This came in yesterday in response to the Barnes pictures but in my muddled state I managed to delete the senders identity.
In consolation all I can say is, "You know who you are......"
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Sunday, March 23, 2014
Al G. Barnes
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10 comments:
I have yet to see any hippo hitch photo where it actually looks like it is walking. I suppose they did but only when it got bored with posing for the photos.
Great pic, but I second Dennis comment.
I bet Richard Reynolds sent it as he sent it to me too.
I remember a hippo act on Cristiani-Wallace where the hip walked half the track into the center ring and out. Interesting, novel, but frankly only a bit long. With available light, it was possible not to have a blurry hippo photo unlike all the other animal acts whose camera image was a bit blurry!
Dick Flint
Baltimore
The photo came from me with this commentary - -
Here is the old hippo Lotus who trouped with the Al G. Barnes Circus and later Ringling-Barnum. She was a very gentle female and was a feature of the Barnes show with her walks around the hippodrome track during each of the performances.
I believe this photo was taken in Barnes' Culver City winter quarters near Venice Calif. around 1925.
Driving the cart is the circus owner Al G. Barnes.
Lotus was shown here in Atlanta in 1938 with the Barnes show and in 39-40-41- and 42 with Ringling all on the old Highland Ave. show grounds She did the walk around in 1938 and 39.The other years she was exhibited in her tank wagon in the menagerie.
I saw her in all of those years. She finally died in Sarasota Winter Quarters in 1954 after 51 years with the circus.
Lotus was the grande dame of circus hippos.
I remember seeing that hippo on
Cristiani Wallace in the early
60s Dick but I wouldn't have
called it an act by any stretch
Back then it merely did a full
turn around the track but never
entered any of the rings but it
was still the only opportunity
for many folks to ever see one
I recall it was 1 of the family
that followed it with a broken
buggy whip handle as a switch
Was Petunia the hippo's name
on the Beatty Show in the 60s
Never heard the hippo's name but the guy who ushered it around the track was Shotgun Egan a guy I once candy butchered with.
I believe it was the same hippo
from Cristiani that was sold to
the Beatty Show & Doniker Mike
cared for her at least a while
Somebody amongst us must know
She was billed as "Big Otto"
Beatty-Cole's Big Otto in my day was not called by another name. In 1960, she was managed by Lloyd Owen Black. The '61 Route Book names Elmon Hayes as her manager. I believe this is a misspelling of my friend, Elmer Morgan "Chuck" Hayes, who finished his career at Jungleland. As early as 1960, she was attended by a keeper listed only as Captain George, who was still there in '64. This fellow would waylay anyone who would listen as he divested himself of protracted lectures on the operation of the entire circus. Donnicker Mike Martz was not connected to Big Otto in the Route Books I have, but another familiar name is credited to her caretaking in '61--Richard Reynolds.
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