Photos from George Short, Part 15

You didn't think that I ran out of photos from George Short, just because I haven't posted any in eight months, right? (As a reminder, George Short is a Club 55 member who spent his career in the Sound Department.) Here's an early 1959 shot of Main Street, U.S.A. from Main Street Station. You may be able to see some steel girders for the Matterhorn in the corner. It's a good thing the Matterhorn was on the horizon, too--without the new attractions, I'm not sure the place would have made it. Where is everybody?!

And a comparison shot from 1999, with a bit wider zoom and much fuller trees:

Photos from George Short, Part 14: Tomorrowland, 1963

My posts the next couple of weeks might be sporadic (read: will be sporadic). I'll be visiting California for part of the time. Also, my desktop computer, from which I sometimes draw images and information, is currently out of commission. Anyway... I have some more of George Short's photos for you today. These three shots were taken from the Skyway to Fantasyland in 1963 and show the early Tomorrowland's heavy reliance on ovular, fenced off areas (especially the third shot!)

Photos from George Short, Part 13: Cascade Peak, 1962

Because we all loved Cascade Peak, I would have posted these sooner, but they needed the green channel tweaked. The shots all come from a 1962 trip on the Columbia sailing ship. George obviously found the different viewpoints of the mountain worthy enough to snap several photos!

The deteriorated condition of the mountain warranted its 1998 removal. Walt, however, found such features to be a good value. In the 1975 book given to Club 55 members, Roy Brehm remembers Walt talking to him about water animation being the cheapest thing to build and operate in the Park and pointed to the several waterfalls of Skull Rock as an example. Cascade Peak fit the bill, as did the waters flowing from under Tom and Huck's Treehouse on Tom Sawyer Island (the "headwaters" of the Rivers of America), Schweitzer Falls, the Matterhorn waterfalls, and the Submarine Voyage waterfalls disguising the cavern entrance. What other water animation did Disneyland have during Walt's time?

Photos from George Short, Part 12: Fixed!

With much thanks to Daveland's wonderfully simple yet enormously helpful tip to shift the green channel over a few pixels, I'll have a number of additional great images to share. Not today, though! I went back and fixed some images previously posted, as well as those I threw up the other day. You can find corrected photographs in the following posts:

• Photos from George Short, Part 1 (Space Mountain)
• Photos from George Short, Part 6 (America Sings, Act 1)
• Photos from George Short, Part 10 (Tomorrowland Station)

And here are the corrected versions of photographs posted in Part 11:

Rivers of America, 1959:

Town Square, 1963:

Christmas Tree, 1978:

Photos from George Short, Part 11: What Happened?

In response the first installment of this series, VintageDisneylandTickets asked what happened to the Space Mountain photos. They look slightly "off," while other photos--such as the Nature's Wonderland collection--are crystal clear. I really have no idea! Does anybody out there with more photographic experience know what caused the problem? It's almost like the colors are slightly misaligned, but I don't know if that's a good (or accurate) explanation. Below I exhibit a few more examples of this problem, which unfortunately mars otherwise very nice images. I have more like this, which I'll post in the normal course of things.

Rivers of America, 1959:

Town Square, 1963:

Christmas Tree, 1978:

Photos from George Short, Part 10

George continues to show us Tomorrowland today, with photos dating from 1958 and1959. Tomorrowland Station here sits empty and fairly new (or "gently used" from its days as a Viewliner station). He perhaps photographed the station during the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad's closure to permit construction of the Grand Canyon Diorama.

The Excursion Train pulling away from the station:

This somewhat unusual vantage point of early Tomorrowland affords a great look at the rooftops! And an empty Disneyland--either a normal closure or pre-opening. You can just make out the top of the Clock of the World in the distance (you know where to look!):

This fantastic photo of the Thimble Drome Flight Circle dates from 1958. Cox Pilot shared some insights about the banners over at Davelandweb's Tomorrowland page; be sure to go over and read them. George must have been on a rooftop for the photo--or strapped to a jetpack!

And we conclude today's Disneyland photos with another elevated shot, of the beloved Moonliner:

RIP, Kong.

Photos from George Short, Part 9

Today we finish up at America Sings with twelve images from Act 4. I think these are some of the best/most unusual of his America Sings photos. There are still more George Short photos to come. They'll be interspersed with other posts in the coming weeks, including a post on Chris Strodder's Disneyland Encyclopedia once I receive it and have a few days to sit down with it and another post on how the research efforts of Kevin Yee and myself differ from this and other products. Anyway, enjoy the photos!

The Geese Quartet:

The College Quartet:

Rooster, Stork and Porcupine:

Hound Dog:

Alligator:

Rooster and Frog:

Motorcycle Storks:

Sam and the Owl:

Photos from George Short, Part 8

We're up to Act 3 in George's America Sings series: The Gay '90s.

Showgirl Pig, "Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home?":

Old Gray Mare, "The Old Grey Mare" (well, it's a nice shot of the automobile!):

Fox, "Bird in a Gilded Cage":

"Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-De-Ay":

I should have mentioned this previously, but these America Sings photos are all from 1974, its opening year. Tomorrow we'll step outside the attraction and travel 24 years into the future...

Photos from George Short, Part 7

Bob Gurr helpfully informs me that, in the aviation community, "gone west" is a euphemism for death. I hope I have not scared anybody off or, indeed, killed any of my readers. I didn't write the America Sings script!

Saddlesore Swanson, "The Old Chisholm Trail" (is he in Splash Mountain?):

Sombrero-wearing dog, "Who Shot that Hole in My Sombrero":

Vultures, "Billy, the Bad Guy":

Sam and the Owl... do any of the cacti not visible in this picture form Hidden Mickeys?

The Gay 90s were upon us now! (Well, tomorrow.)

Photos from George Short, Part 6

Today we'll begin a week-long trip 'round and 'round the Carousel Theater to see America Sings. That's right--you'll be in here a week! (Except for Thursday, where we'll take a time-out to commemorate the opening of the New Tomorrowland.)

Today: Act 1. All of the shots I'll be sharing this week are of the show itself, but George does have some perspective on the characters that regular Guests couldn't get. (At least, Guests who stayed in their seats!)

First up, The Swamp Boys:

Mother Possum... she's singing "Single Girl," but she's thinking "stay away from the Laughing Place!":

The Coyote, "Birmingham Jail":

Foxes, "Down by the Riverside":

Hens, "Down by the Riverside":

And two views of The Swamp Boy Frogs:

Also, in response to Friday's post at Gorilla's Don't Blog, here's a nice 1980s shot looking out toward Harbor Boulevard with Chao's visible in the upper right. There are some other fun things in this photo, like the Grand Hotel and... oh, hey, that's Tomorrowland there in the foreground!

That's all for now; tomorrow we're Goin' West!