Old Chicago brochure

Here's a vintage brochure for the long gone Old Chicago in Bolingbrook Illinois. Old Chicago was a indoor amusement park and shopping center.

Now only if it was a shopping center first and amusement park second, much like the Mall of America, maybe Old Chicago would have lasted more than six years (1975-1981).

Maybe it's just me, but there's something fundamentally depressing about an indoor amusement park.







UPDATED FUN FACT: A memorable scene in Brian De Palma's The Fury (1978) was shot at Old Chicago. If you watch the trailer below at around the 1:10 mark you'll see a spinning ride go out of control, and send its passengers sailing through a large glass window.

Guntown Mountain brochure

I know I visited Guntown Mountain in Cave City, Kentucky as a kid, but I don't remember much about it. It's hard to believe with all the action packed entertainment they crammed into this place that I don't remember something. All I know I was there, but the details of the western town, scenic train, petting zoo, onyx cave and even a haunted house are gone. (Actually I do remember looking at the haunted house, but we didn't go in.)

Anyways, the cover of this vintage brochure is certainly very memorable. Although I have doubts they still use this particular cover photo.

It's Where the Brady Bunch Stayed

There's a memorable episode of the Brady Bunch where they travel to Kings Island amusement park near Cincinnati Ohio. Between getting Alice to ride the roller coaster, Jan losing the important blueprints, and both Greg and Peter dressing up as one of the Hair Bear Bunch characters - the Brady's stayed at the luxurious Kings Island Inn.

Here's a brochure from the 1970's that I'm sure Brady's brought home to show the neighbors what a swanky place they stayed at.

Early 70's 3M Surveillance Camera System brochure

I'm not a big PC type of guy, but I got to admit the cover of this brochure is pretty sexiest.

This was a very bad day at the bank.

I love the guy they got to portray the bank robber - very old time movie gangster-like

Once the surveillance equipment is installed, robbery by old time movie gangsters will be a thing of the past.

Are there any surveillance systems in operation today that still use film?

Story Book Forest Brochure

This is a brochure from the late 70's for the children's amusement park Story Book Forest in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. I'm happy to report that this quaint old fashioned attraction built in 1956 is still in business and is now part of Idlewild Park.

I've never been to Story Book Forest, but from the reports I've read its upkeep is immaculate. It's a minor miracle that an attraction of this kind this hasn't slipped into disrepair over the years.

Early 1960's Ford Motor Filmstrip Art

Here are a few pieces of art from the early 1960's for a Ford Motor Company filmstrip.

I don't know the name of the filmstrip, or what exactly this filmstrip was used for - maybe it was educational or maybe it was promotional.

What I do know is the artwork is full of retro charm.





EXTRA FUN FACT: This artwork was created using a paper cut-out method. The rubber cement that held the artwork together has become so old that it is loosing its stickiness, and some of the cut-outs have fallen off and been lost. Using the power of our futuristic computer age I've attempted to digitally restore the missing pieces. Can you spot my work?

The Numbers Game

Back on my Halloween animation post I made a little joke about getting the number 69 at the supermarket. I was even accused by a family member that I had Photoshoped the image for a cheap laugh.

Well it's happened again. Not just once, but twice in the last month. What are the odds of this? Could this have some kind of numerological significance? Is 69 is a number I should play in the lottery? Is it possible that something really, really sexy is going to happen? Or maybe I'm just going to watch reruns of Bill and Ted on cable.