54th Annual National Convention of Zeta Beta Tau, Jewish college fraternity Chicago which had a menagerie set up for guest's to enjoy. Could this elephant have been from the Hawthorn Mellody Zoo? Their elephant at the time was named Jessie.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Unknown elephant 1952
54th Annual National Convention of Zeta Beta Tau, Jewish college fraternity Chicago which had a menagerie set up for guest's to enjoy. Could this elephant have been from the Hawthorn Mellody Zoo? Their elephant at the time was named Jessie.
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8 comments:
Wade,
Your timing is impeccable. Wayne Scheiner, minutes ago, delivered to me a March 1986 Circus Report containing "Notes and Corrections" to the Elephant Census published weeks prior.
While perusing, I found the following statement: "The Hoxie Tucker elephants Bonnie and Jessie are on loan to the zoo in Miami, Fla."
I referenced the records of Bob Cline, which list:
Born - 1949 in the wild
1951 to 1953 - Hawthorn Melody Zoo in Libertyville, ILL.
1954 to 1961 - R.A. Miller
1964 to 1975 - Ray & Betty Olive
1975 - sold to Dave Hoover
1976 to 1986 - Hoxie's Great American Circus
1986 to Present - Carden International Circus
Jessie is dead (date unknown). I was about to email a contact at Zoo Miami about these two elephants' time there when I chose to check your blog for updated posts first. Unbelievable!
Radar,
Don't piss yourself, pal. You still have a show tonight, don't you? :)
Wade
Alright Wade, here is everything I was able to find since Thursday. What do you think about the picture Buckles posted from 1955 of Jesse? I learned she was imported by Louis Goebel in 1951 to Cuneo. Between your picture and the one from Buckles, do you think that could be the same elephant three years prior?
http://www.showmeelephants.com/2012/05/hoxie-brothers-circus-bonnie-and-jessie.html
Radar,
Bob Cline's dates would seem to confirm that it is quite possibly Jessie. I am having problems with the "Carden" connection. John never, ever mentioned, that I can recall George Carden having "his" Jessie, and that is something that he normally would have hung a lot of paper about.
What about none of Jungle Larry's elephants being listed in the data base? Here is something I found out recently. Lincoln Park Zoo had a young, possibly a long yearling or two year old African female named Kiki at their facility in 1972. Kiki was the name of Jungle Larry's African, and Babe the Asian when I was there in 1974. They were replaced by African females Wama, Rojo, and Duvu when I returned in 1977. That's all i know, but it is something to get you started.
Wade
Wade,
Do you think Cuneo would have been aware of Carden's acquisition of an elephant he owned for three years, forty years prior? What about the Studbook's mention that Hawthorn acquired the three Asian females Ronnie, Maude and Misty from Carden on 07/18/1988?
I will work on the Africans for you. I have been discussing Keke with Mark Rosenthal for a while now. I saw her skeleton on display in Oklahoma City last winter. As Mr. Herriott commented on my article regarding the Indianapolis Zoo, "I doubt if few people are interested in the history of African elephants in the circus as opposed to the great history of all Asians." Just kidding :)
Radar,
I am willing to bet "very aware." For what it is worth, unconfirmed, I was always told she went to a zoo. This may not be the same "Kiki" if her skeleton was on display in a museum. What made LP's Keke significant enough to mount? Not just Jungle Larry's Africans, but his Asian is also not listed.
As far as John Milton is concerned, as African makes a great pair of boot's, and that is about it. Case closed. I disagree because I knew the wonderful Joy. I'll verify the boot's though as I have a pair of fine vintage Larry Mahan hand stitched elephant hide boots. Like walking barefoot in rose petals. Rivaled only by his ostrich and anteater boots.
Wade
Wade,
Best be careful with your elephant boot comments. You are going to start a ruckus and we will have to call to South Africa to get Jim Stockley to talk sense into everyone :)
Radar,
They can raise all the ruckus they want, they still can't have a pair. They were only available for two years when the hides became available from a government sanctioned culling program. I ordered a pair in 1978, and they are still pristine and I have worn them a ton of miles, but that is standard for original Larry Mahans. I am on a waiting list, with John Herriott's blessing :) for another pair, should a government sanctioned export happen again anytime soon.
Wade
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