This photo taken in 1925, is apparently not the elephant in the picture below in 1924, yet the elephant below is named Carl II. I wonder if the elephant above is Carl II and something happened to the first Carl. Was Carl a male or a female given that name? I can't seem to find any information on how many elephants Carl Fisher had. The elephant data base has "one living unknown species" attributed to him. Does anyone know more about his elephants?
Aaron Yarnell with elephants Baby Carl and Rosie, August 19,1924, on the polo field in front of the Nautilus Hotel.
Carl Fisher acquired Carl II in 1921, and appointed assistant gardener Yarnell the elephant's keeper until a handler could be imported from Ceylon (Sri Lanka). By the time the Ceylonese handler arrived, Carl II had grown fond of Yarnell and refused to accept any changes. Yarnell kept his job.
Rosie and Carl year unknown. It looks like Yarnell in the cowboy hat.
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8 comments:
Not an expert, only stumbled on Rosie today and this is what I found out.
Based on - http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1986-12-21/features/8603180221_1_elephant-carl-fisher-miami-beach
Carl II = Baby Carl = Nero (sold to zoo, but I can't find this info elsewhere to know what zoo. Still searching.)
I *THINK* that the "elephant caddy" photo is really from 1921 and this is where some of the confusion comes in. You can find the same photo tagged with Warren G Harding's name. That date would fit that story better also, IF that's Harding in the photo. (I have no clue if it is or isn't, but shouldn't be to difficult to find pictures from when he was President and compare them.) It would also date the photo to before March 21, 1921. (Harding was sworn into office that date and was invited to Miami by Fisher before that.) I think the 1921 photo was used in a 1925 ad campaign which is the source of the date confusion seen in various sources of the "elephant caddy" photo.
IF that "elephant caddy" photo is really a 1921 and not a 1925 photo, then it could easily be the same elephant in the 1924 photo showing "Baby Carl" & "Rosie".
Based on my research, I think Fisher had two elephants, not three. The database does list 3, but two are listed as "unknown" - one is Carl II aka Baby Carl aka Nero. If the database used a misdated photo, it'd be pretty easy to reach the conclusion that a third younger elephant was "missing".
Fisher died in 1939 at age 65. It's doubtful he still has an elephant. The info on Rosie in the database shows she was moved before 1935. Carl/Nero would have been moved before then to the zoo. A date of transfer for Carl/Nero might be pinned down based on the date of the last known pictures of the two elephants together.
Denny,
Welcome. Don't sell yourself short, you appear to know more then a lot of "experts". LOL More telling it appears you have the desire to search for answers. That will make you an "expert for real" quicker then anything. Sharing of that information will make us all "experts".
Great information. Thank you, as well as thank you for the additional link.
Did you ever work at the former Crandon Park Zoo?
Wade
Trying to catch up with your discussions, and alteted the unknown to Baby Carl/Carl II/Nero. Looks like a female to me on pictures at http://www.miamibeach411.com/History/photo_rosie_the_elephant_3.html, what do you think?
as for the third, Im trying to find a source for that one. May be an error. But I agree with Wade that Carl II indicates a replacemant of an earlier Carl.
Dan,
At this link: http://www.miamibeach411.com/History/bio_fisher.htm.
there is a picture of Rosie and another younger elephant, with these "ominous" words to a never before published picture. "Rosie is lifting a heavy timber with her left front leg, while her soon-to-exit-the-scene partner is behind her. Not only are there very few pictures of the two elephant's together in action"
Wade
http://cgi.ebay.com/SKERBECK-CARNIVAL-RINGLING-DEATHS-40s-NERO-ELEPHANT20s-/290524309695?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43a49928bf Nero is Hard to Please article description:
"ED BALLARD, circus man, gave a baby elephant to CARL FISHER of Miami Beach, Fl."
Ed Ballard who was a co-owner of the American Circus Corporation. The American Circus Corporation owned the Sells-Floto Circus.
source:http://www.basininstitute.org/home/elephant/charlie.html
Also more info searching "Ballard" on the elephant database site - found more info on Ed Ballard and circuses he was connected with, but no elephants that would seem to match Carl/Nero
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,756877,00.html
More on Ed Ballard gleaned from article:
Carl Fisher got Nero from Ed Ballard (this is info from ebay artticle)
Both Ed Ballard and Carl Fisher born in Indiana. Ballard briefly owned a gambling place in Miami, FL with Robert ("Silver Bob") Alexander.
Miami, FL is same city Carl Fishers elephants from. I wonder where they met? FL or IN?
Ballard's circus connections include:
"He bought Hagenbeck & Wallace Circus which was about to go on the rocks, soon picked up other circuses — Sells-Floto, John Robinson, Golmar Bros., Al Barnes."
Still trying to figure out if Carl/Nero elephant came from one of these.
http://www.floridamemory.com/solr-search/results/?q=elephant%20rosie^10&query=elephant%20rosie&searchbox=&gallery=
Additional pictures or Rosie and Carl
http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/5602
Equipment used in developing the North Bay Shore section
Date Note June 25, 1923.
Based on that information, I would think that is one of Carl Fisher's elephants, probably Rosie.
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