Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Vintage Franklin Park Zoo






Orford's elephants on their way to their new home in Franklin Park zoo. Bought by the children of Boston for $6,000. 1914

9 comments:

Bob Cline said...

How coincidental. I just ran across the sale in the old Billboards last night. I had not heard of the Orford elephants before then. At least your photos confirm two elephants.
Bob

Philip Astley said...

These were George Lockhart Snr's original elephants, Boney (pronounced Bonny), Molly and Waddy. They were sold to William Orford in 1901. Their career with George Lockhart is detailed my son's book "The Legend of Salt and Sauce".

Jim Clubb

Wade G. Burck said...

Bob,
I was going to ask "who were the Orford's" in the heading but posted before I finished writing. Footnote: in a story I read last year about the kid's buying the elephants, it was suggested that $6000.00 was a high price for two elephants, but they wanted them so they paid the rate. How much elephant do you think you can get for $6000.00 today?

Wade

Wade

Bob Cline said...

Jim, Thanks for the info on these three. Which one did not go to the Boston Zoo? The photos only show two going. Were they all Asian females?
Bob

Bob Cline said...

I just found an article in Variety Magazine from 1914 ( No date is on the page ) that says Mollie, Waddy and baby Tony were sold to the Boston Zoo.
Bob

Wade G. Burck said...

Bob,
The bottom photo definitely show's three elephants on the move. The second one, not so sure but most likely "Baby Tony" in the lead as we see in the second photo. There are three at the zoo in the top photo, with again assuming "Baby Tony" in the back.

Wade

Bob Cline said...

THanks Wade. After I enlarged your photo I saw the third elephant.
Bob

Unknown said...

Any body know what happened to the Indian elephants from the 60s&70s. I know Ginsberg (the African elephant )died when they tried to move her in the late 70s. Ginsberg was in the John Wayne movie "Hartary"probably not spelled correctly.

Unknown said...

Any body know what happened to the Indian elephants from the 60s&70s. I know Ginsberg (the African elephant )died when they tried to move her in the late 70s. Ginsberg was in the John Wayne movie "Hartary"probably not spelled correctly.