recently acquired this 1950s image showing the Disneyland Spaceman and Spacegirl, when the world was obsessed with the moon.

The gent in the previous photo is one of the most frequent cast members in my collection of Disneyland Spaceman shots. Here he is in color with two young adoring fans:



And again in black and white. Do you think the little nerd in front ever blossomed?



Again in color:



Circa 1956/1957:



Others portrayed this character, including the cast member captured below in this undated 1950s image:



Want a closeup of his gizmo? Of course you do! I believe the partially hidden patch is for early Disneyland sponsor Kaiser Aluminum.



This 1962 shot is a bit dark, but still a fave:



…because of this guest and his feathered hat. I wonder if that hat would have been allowed on Big Thunder Mountain?



In other news of my ignorance, I had no idea that the Spaceman and Spacegirl were semi-back at Disneyland. According to MC43 on X/Twitter, they make special guest appearances. I need to get out more.

See more Disneyland Spaceman/Spacegirl photos at my main website.

Love in Tomorrowland

Love exists in Tomorrowland, and here is visual proof from September 1960. My first question is why does the man have to wear an uncomfortable helmet, but the girl gets to go without? Sounds like discrimination! Note the gadget on the man’s harness; is that supposed to be a camera or some kind of device to wipe out pesky little kids?



In the previously posted shot below from one month earlier, it appears to be the same couple working together. They just couldn’t get enough of each other.



One year later in August 1961, a different set of folks are portraying the outer space people. Looks like the disparity in helmets was finally taken care of!



See more Disneyland Spaceman/girl photos at my main website.

Is It Tomorrow Yet?

It’s September 1959 and the Disneyland Spacegirl and Spaceman are waving to the guests and the cameras. I wonder if these two unsuspecting cast members could have begun to imagine the state of affairs that “tomorrow” would find us? A country torn politically, divided by a virus, and finally filled with people so angry that it is almost scary to open your mouth for fear of what might occur.



The art of communication has been lost over the last few decades and replaced with a lot of talking (and typing) devoid of listening or any attempt to bridge potential gaps caused by race, culture, or any of the other differences between people that once actually made this a great nation. How did we get here?



Looking at my pop culture timeline, I believe it started in 1992 with MTV’s “The Real World: New York,” which was the first widely watched reality TV show. Groundbreaking at the time, it provided a look at what happened when you put seven strangers together in one amazingly hip apartment in New York and then turned the cameras on. Casting was key; you could tell even in the initial episode that this group was not put together haphazardly. They were picked to create conflict and memorable moments and of course…ratings.

What did America learn? If you want to get on TV (and future seasons of “The Real World”), you needed to have something colorful about yourself (scandalous), be loud/talk over others,  and relish conflict with those around you.

The next pivotal moment in the decline of this country was the infamous table flip in 2009 by Teresa Guidice in Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of New Jersey.” While the franchise had begun in 2006 with Orange County, it was the table flip that really propelled it into fame. Conflict resolution was best served with profanity and rage. America ate it up.



The annual reunion shows were like a very bad circus. Upon first glance, one might initially think these were a group of beautifully coiffed adult (!) women:



It didn’t take long for host (and executive producer) Andy Cohen to light the torch and turn the set into a brawl:



This is what America now accepts as not only entertainment, but a way of life. Without reality TV, our current President would never have been elected. Is there much difference between a “Real Housewives” reunion and a Presidential debate? Not from where I stand.

I wonder if Andy Cohen is laughing all the way to the bank or taking any responsibility for what his empire of reality TV has resulted in?



Next time you have a conversation or even a debate with someone, how about actually listening to what they're saying and keeping your trap closed until that person is done talking? You might be surprised how hard yet rewarding it is!



See more vintage Disneyland Spacegirl/Spaceman photos at my main website.

Disneyland Trip, 1958

I was recently contacted by Traecy, who went overboard on the generosity scale by sharing these treasured images from 1958 which show her Dad's first visit to Disneyland at age 10 and a half. The family had just moved to Santa Barbara from New Jersey and they took his New Jersey Grandma to Disneyland. As Tracey tells it, “He remembered being enraptured and it felt like such a magical experience. The music was playing even in the parking lot, and he felt like he was in another world. He remembered being tall enough to ride the rides (he is the oldest boy in the photos).”

The best part is that it appears that the numbers of the photos correspond with the day's progression, as their journey to the attractions makes total sense. Grab that popcorn and let's travel back to 1958!



Interestingly enough, the Space Couple in Traecy's family shot is the same couple in one from my collection dated July 1958. It must have been their summer to greet guests!





The Autopia!



I figured a detailed view of the gas pumps was in order:



The train parked at the Tomorrowland Depot:



Don't worry, the family hasn't left Tomorrowland. They're just enjoying the Astrojets:



The real gem of this collection is this closeup view of the family in the Viewliner:



Time to sloooooooow things down a bit with the Motor Boat Cruise:





Two from Alice in Wonderland:





And a beauty showing the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship:



You can just about make out the prices on the sign in this detailed view. It would seem that Paco the Parrot bore the brunt of being the "Free Exhibit."



The motion of the swirling teacups caught mid-spin; they are obviously having a blast!



A shot taken from the Mark Twain, or perhaps the newly christened Columbia?



The Stagecoach through Frontierland:



The Pack Mules, back when Disney allowed "live" animals to add a bit of unexpected excitement to the Park.



This makes me ache. To be able to go inside Fort Wilderness again...



The last two show the childhood joy of whizzing about on the Midget Autopia:





Words alone cannot express the gratitude of Traecy for reaching out and sharing these INCREDIBLE family photos!

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

1950s Spaceman in Tomorrowland

A few new space ago shots of 1950's Tomorrowland, beginning with what looks like a CD/DVD on this gent's costume. Talk about predicting the future!



This July 1958 image shows a different cast member, but the same uniform...without the disc.



This previously posted shot of the same Spaceman is also from July 1958; I wonder if it was originally from the same photographer but just got separated over the years? Either way, nice to see these two united again.



More Spaceman (and Spacewoman) photos at my main website.

My Favorite Spaceman

This Spring 1957 image shows the Tomorrowland Spaceman posing with a cute little girl (also featured in yesterday's photo). I wish I could identify what is in this little girl's hand!



Although I can't verify that this particular Spaceman was the most popular, he is definitely the one featured the most in the Daveland archives.



His time at the Park seems to be 1956-1958.











More vintage Disneyland Space People at my main website.