Welcome to the Ambassador!

Opened in 1921 and demolished in 2005, the legendary Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles was also home to the Cocoanut Grove nightclub.



In a detailed view of this 1954 image, you can see the marquee advertising Toni Arden and Ving Merlin.



A genuine Faux-D© view of the entrance:



not sure where this is; perhaps near the pool area?



Sure would be great to take a dip here again:



A courtyard fountain:



A shot of the Cocoanut Grove:



with a detailed view of the stage:



Many things contributed to the demise of this grand hotel, most notably the assassination of Presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy in the pantry area of the hotel's main kitchen. Ending up in a legal battle, the hotel began to crumble, picked apart for souvenirs, and occasionally used in a Hollywood film, such as "Pretty Woman," L.A. Story," and "Forrest Gump." Promises of preservation for the Grove fell through when Los Angeles Unified School District claimed there was poor structural integrity and ended up leveling it as well.

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

Family Session in La Jolla

As I start to get more photography gigs, I continue to experience new situations. This was my first "official" family portrait session, and also my first one dealing with an infant. On the day we shot at La Jolla Cove, it was little Amelia's first birthday. As you can see, there was a watermelon theme going on here. I wasn't crazy about the burlap fabric that her mom had brought, so I moved things out to the grassy area. MUCH better!



The Mercedes Benz toy car was a fantastic prop, and Amelia was posing like a pro. Despite the horrid heat that afternoon, she didn't get fussy once.



Even managed a shot of the entire family! Although Amelia was great, I learned that it would have benefited me to have a squeaky toy of some kind to get her attention. At times, she was focused on other things and not looking at the camera, which caused mom and dad to get involved, which meant that THEY weren't looking at the camera. It was a lot to juggle, but all part of being a photographer.



Amelia's mom also brought out letters so that we could create a triptych spelling out her age.



By the time we got around to these family shots, Amelia was doing better than the rest of us adults. IT WAS HOT!



Overall, everyone was really pleased with the results (which makes me happy, too).



See more Daveland photos at my main website.

On The Town, New Year's Day 1944

They may not be Jules Munshin, Frank Sinatra, and Gene Kelly, but these navy men are just as excited as their cinematic counterparts about shore leave. Standing in front of the Hollywood Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard, they seem ready for an adventure in Tinsel Town. The date is January 1, 1944, and the caption on the back is a bit difficult to decipher.

"Me my two buddies. Boy do we slay the women we have to beat them."

They may have still been a bit drunk when they wrote it; hopefully they meant to say that they need to shoo them away!



A closeup of the trio:



On the right of the photo there is some kind of WWII sign:



Another shot from my collection showing the Hollywood Hotel:



See more Daveland vintage Hollywood photos at my main website.

Somewhere in Time 34th Anniversary

Today's post is a tribute to the 34th anniversary of the romantic weepie, "Somewhere in Time," starring the late Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour, shown on location at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island in Michigan.



Christopher Plummer played the villain whose jealousy almost keeps Reeve and Seymour's characters apart.



The quaint island has remained virtually unchanged over the years, banning the use of cars and providing horse & carriage and bicycles instead. Sounds relaxing! Here's a shot from 1959:



Zooming in for a detail of the Grand Hotel's transportation to the downtown area of Mackinac:



A few vintage views of the Grand Hotel, circa July 1960:







See more Classic Movie and TV photos on my main website.

Rivers of America Indian Settlement

Today I am doing a through-the-years comparison of the Indian Settlement, seen from the Mark Twain Riverboat as it cruises around the Rivers of America at Disneyland. This shot from 1956 is an unfortunate double-exposure.

Zooming in, you can see the work crew doing a little refurb as guests spin by on the Twain. Very uncharacteristic!



I originally thought that this image showing bright white tents was from when the park first opened, but in comparing the vegetation, it appears to be later than the previous shot.





July 1957:



By September 1959, a little Indian boy and his dog atop a canoe had been added to the tableau:



Check out the vegetation in 1969; this place is positively overgrown!



March 1974:



In this December 1977, you can barely see the settlement for the shade of the trees.



Jumping forward to December 2008 (my collection is nonexistent for the years in-between!), the Indian boy and his dog were moved upstream and taken out of the Settlement tableau. Perhaps Imagineers were trying to spread some of the scenery.



A detailed view:



Where the boy and his dog landed; he is now seen crouching down. Must have been to appease new safety standards!



In this September 2010, you can see the addition of the cave on the right with animatronic figures:



A closer view in this September 2013 photo:



Hope you've enjoyed this chronological exploration of a beloved scene on the Rivers of America!

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

Conestoga: more than just a wagon

Conestoga is the name of the high school that I attended many moons ago. On the side of the building, there was a metallic cutout of a Conestoga wagon, and fittingly, our mascot was a Pioneer. This 1979 photo shows our high school band, ready to march in the 1980 Rose Bowl Parade (yes, we had some good trips!).

You can see a very disinterested me, 4th from the right, with the rest of the saxophone section. The tall hat really sucked; balancing it was a pain in the a#$.



My dad drove me crazy taking photos of us during the games; of course now I treasure these.



The band trip during my senior year included a detour to Walt Disney World in Orlando. Couldn't complain about that.



On graduation day in June 1982, you can see my high school in the background.



This vintage April 1958 Disneyland image shows a Conestoga Wagon, which once graced Frontierland and provided a very bumpy ride for guests looking for an authentic old west experience.



Zooming in for a closer look:



This shot shows the Wagon barreling out of the loading queue area:



Unfortunately, this attraction bit the dust a few years before I was born, so I am unable to say that I've actually been on a Conestoga Wagon. However, the name of it sure provides a few warm memories of my high school years.

See more Daveland vintage Disneyland Conestoga Wagon photos at my main website.