Buckles Blog: St. Louis Zoo #1 (From Eric Beheim)

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Here are scans from the 1950 VIEW-MASTER reel with the St. Louis Zoo’s performing elephants show.

Buckles said...: I've got their names written down somewhere, one was named "Clara Belle" like a cow.; 16 November, 2014 07:20
Jim Alexander said...: Clara Belle was Floyd Smith's first elephant, named after a ST. Louis socialite Clara Belle Walsh. The other names were Honey, Vi, Lady, and (I think) Susie. The photos seem to be of a four act which would be probably 1953 or 54. In 1954 Floyd added some goats to the act. In the spring of 1955 these elephants, along with an exhibit elephant, were sold to Paul Kelly. Two days to load and never left Kelly's barn.

The scene of this show is now the Grevy's zebra yard in the "Red Rocks" area of the Zoo. Today if one looks closely at one of the gunite boulders you can see a shoe-box sized viewing opening. The announcer would be in the boulder along with the person playing records to accompany the show. They could look out to follow the show.; 16 November, 2014 15:28
Jim Alexander said...: Excuse me, I see five now. The show had five from 1941 until one got ill in 1953 and was in and out of the show. She died before the 1954 show opened.

The five were a respected, good act. Even Jules Jacot, who didn't care for Floyd, told me it was a good act. I think Floyd hoped to keep it, the eight babies weren't his idea.; 16 November, 2014 15:37

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