From Frank Murray

Tusko Colonel Joe 86 001, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr. Good evening Buckles from the back yard of Dick Gardens Tented Show, I was saddened to hear of the passing of Col Joe. I used to put a massive stage howda on Joe, complete with matching blanket and take Jan Bickerstaff in the center ring for her trapeze entrance. Between his height and the elevation of the howda she was able to jump up and grab the bar and begin her act. I am sure some where in the either there are pics of her grand entrance. I also searched for Joe for seven days just north of Lake Okeechobee and found him on the morning of the eighth. It was quite an ordeal and the story is best told on a lazy rainy day with plenty of libation on hand. As the song says "Those where the days my friend, we thought they would never end". Requiscat in pace All the best, Frank Murray

"Colonel Joe" #1 (From Vincent Manero)

June%202007, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr. Hello Mr Woodcock, Here are some pictures of Colonel Joe who died a few days ago. I had the chance to see him perform several times with Circus Krone in their 4000 seats tent and at the Kronebau in Munich. I will never forget his presence in the ring. The Circus lost one of his most reprensentative icone. After Jumbo, the Colonel Joe is probably the most famous Circus Elephant in the world. Best Wishes. Vincent

"Colonel Joe" #2

November%202011, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr.

"Colonel Joe" #3

April%202011, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr.

"Colonel Joe" #4

xxx, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr.

"Colonel Joe" #5

February%202009, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr.

"Colonel Joe" #6

111, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr.

"Colonel Joe" #7

August%202008, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr.

1990 "Colonel Joe" #1 (From Buckles)

SAVE2704, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr. Saddened to learn of the Colonel's death, here are a few snap shots taken in 1990 when I did some training for the Vargas Show. He was a real sweetheart to work with. Nothing like when I first saw him forty years ago in 1972 when Cliff Vargas sent me out to Gene Holter's place to check out two former LA Zoo elephants, an Asian named "Dillinger" and an African "Capone". Nuff Ced. With names like that I advised him to pass plus the fact that both were young adults with ivory and would be a handfull to train. Ignoring my warnings, the next year he bought the Asian male, hired Wally Ross and the rest is History.

1990 "Colonel Joe" #2

SAVE2700, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr. Wally Ross named him "Colonel" after my father and later Rex Williams renamed him "Joe" after Joe Metcalf but for some reason both names survived. I called him "Joe" easier to say.

1990 "Colonel Joe" #3

SAVE2706, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr. My daughter Dalilah doing the leg carry that we trained that winter.

1990 "Colonel Joe" #4

SAVE2497, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr.

"Colonel Joe" From Jerry Digney

VARGAS1, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr. Sorry to hear of the death of the great elephant Colonel Joe--not sure how old he was, but I worked with him 30 years ago.

From Jerry Digney #6

Alec1, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr. AP PHOTO: Alec Sebastyan, RBBB dog trainer, 1970, married to Diane Stephenson, worked end ring dog act; also in this photo, straight back, clown Frank Carbone, fire eater, and right, Stanley, one of two midget brothers (Lester and Stanley).

From Jerry Digney #7

Alec2, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr.

From Jerry Digney #8

JUDGE1, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr. A rare shot of RBBB co-owner and Houston money man Judge Roy Hofheinz "letting his hair down" with Frankie Saluto and flyer Mary Gill in 1969; supplied by Lee Solters' early PR firm, Solters & Sabinson, which took over national press duties in 1967.

From Jerry Digney #9

Judge2, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr.

From Jerry Digney #10

RONK_CLASSIC, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr. Beautiful classic shot, Harold Ronk;

From Jerry Digney #11

Harold51, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr. UNITED PRESS: Harold Ronk, RBBB backstage, 1953, NYC, when he was the vocalist and not the ringmaster. It's never been clear when Harold joined RBBB. From this we know he was there for sure as early as 1953 as vocalist, but was it for building shows only? Some pundits claim he never worked under canvas. His NY Times obit said he joined RBBB in 1951. As for "Singing Ringmaster," that began in 1957. Harold was around 32 when this was shot. Side note: UPI Caption says "Backyard Warbling," don't know that Harold would find much humor in that!

From Jerry Digney #12

RONK2, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr. (TO BE CONTINUED)

From Buckles #1

05-04-2012 05;18;22AM, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr.

From Buckles #2

05-04-2012 05;21;28AM, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr.

From Wayne Jackson

!cid_image003_png@01CD2922, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr. G’day Buckles, The photos you posted on your Blog yesterday I took at the Elephant Managers Association conference at the Tulsa Zoo in October, 1989. Bobby brought only one of his Elephants, Luna and also brought along Ichabod! Smokey put on a great session with ropes and lots of hands on experience! His other unit was also quite nice, but it only had a cab over Kenworth and the trailer was custom built at Kentucky trailers. I remember sleeping in it a few times with the three punks snoring away, while they were playing the Garden Bros. August date in Toronto. Happy Days Wayne

From Bud Copeland

Pablo%20Picasso%20CLOWN, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr. Hi Buckles ; Here's an interesting Rare Photo - Pablo Picasso ; the Painter , the Sculptor & THE CLOWN ! Bud

From Jerry Digney #1

GOSSING, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr. Guy Gossing, he and his wife had a terrific Tiger Act, very clean, European style--we worked together on tour in 1973--he's seen here in 1977 after a tiger attack in Chicago.

From Jerry Digney #2

BARBARAW_978, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr. March, 1978, NYC, Barbara and Ben on Ringling--UPI photo.

From Jerry Digney #3

CANNON70, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr. Feb., 1970, Linda and Emanuel ("Lally") Zacchini--AP newsphoto which was shot in St. Pete but appeared after their mid air collision in Jacksonville on RBBB--Lally worked alone for rest of your and Linda may have been permanently injured.

From Jerry Digney #4

VANDYKE1, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr. In my "TV specials" series, forgot to include Dick Van Dyke, NBC special 1978--seen here with clown Steve LaPorte (l) with whom i recently spoke and who is now both an Oscar and Emmy Award winning make up artist.

From Jerry Digney #5

VANDYKE2, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr. (TO BE CONTINUED)

From Buckles #1

SAVE0779, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr.

From Buckles #2

Scan000010985, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr.

Bobby Moore Elephants #1 (From Chic Silber)

Scans%20For%20Chic%20003, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr. Hi Buckles A lovely lady from Cambridge Ontario recently contacted me She was told about me by some friends she made while working on concessions for Garden Bros in Canada & Bermuda She is a loyal member of the Buckles Brigade & has sent me some scans of photos that she hoped might be useful to you She also hoped for the names of the victims as shown Hope all is well Chic

Bobby Moore Elephants #2

Scans%20For%20Chic%20004, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr. The jury is still out on this suspicious looking group having invaded Baraboo. Buckles

Bobby Moore Elephants #3

Scans%20For%20Chic%20008, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr.

Bobby Moore Elephants #4

Scans%20For%20Chic%20009, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr.

Bobby Moore Elephants #5

Scans%20For%20Chic%20015, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr.

Bobby Moore Elephants #6

Scans%20For%20Chic%20011, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr.

Bobby Moore Elephants #7

Scans%20For%20Chic%20022, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr.

More on Moore #1 (From Buckles)

Luna.89.004-001, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr. Another from the well circulated set above. This was an Elephant Seminar Bobby and Smokey conducted (can't remember where) demonstrating how rigging was laid out for training. The audience was composed of Zoo or Park people who got credits for attending.

More on Moore #2

Scan11878, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr. In relation to the Elephant Tableau in Chic's pictures, this is the finished product as seen in the Milwaukee Parade. I think these would be two former Vidbel elephants.

More on Moore #3

Truck No.2, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr. Bobby eventually sold his elephants to the Ringling Show where several remain but mostly I lusted for his truck which was purchased by Jorge Berrada. My Master of Transportation, Jimmy Hall might elaborate on this vehicle.

From John Goodall

4f9722c814103_preview-300, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr. RACINE — For more than 100 years, a once-famous elephant trainer — who was fatally gored by a pachyderm that went berserk — rested in an unmarked grave at Mound Cemetery in Racine. No one visited anymore. No flowers adorned his grave. Not a shred of evidence showed that this patch of earth covered the burial site of renowned elephant trainer Joe Anderson. “Did anyone ever miss him? To the best of my knowledge, no one ever came to visit him and that was so sad,” said Lauren Klein, who represents the High Riders Motorcycle Club, 1328 Washington Ave., on the Uptown Improvement Organization. “It had been over 100 years. Everybody forgot him.” But 113 years after the Great Wallace Circus Show came to present-day Racine, when Anderson was gored by an elephant in his charge and died on June 3, 1898, his grave has a headstone. And members of the motorcycle club plan to host a memorial ride in two weeks to pay tribute to the once-forgotten Anderson. “It just struck a chord with me, and I thought that perhaps we could do something special,” Klein said. “It’s just something that needed to be done.” According to historical accounts, the Great Wallace Circus Show stopped in Columbia Corners every summer and June of 1898 started out no different. The Uptown neighborhood spans what used to be Columbia Corners. The 40-car train pulled up and was unloaded so the circus could be set up on about 10 acres of open land to the north of 18th Street. Anderson was herding the elephants to water when the lead elephant, named Prince, went on a rampage. The elephant gored Anderson — as people watched helplessly — before running wild through the area. Prince was said to have chased police, tipped wagons and a load of hay, hurled a bicycle through a fence and torn down circus tents. “The show still went on,” Klein said. “It happened about 7:30 a.m. and the show went on as planned at 2:30 p.m.” But no elephants were in that show, according to historical accounts. Prince was captured when circus workers snagged him in a rope snare. These workers cut off Prince’s tusks. Klein said apparently Prince left with the circus train two days later, but Prince died of blood poisoning 10 days after the rampage. “I’d like to find the elephant,” Klein said, adding she doesn’t know if, and where, Prince may have been buried. A message was left for Peter Shrake, an archivist with the Circus World Museum, about the incident and what may have become of the pachyderm, but he wasn’t available for comment. “It was kind of a tragedy,” Cemetery Supervisor Steve Bedard said. “Lauren and her High Rider friends did an awesome job.” After Klein asked cemetery staff to pull Anderson’s original burial card, she said she found his grave at Mound Cemetery. The High Riders paid for Anderson to finally receive a headstone, to the tune of about $700, Klein said. Bedard said not only does he have Anderson’s original burial card, but those for everyone interred since 1850 at the cemetery. The Great Wallace Circus Show later became the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus. For more than three decades, the circus continued to set up tent in Racine and circus performers would travel to Anderson’s grave and lay flowers in memory of him, according to historical accounts.

1898 Great Wallace Shows (From Buckles)

07-31-2011 04;22;38PM, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr. Written on the back: "Snubbed down is "Prince" after having been subdued by Menagerie Supt. Harry Reed. He came to Peru in 1888 from a New York Animal Dealer. "Prince" killed Joe Anderson in Racine, Wis. on 7/1/98 when a bicycle rider rode between him and Anderson and the elephant struck at the rider but hit Anderson, then followed up and killed him. Bull was strangled that evening with ropes pulled by canvasmen."

1905 John Robinson Route Book #1 (From Buckles)

04-30-2012 12;41;23PM, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr.

1905 John Robinson Route Book #2

04-30-2012 05;35;41PM, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr.

1905 John Robinson Route Book #3

04-30-2012 12;51;47PM, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr.

1905 John Robinson Route Book #4

04-30-2012 12;35;47PM, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr. "Harry Reed, Supt. of Animals, John G. Robinson Jr. and Rev. W.H. Shek, Circus Chaplain with the two celebrated baby leopards named "Zim" after Eugene Zimmerman, Judge's famous cartoonist and "Hig" after Gov. Higgins of New York. The Reverend Shek is mentioned quite often and on one occasion blissfully married performers Gordon Orton and Etta Jordan."

1905 John Robinson Route Book #5

04-30-2012 03;14;00PM, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr.

1905 John Robinson Route Book #6

04-30-2012 03;54;40PM, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr. Sidney Rink

1905 John Robinson Route book #7

04-30-2012 04;16;57PM, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr.