Photo Friday (5th)

Howard Bloom, Ellen (Peltier) Vadnais, Vina (Peltier) Bloom and Adlore Vadnais at Ghost Town Pitchur Gallery, Knott’s Berry Place

According to Wikipedia: “Reflecting humor in illiteracy, the establishment’s name was intentionally misspelled “Pitchur Gallery”.  In 1940, Gus Thornrose set up shop behind the ‘G’old trails hotel, with standees [a life-size cut-out figure], a Western saloon bar-room scene, and even a stuffed bucking bronco posed in mid throw [the one shown in the picture].  Near the cuspidor (spittoon) was a sign which was captured in many souvenir photographs “Spit on ceiling, anyone can spit on the floor.”  Folks could select from a wide variety of costuming and stand for a pose, or choose to put their faces through holes of humorous standees such as lifting weights, prospector dancing with a Can-can girl or sit behind painted oxen hauling a covered wagon to be captured with vintage wooden large format bellows cameras onto glass photographic plates.  Digital capture has since replaced the labor-intensive development process.  “You’ll never know how good you look, until ya gits yer pitchur took.”

Adlore and Ellen traveling the old fashioned way via oxen & covered wagon
Carpentier’s Steak House 1950, shown left to right: Guy Green, Anna Mae Vadnais, Terry Vadnais and Adlore Vadnais

Thanks for visiting, come back soon,
Cindy

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