Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Brookfield Zoo--1959

3 comments:

Ryan Easley said...

This is a very interesting picture, Wade. Dated 1959, my first guess was the 'Winkie' we previously discussed. The bump on the left side of her head might be consistent between this photo and the other set, though there are no rope markings on her legs. This must have been taken immediately after import - note the plane in the background, along with the monkey cage. If so, the rope burns would have come about after arrival to the zoo, not during capture as previously suspected.

I would also note that your first set of 'Winkie' pictures named the animal as 'Winky II.' The Studbook does not mention an animal by that name she would have followed. Perhaps this was the premier Winky that did not survive.

As a side note, what a stupid name for an elephant (or any animal, for that matter).

Wade G. Burck said...

Radar,
Monkey cage??? Isn't that a camel in the shipping crate? That is a reasonable assumption about the marked leg in the previous picture. Can you imagine there was a day when they were comfortable putting an animal with that type of wound on display, and the public was comfortable with it also. You can understand how things eventually got out of hand, when every fly by night jamoke thought he had carte blanche to do as he pleased.
Or you are assuming because the Studbook doesn't mention an elephant that it didn't exist? You know how I feel about animal names. I hate disrespecting an animal by giving them an human name or a cute name. Winkie is just the tip of the absurd animal name iceberg.
Wade

Jim A. said...

The gentleman in the suit appears to be Robt. Bean, Brookfield's Director. Most anyone could spot Marlin Perkins, the other Chicago Director, few would know Bob Bean. Don't know the the keeper or the woman.