Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Cat Trainers #3


Posted by Buckles at 8/20/2014 05:43:00 AM

3 comments:

Chic Silber said...


Might be Bert Nelson

20 August, 2014 11:23
Roger Smith said...

It's Cardbert Nelson Snyder, aka Bert Nelson, and Maria Rasputin, the true daughter of Russia's "Mad Monk". This photo, autographed to me by Bert, was taken in Peru Winterquarters, on Hagenbeck-Wallace, in 1935. As retold many times, Bert took over the mixed lion and tiger act from Clyde Beatty, who departed H-W and all Ringling interests due to conflicts with Sam Gumpertz. Beatty signed with the new Cole-Beatty show, wintered in Rochester, Indiana, and came out in '35 with his second Big Act--40 lions and tigers--the only man to assemble the Big Act twice. Bert did very well with his inherited act, and was a featured asset on H-W. For all efforts by Gumpertz to promote Maria, it turned out she couldn't work animals, and her star descended rather quickly. Thankfully, Bert became a great friend to me in my apprenticeship era.

20 August, 2014 18:04
Chic Silber said...


Rasputin's name showed up quite

often in early "Trivial Persuits"

20 August, 2014 18:57

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