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Item # 725106
THE BOSTON POST, May 4, 1939
* Asian elephants Dutch & Hazel
* Franklin Park Zoo in Boston gift
* Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
The front page has a two column heading: "HUB GETS GIFT OF ELEPHANTS" with subhead. (see images) The page that has the continuation of this article is missing.
Incomplete issue containing 8 of the 24 pages, a little spine wear, generally nice.
background: In 1939, the arrival of Dutch and Hazel at Boston’s Franklin Park Zoo marked a bittersweet transition from the glitz of the big top to a more settled life in the city. Both Asian elephants were veterans of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, effectively "retiring" to the zoo's historic 1915 Elephant House after decades of performance and travel. Their acquisition was a strategic move by the city during the tail end of the Great Depression; because they were gifted or sold at a nominal cost by the circus, they provided a high-profile attraction that boosted public morale without straining the zoo’s limited budget. Hazel, who had been with the circus since 1919, lived at the zoo until her death in 1945, while Dutch (often called Duchess) followed shortly after in 1946. Together, they served as the bridge between the zoo's early golden era and its mid-century evolution, remaining beloved fixtures for a generation of Bostonians who visited them during the war years.
May 04, 1939
THE BOSTON POST, May 4, 1939
* Asian elephants Dutch & Hazel
* Franklin Park Zoo in Boston gift
* Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
The front page has a two column heading: "HUB GETS GIFT OF ELEPHANTS" with subhead. (see images) The page that has the continuation of this article is missing.
Incomplete issue containing 8 of the 24 pages, a little spine wear, generally nice.
background: In 1939, the arrival of Dutch and Hazel at Boston’s Franklin Park Zoo marked a bittersweet transition from the glitz of the big top to a more settled life in the city. Both Asian elephants were veterans of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, effectively "retiring" to the zoo's historic 1915 Elephant House after decades of performance and travel. Their acquisition was a strategic move by the city during the tail end of the Great Depression; because they were gifted or sold at a nominal cost by the circus, they provided a high-profile attraction that boosted public morale without straining the zoo’s limited budget. Hazel, who had been with the circus since 1919, lived at the zoo until her death in 1945, while Dutch (often called Duchess) followed shortly after in 1946. Together, they served as the bridge between the zoo's early golden era and its mid-century evolution, remaining beloved fixtures for a generation of Bostonians who visited them during the war years.
Category: The 20th Century
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