Friday, August 29, 2008

From Richard Flint


Mogul on O'Brien001, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Performing elephant on wooden tub, ca 1869-71

In answer to "anonymous," here is one of an apparent series showing
the act of Mogul on O'Brien's Grand Menagerie, which toured ca.1869-71
depending on whether you cite Parkinson's or Chindahl's lists. This
was not the first elephant named Mogul in America. Of my several
early elephant photos, this is the earliest of an elephant doing
something other than standing on the ground. Plenty of posters from
this era and earlier provide excellent records of what the elephant/s,
very likely, actually performed even though the height of the
pedestals could have grown a bit.
Dick Flint
Baltimore

Posted by Buckles at 8/29/2008 06:46:00 AM

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

QED. Now, how about the ear;iest "herd" act in a performance pose?

29 August, 2008 08:46
Anonymous said...

Many thanks Dick for your continuing to offer pieces of your wonderful collection to share with us. Just great and so enlightening. Its wonderful that Buckles started this blog. As a novice historian of the circus I find photos like you sent today so fascinating. Please continue on. Thanks, Johnny

29 August, 2008 09:13
Anonymous said...

Seems like in 44 on K-M they had a wooden tub with those rope handles thgat Tina worked on.

29 August, 2008 09:45
Anonymous said...

Dick - -Thanks for posting this great photo of O’Brien’s Mogul.

I have the impression that photos from any of O’Brien’s many and variously titled shows are just about the rarest in all collectiondom.

This one shows a circus wagon in the background with what must be “O’Brien’s Grand Menagerie” title on it. As far as I know that is the only photo yet unearthed showing a wagon with the O’Brien title.

29 August, 2008 15:46

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