One of the world's most unique restaurants, Fantasyland's landmark galleon is wonderfully rendered - as an initial concept sketch and finished watercolor painting- for a 1955 newspaper publicity insert.
What I found fascinating is that this artwork was re-purposed as one of the Park's earliest souvenir postcards. If you happen to have handy a copy of the book "The Nickel Tour" by Imagineers Bruce Gordon and David Mumford, flip to page 21, card #0015. A shocker, isn't it!
The newspaper caption that accompanied this illustration reads:
"Riding gently at anchor in the heart of Fantasyland, the CHICKEN OF THE SEA TUNA PIRATE SHIP RESTAURANT is a magic must for meals and snacks, when you visit Disneyland. Here in the world's most colorful cafeteria, designed by Walt Disney, you will enjoy both the food and fun offered by the greatest name in sea foods, CHICKEN OF THE SEA."
Man, talk about a very much missed landmark.
ReplyDeleteAlways enjoyed the make-over to Fantasyland in 1983, but really wish they would have left in place and/or incorporated the Pirate Ship into the new land. Perhaps instead of building the Pinnocchio House eatery they could have built an *underground* or *underwater* grotto type restaurant with the Pirate Ship serving as the entrance. Wouldn't that have been uber cool?
I don't know who did the blue pencil sketch, but the color version (which I assume is color on a brownline print) was certainly by Bruce Bushman.
ReplyDeleteThe blue pencil sketch is truly a work of art; really love that one. Thanks Kevin!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to go out on a limb and assume that the blue pencil ad sketch was done by using the original Bushman concept - compare closely - the two drawings don't match up exactly! But obviously influenced by the Bushman one, yes....
ReplyDeleteWow, another fantastic example of early artwork! I have to say that outsidetheberm's idea is pretty cool.
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