Good news! The author of the home movie shot at Disneyland in 1956 decided to post some more retro video goodness for all of us! In this clip we see glimpses from Adventureland, which is a cowboy and Indians themed area of the park. I believe it has changed a lot of the years though. Which is your favorite area of Disneyland?
A digitally restored home movie shot at Disneyland, California in 1956. Not only was the park only a year old but Walt Disney him self can be seen in the beginning shaking hands with the author's grand mother. I really love how vivid, colorful and happy everything looks like. The post war optimism and friendliness really shines through the lens and into your heart. See the second part here. [Thanks Cam]
This documentary about the life of famed photographer Julius Schulman looks very appealing to me. If you have been reading my earlier architecture posts you will immediately know who I am referring to. [Thanks Cam]
I am strangely fascinated by the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, California. Built in 1955 along with the park it was actually not operated by the Walt Disney Company until 1988 due to the building of the park had tapped Walt Disney for most of his financial resources. The Hotel has obviously been rebuilt, added to and updated over the decades but it still features the original space-age styled monorail from the 1960s (with updated trains). For anyone who want to know more about the construction, design and architecture of the hotel I highly recommend that you dig into the The Disneyland Hotel book which features photos, scans of brochures and lots of other swanky ephemera from yesteryear Anaheim. Has anyone of you stayed at the resort back in the 1960s and 1970s? Do tell us about it.
Interesting trailer from the upcoming documentary entitled Coast Modern which takes you on a trip back in time to look for the origins of Modernism architecture and how its style and look became associated with the west coast of the US. The release date for the documentary is set for autumn this year, meanwhile you can read their blog. [via]
Since we all love kitschy postcards, I thought this would be a great way to start off the week. Below are a small sample of postcards from Synthetrix postcard collection of yesteryear California. Including motels, restaurants, diners, bowling alleys and everything between that all shares the Googie styled design and architecture that became popular on the West Coast of the US in the 1950s and 1960s. The style took its influence from futurist architecture, the new exciting car culture boom and the space age living mentality from those decades of course. To define the style as simple as possible, think The Flintstones meets The Jetsons. Straight lines meeting curvy, a wide range of colors, heavy use of plastic, starburst symbols, outdoor elements such as rocks, water and foliage incorporated indoors and big neon signs set with script typefaces. For more postcards and photos from the forgotten visit Synthetrix's website.
If you are a lucky owner of one of the 11 000 mid-century Eichler homes located in northern and southern California, chances are you are also a design and architecture savvy person who appreciates fine details. Proud Eichler home owner Carmen realized this and are therefore offering authentic Eichler house numbers for sale through her website eichlernumbers.com. You can buy any digit combination from two to five numbers styled in the original Akzidenz Grotesk typeface that the original signs used.
Digital painter Melvin Hale uses modern technology to make old black and white photos come alive again. Melvin's studio is located in Palm Springs, California where he has been working on refining his technology of digitally colorizing and restoring vintage black and white images of mid-century America - including roadside attractions, portraits, buildings and a handful of other subjects. Melvin has also been awarded several prizes for his work, one being the prestigious Crystal Award of Excellence from the California State Fair which has been a exhibitor of fine art since it opened in 1884. For those who are interested in swanking up their living room, copies of his colorized vintage paintings can be bought through Melvin's website.
Ultra Swank takes you back in time into the kitsch, chic and swank living of the 50s to the 70s. We mainly focus on the design, architecture and the lifestyle of the happy-go-lucky and space-age-living mentality from that era - but also on the mood music that takes you back to happier times. Ultra Swank is run by Chris who resides in Sweden. More | Contact
Spring is officially here in Scandinavia, a good time to enjoy something new (or old). Warm colors, international design and clean lines are all trademarks of Danish designer and architect Arne Jacobsen. If you are in the process or remodeling or thinking about it here are some personal favorites of mine available to buy from [...]
Moving back to Sweden again for a while and more specifically to the Swedish automotive industry. For those who aren’t in the know, Sweden has two major brands; Volvo and Saab. Today we are going back to the mid 1950s to look at how the advertisements for model 121 also known as the Amazon were [...]
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Ultra Swank is your blast from the past that takes you back to a more civilized and elegant era with lush cocktail parties, retro design, tasteful architecture and dreamy mood music.
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