Sunday, May 21, 2017

#1 Cat Acts


5 comments:

Harry Kingston said...

The best in the business and Mr.Circus himself and a name that will go on forever.

Roger Smith said...

This shot has been captioned as Hagenbeck-Wallace, 1931.

Chic Silber said...


Hence the title of "The One & Only"

Harry but I'm afraid forever is soon

We are the remnants of our breed

Strange looking pith helmet looks

like from Dr Livingston in Africa

Roger Smith said...

This is a sun helmet. Pith helmets were of thick cork, the style he later used exclusively. These came in khaki covering and were rendered white with repeated applications of white shoe polish. Jane Beatty gave away his last helmets, including the khaki-covered one with the leopard-print band he wore in PERILS OF THE JUNGLE (Commodore Productions, 1953). This copy Jane gave to the late Hertzberg Collection. Beatty's daughter, Joyce Lee, asked me for a helmet for his exhibit in Peru, and I whitened one of the 8 I still have and donated it. It wasn't one of his, but did add to the display.

Roger Smith said...

This is a sun helmet. Pith helmets were of thick cork, the style he later used exclusively. These came in khaki covering and were rendered white with repeated applications of white shoe polish. Jane Beatty gave away his last helmets, including the khaki-covered one with the leopard-print band he wore in PERILS OF THE JUNGLE (Commodore Productions, 1953). This copy Jane gave to the late Hertzberg Collection. Beatty's daughter, Joyce Lee, asked me for a helmet for his exhibit in Peru, and I whitened one of the 8 I still have and donated it. It wasn't one of his, but did add to the display.