Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Ghost Zoo--Crandon Park, North Miami, Fla.

Judy "Julia" Rand Allen was apparently the Director at Crandon Park for a while. Does anyone know thing more about her? I wonder how she missed John Cuneo's eye. :)



1973 Ronald Sampsell, Veterinarian Crandon Park Zoo

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

Wade, Vernon Kisling here. I was a keeper and mammal curator at CPZ 1972-1979. CPZ never had gorillas. Just chimpanzees, one of which was so big the public often thought it was a gorilla. Also, the director was Julie Allen Field in 1950s-1961. She was married to someone from the Field family that owned the Field department store in Chicago. Her and her husband had a zoo in Miami prior to CPZ and it was from this zoo that CPZ got its Galapagos tortoises.

Wade G. Burck said...

Dr. Kisling,
An honor and pleasure to have you recorded on these humble pages. Printed on the back of the photo is "Crandon Park Zoo?" I wasn't aware of them having gorilla's and could not find anything on line even suggesting it, but didn't know for sure.
Thank you for the additional information on Julie Allen Field.

For folks whom do not know Vernon Kisling, he is on the faculty of the University of Florida and along with Richard Reynolds, is probably one of the most knowledgeable individuals in the world on zoo history. He was the liaison for the Bartlett Society/North America for years and is currently Chair, Marston Science Library at UF and has published a number of publications including

"Aviculture in Ancient Societies," Aviculture: Ethnographical and Historical Perspectives

"Parrots in Ancient New World Collections, Trade and Ceremonies," Aviculture: Ethnographical and Historical Perspectives

Dr. Kisling also Edited and wrote two chapter's in "Zoo and Aquarium History: Ancient Animal Collections to Zoological Gardens" which is in my opinion one of the best book's ever published on the subject of zoo history, and is a proud member of my personal library.

Previously a Curator at the Atlanta and Miami zoos and President/Owner of Wildlife Publications, Inc., Vernon has done wildlife ecology research in Papua New Guinea and Chile.

In short, If you are going to make a mistake, like I did with the Crandon Park Zoo gorilla, it is nice to be spanked by one of the best. :)

Wade Burck

Wade G. Burck said...

Wade,

I found your blog yesterday, but was unable to sign up (or in). I just checked back and fortunately you posted your e-mail.

You commented on my mother who is pictured next to Rudy, her lion, at Crandon Park Zoo taken by Ray S. Fischer, who always asks that his photos are credited. http://circusnospin.blogspot.com/search?q=crandon+park+zoo

You asked if anyone knew about her, She married Henry Field and lived in the Grove until about 5 years ago. She lived an interesting life and died in Wellesley, MA in 2011. My mom wrote thousands of pages of manuscripts, never completed, about her lion/circus/zoo years and the Amazon and Rebecca.

I attached a 1969 photo of my mom at Central Park Zoo where she purchased the jaguar, Rebecca, a surplus animal. She flew Rebecca back to the Amazon (Leticia, Colombia), which began a 12-year chapter where my mom created a model for sustainable development in the Amazon. My mom's papers are at Harvard - her alma mater. She graduated in '61. She left the zoo in '58, I think, but I am not sure of the date.

http://www.gsd.harvard.edu/#/loeblibrary/collections/special-collections/collections.html


I would gladly respond on the blog if you could offer instructions about how to sign in.

All the best,

Juliana Field

Wade G. Burck said...

Has anyone else been having problems getting onto the blog? Any idea's why Ms. Field would be having a problem? I haven't heard of any other people who couldn't get on.

Wade Burck