Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Gargantua


Even as a kid I had heard the story of Gargantua being disfigured by a seaman tossing acid in his face. This looks more like the aftermath of some of the Oklahoma bar room brawls I have seen.
The story also claimed that when the animal was brought to John Ringling North's attention, he was residing in the basement of the home of a woman in Brooklyn who had raised him.

After Mr. North had purchased him, christened him "Gargantua the Great" and had a temperature regulated den made by the Carrier Co., did he keep it secret?

Posted by Buckles at 1/04/2006 02:39:00 PM

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

We had the taxidermy Gargantuan behind glass at the Davenport Amusement Park and I would a shamefully tell the kids not to feed the monkey because he’s stuffed.

04 January, 2006 16:08
GaryHill said...

At Winter Quarters in 73 when Dr. Henderson hired me on out of Texas, one of my jobs at WQ was to take care of Mickey, otherwise known as Gargantua the Second. He was as pretty good gorilla, especially at feeding time when I had to spoon feed him his veg's. He loved grabbing the spoon with his lips and keep it from me until I turned to leave, then he would hand it back to me. Gary

04 January, 2006 16:13
Anonymous said...

L J your a clown. Your supposed to be funny. I have a small stuffed Gorilla that looks so real people have commented about it.

04 January, 2006 21:20
Anonymous said...

I Have an eye in the audience at the opening of the "Greatest Secret Show On Earth".
It's intermission time and here is some first hand feedback on the first half.
The show is very slow paced.
The video screen projects a super clear picture, my eye tells me he was very impressed with the clarity of this video behemouth. No Sea Cow so the video screen will have to do.
Comments from circus goers not fans sitting around him. "We didn't pay this type of money to go to a drive in movie circus".
With the backdrop it really looks like an Ice Show.
Costuming which RBBB was always noted for is so-so.
Floats, the people movers, a ringmaster float or moving stand, and a couple others, but nothing to write home about.
It looks thin and cut down. Also the same comments heard from the voices in the crowd, remember them the paying customers.
With all the hype about excitement my eye is not and does not expect to become very excited.
Buckles you've coined the phrase for the secret show.
I got ya with the "Drive In Movie Circus" Coming to an arena near you soon.
I wonder, if by the time the show hits Madison Sq. Garden and they tweak it a bit, will they pass out 3D glasses because they've turned the video screen into a Three Ring 3D Adventure. Oh wait I lost my head! A No Ring 3D adventure!
Will add more on Thursday once I get a full report filed from my eye in the sky.
Joe Giordano

04 January, 2006 21:33
Anonymous said...

Hi Buckles
It's Joe Barney up in Cold Conneticut. Just heard that Yale university has mounted an exhibit on Gargantua including his skeleton at the Peabody museum in New Haven CT. The old boy will be on display till the end of the month. They compare him to King Kong... All the Best
Joe

04 January, 2006 22:12
Anonymous said...

Garganutua"the Greats" skeleton has been on exhibit at the Yale Peabody Museum in New Haven Connecticutt since 1950!
John Ringing North was an alumnus of Yale University.
However I had read somewhere when Gargantua died,they sent his body to John Hopkins University for a necropsy,he had a whole bunch of ailments including four complety rotted wisdom teeth,probably due to his being given gallons and gallons of his favorite drink Coca-Cola,without brushing and flossing afterward.
His teeth pain was so bad,during his last year or more,when you paid to see Gargantua in his "luxury cage',he was usually crounched in a corner with his hands clasped on the top of his head.He was only about 19 years old when he died.Poor ape.

07 January, 2006 17:38
Anonymous said...

From what I understand,Gargantua the Great,they were unable to save his hide,are you sure its not another gorillas's mounted hide you saw?

07 January, 2006 19:11
Anonymous said...

I just bought a post card on E-Bay of the old Circus World taxidermy Gorilla with Antonio our little Chaplin clown; unfortunately I mailed that card it to my brother-in-law Eli. But now that I think about it, I do remember that the stuffed primate on display was not as impressive as I expected Gargantua to be. It will take some digging but I think there was some sort of plaque on the exhibit.

07 January, 2006 21:57

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