Happy 90th, Mom!

My Mom turns 90 years young today and I am fortunate to be able to celebrate with her in person. Photo #1 shows her in 1939 with her father and her brother.



Regular readers of this blog have probably seen this shot of her on the Pack Mule attraction at Disneyland in 1965.



This photo was from my last visit to Philly, just before the pandemic. I am thankful that I can still help celebrate all of the amazing accomplishments and milestones she has accumulated over the years. Happy Birthday, Mom!

See more photos at my main website.

Hoover Dam, January 1959

While I find the Hoover Dam extremely cool, it has never been on my bucket list of “must sees,” although I suppose if I ever find myself in Vegas again, I would probably attempt to detour over to view it. Still, I have a fairly decent collection of vintage images of this historic landmark that was named after President Herbert Hoover. It seems that many who traveled to Disneyland back in the day also stopped by the Dam. These January 1959 images are shown in sequential order. Duh. As if I could present them in any other way.



I would be curious to hear from readers if this area today still looks about the same.



I wonder if the structure itself is still sound or how much repair work has had to be done over the years?







Looking at these makes me feel a little stupid for never having gone here, as its 1930s art deco stylings are right up my alley.





See more vintage Hoover Dam photos at my main website.

Return to Capistrano, January 1959

How about a visit back to the Mission at San Juan Capistrano, circa January 1959? Actually, these are most likely from December 1958 as one of the slides in the batch shows Christmas decor. In case you weren’t sure where these were taken, this little boy is helpfully pointing out the obvious.



Any vintage auto fans out there less lazy than me and able to identify the vehicle in the parking lot?



Once inside, this little boy quickly makes a new friend. Obviously, “The Birds” has not been released yet.



For all you signage geeks:



A few more shots of the interior grounds of the Mission:



This kid could have been a bird wrangler for Hitchcock:



You can apparently feed the pigeons…as long as you buy the food on premises!





And now for a few other “mystery” slides that were in the same batch. This Main Street, U.S.A. was not too difficult to figure out.



Zooming in, I can see Highway 101 with markers for L.A. and San Francisco, as well as a marking on the curb for E. Montecito Street. Yes, this is downtown Montecito, circa 1959.



I see Pep Boys and some Hotel blah blah blah....wonder if it’s still there?



Not sure about this one; most likely somewhere along the same journey.



You can see a Standard Gas Station on the right in this dirty detail view:



…and another road shot:



Downtown L.A.?



This last one was date stamped July 1959. No idea on this one.



See more Mission San Juan Capistrano photos at my main website.

Protecting Americans

Even before I was first able to experience Angels Flight Railway for myself last year, I was semi-obsessed with this little transportation gem in downtown Los Angeles. Recently, I acquired this you-are-there image from August 1965, showing passengers enjoying their journey aboard the little orange railway that could. One thing struck me though; there was no door or rail keeping passengers from falling out the back. I had never noticed this detail before in my other vintage images.

Today, not only are there doors to prevent people from falling/jumping out mid-ride, but there’s a sign telling passengers to “wait inside until car stops.”

What has happened to society in the last sixty years to make it necessary to protect them from dangers that would seem like common sense? Is this kind of signage and protection used in other countries, or is being stupid something Americans have cornered the market on?

Yes, I’m shaking my head.

See more Angels Flight Railway photos at my main website.

Colonial Williamsburg: Fine Millinery

Ladies, do you need a new hat? How about the Fine Millinery shop in Colonial Williamsburg? These November 1955 images show a charming young lady eager and ready to assist you in store located on the Duke of Gloucester Street.

Another view of the shop from April 1956:

Let’s zoom in for the signage; I can’t help myself.

Same shop, from November 1955, with a different employee dressed in period garb:

The shop was still there during my 2017 visit, but appears to have lost its decorative signage that surrounded the top window:

See more Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia photos at my main website.

Catalina Welcomes You!

It’s 1940, and Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard had just finished filming “The Great Dictator” and vacationed in Catalina to celebrate:

Relaxing at Santa Catalina and letting the world go by are the Chaplins-three. Charlie, Sr., Paulette Goddard and Charlie, Jr. Sidney, the younger son, had to stay at home to make up his studies. Charlie has just completed his long awaited sound picture and is resting at his Santa Catalina hide-away dividing his time between fishing, tennis and strolling around Avalon Town with son Charles and Paulette.

The boat that took them from Los Angeles to Catalina can be seen in the background. The gents below are vacationing there, too, circa May 1958:

A vintage view of the Casion in the background, from September 1960:

This ho-hum Catalina shot from June 1962 got a little more exciting for me when I noticed there was a brochure in the little girl’s hands:

Zooming in and flipping the image 180 degrees I got this:

Which matches this “Catalina Welcomes You” vintage brochure easily found on ebay:

See more Catalina photos at my main website.

Flying Saucer Friday

It’s not truly a Flying Saucer, but it sure looks like one! Here’s a vintage shot of Theme Building at LAX from April 1962, less than a year after it opened. Dig that Mercedes Benz in front!

The original airport design was created by James Langenheim of Pereira & Luckman in 1959, but was apparently too ambitious. William Pereira, Charles Luckman, Paul Williams, and Welton Becket stepped in with the revised plan, which included the Theme Building built on the spot that was intended for the original airport terminal, as a reminder of the initial design. The futuristic Theme Building was dedicated on June 25, 1961 by Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson. Contrary to reports, the building’s restaurant never revolved. The structure was dedicated on June 25, 1961, by Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Interestingly enough, Disneyland’s Flying Saucer attraction opened about the same time, August 6, 1961.

Saucers must have been on the brain in 1961! Thanks for the memory jolt, KS!

See more LAX photos at my main website.

Balboa Park’s Botanical Garden

Balboa Park is the Central Park of San Diego; so many beautiful spots to visit. The Botanical Garden is probably the most photographed, and rarely disappoints with its postcard-perfect views of the lily pond/reflecting pool in front of it. The first image here is from 1936, about twenty years after it was first built for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. Image #2 is from September 1960:



The earliest shot that I took myself, from 1986 when I was visiting San Diego on Spring Break:



If you can’t get to the Park in person, this Faux D© shot from 2012 is the next best thing!




The inside of the building is just as spectacular:



The building is one of the largest wooden lath structures in the world featuring more than 2,100 permanent plants, including collections of cycads, ferns, orchids, other tropical plants and palms.



Final one for today shows the building at its best during the golden hour:



See more San Diego Balboa Park photos at my main website.