Buckles Blog: George Emerson #2

Thursday, May 08, 2008

Scan000011192, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

On the back of this picture, my dad wrote:
"George Emerson, rhino keeper RBBB prior to 1933."

Anonymous said...: I got a copy of this same photo from either the late Col. Woodcock or George Emerson. That was in the late 1950s or early 1960s.

The rhino cage is no. 78 and was built in 1924 to replace the old B&B rhino cage that burned in that 1924 Bridgeport quarters fire - -the same one which also consumed the old Ringling hip den. I believe this photo may be 1929 when they got the new male African rhino “Bill.” [He took his name from the famous, long lived Indian rhino that died in 1926 in Ft. Worth. The show was without a rhino in 1927 and 28. ]

In 1930 the show got a female African rhino they named “Lil.” They built a new cage wagon for her, no. 74. Lil did not last long - - only until about 1933. After her demise, they got another female African, Mary of Tarzan fame. She died early in the 1935 season. After that RBBB used no. 74for polar bears.

No. 78 saw varied service after 1935 but was brought back for the rhino Bobby in 1947 and 1948. It disappeared after that.

The show had no rhino from the death of Bill, also in 1935, until 1945 when they got the baby AFrican Bobby from the Brookfield zoo.; 10 May, 2008 13:18

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