Thursday, July 26, 2007

Bronx Zoo post cards #1 (From Paul Gutheil)


Bronx Zoo - riding Gunda, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.



Am I embarassed! A gentleman from Georgia with wonderful detailed
information on
the Bronx Zoo, and me, just an old former Bronx boy. Until I was eight I
lived about 2 miles from the Bronx Zoo (They keep trying
to call it Wildlife Conservation Park; it won't happen in my house.) I
joined the New York Zoological
Society 53 years ago and was fortunate enough to have been somewhat
acquainted with Fairfield Osborn,
then president and better acquainted with William Conway, Recently retired
director whom I keep in touch with. I also keep in touch
with William Doherty, retired Curator of Mammals who, over the years
mentioned visits by the RBBB
elephant staff and, I believe, was well-acquainted with the late Albert
Rix.

More to the point, in regard to the Bronx Zoo postcards that you had up,
Diane will soon be sending you copies
(I don't know this little trick yet.) of some in our collection. I have
the same one of "Gunda" with keeper, but mine
has his name below the picture, also another one with "Gunda" carrying
children. Another shows the "Elephant
House" Circa 1914 and, in fact, I believe this whole series was done
sometime between about 1910 and 1920.
Another, in black & white from the '50's shows Asian Elephant Candy with
her African (Forest Elephant I believe)
friend Pinky. I remember these two very well. Candy used to get her
forefeet up on the wall of their enclosure
and stretch like blazes to get treats from zoogoers; a photo of this
action appeared in more than one NY publication.


All good wishes from Diane and me,

Paul

Posted by Buckles at 7/26/2007 07:25:00 AM

6 comments:

Buckles said...

Late this morning, the computer wouldn't compute. I have been keeping this hush-hush, after all the whining about needing a new machine, I don't want to have to fight the tiger.

26 July, 2007 07:39
Mike Naughton said...

I, too, grew up in The Bronx and my first visit took place on a class trip in Kindergarten.
In my family, frequent trips to "the zoo" and The Botanical Gardens were met with gleeful anticipation.
Two years ago I went with our youngest daughter, Elizabeth, 13, on a class trip to The Bronx Zoo and I was delighted to see The Elephant House and the sea lions in the giant pool.
Elephants in attendance were Maxine and LaVerne, question of the day...was there ever a third elephant, Patty?
I believe I read where the Bronx Zoo was closing the elephant display. If they only could walk amongst all the "city kids" who were visiting the Elephant House and who were literally "squealing" with joy and commenting on the massive size of the pachyderms, I think the directors of the "zoological garden" ensconced in their grand edifice would swiftly reversed their politically and fund-raising influenced decision to close the Elephant House.
While riding the monorail that weaves its way over the elephant section a group of "city kids" were asking questions outloud, Elizabeth started to converse with them and without mentioning her circus experience told the children that the elephants were HERS not HIS, that they are vegetarian and that they live longer in captivity due to constant medical monitoring and a reliable source of good food.
So much for a miniscule voice from the other side.

26 July, 2007 12:49
Anonymous said...

Some of you may not know it, but all postcards from before the mid-forties were orginally made from black and white negatives and were colored either by hand or by the printer before they were printed in the colors that the printer chose. Most of them are fairly colored, but once in a while the printer took some liberties with the colors. Also if you have postcards of hotels, the photographer/printer usually had a replica of his car placed in front in front of the hotel.

26 July, 2007 20:03
Anonymous said...

Admittedly Diane and I haven't been to the Bronx Zoo in quite some time, much to my embarassment. I thought the only elephants you could see were by taking the Wild Asia Monorail. I believe my good friend Mike Naughton is, in part, incorrect. As I recall the Zoo announced that once their current elephants passed away they would not be replaced (sinful), leaving us with perhaps 30 or 40 more years of elephants in the Bronx...take pictures for your grandchildren.

Paul Gutheil

26 July, 2007 22:04
Anonymous said...

I guess I got confused between Mike's comments about the Elephant House and the elephants during the monorail ride. To me (be kind I just turned 65) it now appears that you can, in fact, only see elephants from a monorail car and
this makes me very sad; I can remember when I was a child, among many things at the zoo, having the huge African Sudana(?!) vacuum,
food right out of my hand.

Paul Gutheil

26 July, 2007 22:14
Mike Naughton said...

Paul, since it was two years ago since my last visit to the Bronx Zoo my memory is a little blurred. Yes, we rode the monorail and saw the elephants and later went to the "older" section where we saw the Elephant House and the just beyond the pool with the sea lions. Since my last visit to the zoo was probably 40 years ago I was transported back in time when I saw the magnificant Elephant House which I had completely forgotten about all these years. It is a beautiful structure and I thought (mistakenly) that it is still a functional housing facility for the elephants at night and during the winter.
So, Paul, what ever happened to the third elephant, if there ever was one?
Also, if you go---get there EARLY on the weekdays because there was 100PLUS charter buses and school buses packed jammed with school children looking to break free.

27 July, 2007 07:28

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