Frank Murray Day #2

Murray family, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. MURRAY FAMILY Cole Bros. was the first of a slew of tent shows to appear in Maryland this season followed by Carson & Barnes, Kelly-Miller, Lewis & Clark, and, opening this Tuesday following its D.C. engagement, Universoul, through next weekend. Walker Bros. is also expected to soon be in the area. In a couple of cases, these shows have even played the same lots this month! Seen in this group of photos is Cole Bros. where Frank and Gayle Murray have their two elephants. The family act is shown here last May 7-8 on the Anne Arundel county fairgrounds lot in Crownsville, MD, a location very familiar to the Murray clan since for the past dozen years they have played the Renaissance Fair held there each fall. The elephants are Topsy, age 48, who was with Sells & Gray in her younger years, and Annette, age 35, and one of the last elephants imported to the US, in her case by Juergen Schultz of Catskill Game Farm. When the Murray's begin their medieval fair dates later in the season, their replacements are expected to arrive from the Hugo ranch of the Byrd family.