Yippie Day in Color, Pt. 1

Andrew Midkiff was there, and he took photos! Here are his photos and some of his memories:

The next day the LA Times headlines read ‘YIPPIES OUTBURST SHUTS DISNEYLAND.’ That was BS the headline should have read "COPS SHUT DISNEYLAND TO KICK OUT LONGHAIRS" or better yet ‘YIPPIES TURNED ON IN TOMORROWLAND.’ I was18 years old at the time. August 6, 1970 I hitchhiked from Alhambra to Disneyland to be a part of Yippie Day. All I wanted was to take photos of the event and get high. I took the photos you see here, and getting high was no problem. When I first got to the park I met this guy that had a good size stash of weed on him. He let me hang out with him most of the day. He is pictured in the first photo and is wearing a green tank top. I thought this was an interesting photo because the straight dude on the left seems to be watching us. We spent about an hour at various concerts sitting with the straights and smoking grass right in front of them. That may have been part of the problem as far as complaints. I wanted to score some acid but no luck. After the cops showed up I'm glad I did not get any.











See more Disneyland Yippie Day photos at my main website.

48 Years Ago Today: Haunted Mansion Construction, Pt. 2

I had a feeling you might be DYING to see more from this batch, so here they are. This “coming attractions” poster is something I’d never seen before, advertising New Orleans Square, The Tiki Room, additions to The Jungle Cruise, The Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, and of course The Haunted Mansion. New Orleans Square wouldn’t arrive for 4 more years (1966) and the Mansion...well, those ghosts took their sweet time as we all know.



For more great info on this sign (with photos!), visit Kevin Kidney's blog.

Nearby is the Frontierland Depot:



And the water tower:



See more Disneyland Haunted Mansion construction photos at my main website.

Screen Gem Saturdays: I (still) Love Lucy!

“I Love Lucy” is still one of my favorites shows. You can trace just about any present-day situation comedy setup to an episode of this 50+-year old gem. Much of the show’s success rested on the shoulders of its star, Lucille Ball, who had previously enjoyed a moderately successful career in the movies. Her facial expressions alone were enough to make audiences roar with laughter; she needed no dialogue. Everything going on in her scheming flaming-red-haired noggin’ was visible in her expressive eyes. Lucy was an amazing talent. Much credit is also owed to the rest of the ensemble cast; Vivian Vance and William Frawley were not the best of pals in real life, which helped to give them great on-screen chemistry as the ever-bickering Ethel & Fred Mertz. When it came to Desi Arnaz, you never doubted that he loved Lucy with all his heart. Why else would he put up with her crazy antics? And when it came to Lucy & Viv, you knew that these two were the best of friends, despite any kind of underlying rivalry that might have been going on.



“I Love Lucy” was groundbreaking by being one of the first TV shows to use multiple cameras for filming, making it ideal for reruns & syndication. Desi knew that the show had financial potential outside of its initial airing. Here are a few behind-the-scenes shots:







This set was used when the gang invaded Hollywood:





Even fifty years after the show wrapped up, you can find Lucy’s face on books, dolls, wax dummies, and even on the side of buildings. She is a comic icon who is hard to forget.









See more “I Love Lucy” photos at my main website.

48 Years Ago Today: Haunted Mansion Construction

48 years ago today, these images were stamped and filed, documenting the construction of my very favorite Disneyland attraction: The Haunted Mansion. Hard to believe it ever looked like this—no guests, no landscaping, no music...





Through the miracle of Photoshop, I combined the previous two images to get this lovely panorama:





Anybody know this gentleman checking out the construction work?



See more Disneyland Haunted Mansion construction photos at my main website.

Traveling Thursdays: The Barnes Foundation

5 years ago, I took my first trip to The Barnes Foundation. My mom had sent me articles about this hidden gem located about 5 miles outside of Philadelphia in Merion, Pennsylvania. Created by Albert Barnes, it houses one of the most amazing collections of art and was also a school for budding artists. Barnes used his collection of Cezannes, Renoirs, Gaugins, Van Goghs, and Manets as a teaching tool. Notice that I used plural; one wall of art in the Barnes is enough to blow away most collections in their entirety.



I just returned from my 2nd visit to The Barnes. After a battle that has raged intensely for almost a decade now, The Barnes collection is about to be ripped from its home and placed in a new museum adjacent to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Dubbed a “McBarnes” (think fast food restaurant), this new gallery will surely be a boon to tourism dollars for Philadelphia, but will sadly prove to be a withdrawal of artistic integrity from this collection. A documentary was released last year to critical acclaim detailing the “theft” of Barnes art which he attempted to protect with a trust. Apparently, even the most ironclad of legal documents can be broken.

Even the trees surrounding the Barnes frame the collection in the most beautiful way imagineable.



What’s unique about the Barnes? It must be seen to be fully appreciated, but to attempt to describe it, the paintings are hung according to Barnes' aesthetic, surrounded by furniture and metalwork. A Matisse mural created specifically for the Foundation by Matisse himself looms overhead. Sorry, no interior photos are shown here. For once, I actually followed the rules (mainly because of the security cameras and guards!).





The neighbors have shown their displeasure with the proceedings by posting these signs:



Local politicians and self-serving powermongers moan that The Barnes can be seen by SOOOO many more people if moved 5 miles away from the suburbs into the heart of Philadelphia. Nobody can argue with that logic; what is being argued is that Barnes’ collection was not meant to be seen by masses of people herded through every 15 minutes; it was designed to be an intimate experience unlike any other.



Interested in learning more about Barnes? Be sure to check out the link to “The Art of the Steal” at Amazon.com below. It is an extremely moving piece of film that will blow you away and (hopefully) incite you to action to help preserve the Barnes in the way that its creator intended it to be shown. You can also visit the Barnes Friends website.

See more Barnes photos at my main website.

Random 1950’s, Pt. 3

Anyone up for a rip-roaring random day in Frontierland, circa 1950’s? (hopefully you’ll know that was a rhetorical question and that you’re stuck with this batch today whether you like it or not!) This young gent couldn’t get a shot with the Golden Horseshoe Can Can girls, so he did the next best thing: stood next to the poster featuring the Golden Horseshoe Can Can Girls.

Here’s a trio of shots featuring the Mark Twain:





I love this one of these two ladies enjoying a day at Disneyland, dressed up just-so for the occasion in their 1950’s finery.



Things look quiet over at Fowler’s Inn; no Haunted Mansion or fast-food restaurants during this time.



Zooming in:



A comparison shot of Fowler’s from September 2010:



The 50’s ladies are back for another photo opp; they are adventurous, too...ready with their paddles for a canoe trip around the Rivers of America! Well, maybe not a paddle; hopefully those young gents in the back will pick up their slack, as the dark-haired lady seems to have just gotten her nails done.



See more Disneyland Frontierland photos at my main website.

Random 1950’s, Pt. 2

Our random set for today takes us to Fantasyland, starting off with a typical shot of those swirling teacups. Naturally, I bypass the teacups and hone in on the Mickey Mouse Theater signage:



Coming in for a landing, our Skyway bucket sails over the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship Restaurant.



On dry land again, here’s a trio of shots of this much-missed restaurant/attraction:







Taken from the Fantasyland Skyway Station, this view features Dumbo and many of the other beloved Fantasyland attractions.



Last one for today shows Merlin’s Magic Shop peaking out from behind the souvenir/information booth:



See more Disneyland photos at my main website.