Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Storybook Fashions

Tailored and trim as a tulip, in gloves and mad hat...  
like the blossoms at Disneyland's Flower Market, you'll never wilt!

Our pal, Tim Haack recently discovered a treasure trove of twelve original color negatives showcasing females in fabulous clothes against the fairy-tale backdrop of Disneyland. 

Who took these wonderful photos? And who are the three ladies, each one giving her all to look stylish in awkward poses and over-the top outfits?  We wish we knew.   But we do know the photos were taken for the April 9, 1961 issue of Midwest Magazine, a supplemental newspaper insert in the Chicago Sun-Times.  Anyone out there have a copy?

Take time to click on them and enjoy at full size. Each one is pure gold.

Dinner, cinema, dancing - wonder fabric stays wide-awake all evening. 
 Still looks terrific when he says goodnight!
 
Why is a raven like a writing desk?  
Who cares when you look like this! 
 
In your pretty play suit of spring flowers, you're certain to get picked!  
There's just no telling what might happen when you choose high-waisted banana capris and a clown blouse.

Five o'clock, add a turban, meet your date and go!

Big game falls readily to a safari swim suit with matching jacket.

Off the port bow... a cool cotton caftan, side slashed!

Passengers on board Disneyland's new Columbia sailing ship will never get scurvy... especially if handsomely suited in gay tangerine. 

Even the river pirate Mike Fink "hisself" would adore a pair of these shipshape slacks in cream cotton faille.

Greet them like a modern southern belle, whether along the shores of the Mississippi, or outside Disneyland's Oak Tree Tavern.

Get the "movie star" attention you've always dreamed of in a pair of crimson velveteen shorts and stitched-on mouse tail.

(Thanks for sharing your collection with us, Tim!  This stuff is priceless!)


36 comments:

  1. Wow wow wow...what a treat. These are so cool - vintage fashions and vintage Dland. Great find!

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  2. These are great; I'll have to check, because I was getting a real sense of deja vu. Maybe Vintage Disneyland Tickets had a scan of that issue of Midwest Magazine on his blog?

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  3. omg!!!!!

    i just wuzzint made for these times..

    ok. gotta go have a cigarette now.

    thanks ken and tim!

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  4. this was amazing!

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  5. Love these pics, and the captions are just as priceless.

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  6. remember when models used to smile.

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  7. Anonymous11:34 AM

    What a really great collection of vintage styles in a rather cool backdrop. I love the Mad Hatter photograph that is the queen of hearts.

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  8. Remember when models actually looked like women and not like toothpicks?

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  9. The woman in the 2nd to last picture...that woman has an ABSURDLY teeny waist. Gotta love the good ol' days when women had to horribly deform their bodies to get into print advertising! The more things change, the more they stay the same.

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  10. This post is great in so many ways. Thank you.

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  11. Amazingly awesome post, and great finds...thank you so much for sharing these Kevin!

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  12. This was Jackie Kennedy's influence on fashion, her first year as first lady. The pillbox hat and Chanel suit...

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  13. I want the green and gold "wonder fabric" dress. That would play well even on today's red carpet!

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  14. Very cool pics. Banana capri pants!

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  15. This is beyond classic! Nice find!

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  16. Ho-lee cow! WOW! What a trip! And then you get to the Mickey Mouse photo...LOL, he look awful! And why would they shoot by a construction wall??? Very cool post!!

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  17. This is possibly the coolest thing ever.
    LOVE!!! Thanks Tim and Kevin....

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  18. These photographs bring back memories of wearing high heels and dresses to Grad Night celebrations in 1965. As well, being tossed out of Disneyland on "Date Night" because I was wearing a cropped top that exposed my midriff area. How times have changed.

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  19. I wish i was one of those models....Nothing would have been akward to me!

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  20. The last photo shows a model in front of a wall with a "wave" pattern; I believe that Skull Rock was being built on the other side of that wall.

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  21. Wow indeed, 12 individual gems! Major is right, they look familiar to me too! I don't have this magazine (gotta get it though) but I'm guessing I have posted one that was done around the same time by the same photog.

    WOW each one of these is frame worthy! Thanks Kevin!

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  22. How truly fabulous! Thanks so much for sharing these, they're wonderful.

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  23. I really liked these pictures...until I saw the swimsuit with the matching jacket. I have been so out of fashion :(

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  24. If Disneyland had street-walkers, Walt would make sure they looked like this.

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  25. I could absolutely die for those clothes! its my favorite style era! ah....

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  26. These are priceless. I put them at...what...1961 or 1962?

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  27. Major Pepperidge, regarding the green-and-white construction wall, although Skull Rock was under construction in Fantasyland at about this time, the cameraman has his back to the plaza and is pointing the camera northeast down Matterhorn Way. My guess is that the walls were enclosing the construction site of Snow White's Grotto and Wishing Well.

    Jeff Peterson
    Escondido, California

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  28. What's that silly women doing in that cool photo of the Mad Hatter? FAN-TAS-TIC! Thanks!

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  29. These photos were possibly taken by my father or another staff photog. To be positive need dates.

    Dad was Chief Photog at the Park from 1958 to 1974. He passed away November 1998.

    I do know Rene in Phoenix that may recall.

    Contact me Ken Nichols e-mail
    address cinco5centavos@gmail.com

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  30. I was really wowed by those pictures. Super love it! I wish i could also go there and have pictures!!!

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