Here's a view of the snazzy new Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim on June 1, 1956. On the right is the spot where the monorail station would later be built. On the left is the coffee shop that would later be known as the Monorail Cafe. The sign above reads, "Disneyland Hotel Restaurants by Gourmet." I've zoomed in on part of the image below to show off some of the outstanding landscaping, signage, and other Space Age design elements. I'd take this place over Downtown Disney any day!
Today's "Daily Read" in the Register is about the 50th anniversary of the Disneyland Monorail, and features an interview with the monorail's designer, Bob Gurr. It's an interesting article, but take it with a grain of salt. For instance, Walt Disney clearly was not "the most famous guy in America" in 1928 (nor in 1929, nor...) . And the monorail opened in 1959, after a surprisingly short design-build process. .
The Fox Fullerton Theatre Foundation is asking all its supporters to attend a meeting tomorrow night, concerning the development of the area adjacent to the historic theatre. The meeting will be held Wed., July 1, 6:30pm., in the Venetian Room at Angelo's & Vinci's, 550 N. Harbor Blvd., in Fullerton. The project's history and planning process will be discussed, the developer and architectural team will be introduced, and the community will be able to provide feedback on the initial concept.
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Phil Brigandi will discuss "The Great Depression in Orange County" at the Anaheim Historical Society's annual banquet on July 11. For more information or to RSVP, contact Cynthia Ward.
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A bunch of us local history folk celebrated Phil's 50th birthday on Sunday at Disneyland. (See photo below.) Read about it on Cynthia's Anaheim Life blog.
