Tuesday, October 01, 2013

Under Canvas #6

6 comments:

Paul Gutheil said...

Love those "air conditioning" tubes.

P.

Richard Reynolds said...

1941

Chic Silber said...


Several folks from those days have

told me unless you sat directly

under an output hole there was very

little cooling value to the top

Ole Whitey said...

Richard: How many years was that Bel Geddes tent for the Gargantuas in use? Was the same design used for more than one tent?

Richard Reynolds said...

The poleless gorilla top was used only in 1941 and in '42 up until the Cleveland fire.

It's a good thing or else Gargantua and Toto might have perished as the blaze was set in middle where the lead stock was tethered and where the gorilla cages would likely have been spotted.

Actually, Belle Geddes' original design for the modernistic menangerie did not have roon for two huge gorillas cages lined up end to end.

When I saw the 1942 menangerie here in Atlanta, the two gorilla cages were in the 6-pole menagerie lined up end to end. The lead stock was gone as were several cage wagons so there was plenty of room in the middle. As I remember, the only things in the middle were the two giraffes (the male Shorty being bought after the fire), the gorilla cages, and concession stands.

Presumbaly the special gorilla top was sent back to 'Sota after the fire.

Richard Reynolds said...

This photo was taken in New Bedford, Mass on July 4, 1941. A cold front had moved in and the temp was low engugh that the air conditioning ducts were not hooked up.