July 17, 1955…Disneyland Opens, Part 1

July 17, 1955…Disneyland Opens, Part 1

In Part 2, I’ll post an ultra rare ABC film shot that day on how the largest remote in television’s short history was done, but first, here are a couple of rare color shots from the Disneyland opening sent to us by our friend Mike Clark.

Who knew these KABC TK30s were painted orange and had cool, custom gold tone focus demands? The camera on the lift has a Zoomar studio lens and the other camera is using a rare Walker Electro Zoom lens which came before the RCA Electro Zoom model. This lens was designed by cinematographer Joseph Walker in the late 1930s but did not come into being till he retired around 1950, when the ever active Walker built and sold a few dozen for movie and television use before selling the manufacturing rights to RCA around 1952. Enjoy and share!


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5 Comments

  1. Bob Sewvello July 18, 2014

    This was four weeks before I was born and I’ve never been there.

  2. Patrick D Sheehy July 17, 2014

    A lot of work fer the technicians in them days.

  3. John Beck July 17, 2014

    My parents, my brother and I went there for the first time from Kansas City, the next summer 1956!

  4. Charlie Huntley July 17, 2014

    Where’s the trusty Houston – Feerless tripod and Cradle Head ?!

  5. Roy Fechter July 17, 2014

    Good photos of TK30s. I think the focus knob is clear lucite.