Buckles Blog: Pauline Webb

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Scan000011246, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Russell Bros. Circus 1942.

Anonymous said...: That’s a uniformed orangutan. I wonder if it performed in the show?

Al G. Barnes had a number of orangs over the years and I think one or more of them appeared in the show.

As far as I know, the only orang ever to appear in RBBB’s performance was one that rode atop an elephant in the 1938 spec.; 21 May, 2008 11:35
Buckles said...: Barbara's and her family were with the Russell Show just prior to when this picture and when I showed this to her she said, "This can't be right, she had a chimp named "Topsy".
I hadn't even noticed that it was an orang.
Barbara added that "Topsy" had a room with furniture and accessories, much nicer than trailer she and her four sisters were squeezed into.; 21 May, 2008 11:51

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