More on John Robinson Elephants #8

The Terrace Park winter quarters had two similar concrete structures built deep into an embankment so that the eaves of the building were only one foot above ground at many points; between the two adjacent buildings was a small rectangular reservoir about the same dimensions as the two buildings. One building was for the carnivores and had some decoration of standing lions on the gable end over the doorway; it would be to the east or right and just out of view in this photo. The other building, shown here, was for the elephants and barely seen over its entrance is a carved elephant decoration, in place by 1903 but seen in this photo taken after the show had been off the road for a number of years and the property was getting overgrown. This carving, or one very similar to it, decorated the side of Robinson’s “Asia” tableau wagon in the 1901-02 period. “Asia” was made from an old six-mirror tableau but the elephant carving did not last long and the two remaining mirrors disappeared. The wagon was then painted with a scene of four bedecked elephants accompanied by turbaned keepers. Dick Flint Baltimore