When most of us hear the name P.T. Barnum, we automatically think of the circus and “The Greatest Show on Earth.” But many years before P.T. Barnum’s Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan, and Circus made its debut in 1870 — and 40 years before he partnered with James A. Bailey – P.T. Barnum rose to […]
Archive for the ‘Animal Attractions’ Category
1909: Uno, the Cross-Dressing, Mind-Reading Canine Star of the Fifth Avenue Theatre
Posted: 30th May 2015 by The Hatching Cat in Animal Attractions, Dog TailsTags: Apollo Hall, Augustin Daly, Fifth Avenue Theatre, Isaac Varian, J.C. Pope, New York History, Old New York, Peter Gilsey
During vaudeville’s heyday in the late 1800s and early 1900s, animal performances were a dime a dozen on New York stages and rooftop gardens, such as Proctor’s Fifth Avenue Theatre. One of the most famous performing pooches was Uno, a nondescript male terrier that was billed as “The Mind-Reading Dog,” “The Educated Dog,” and “The Dog with a Human Brain.”
1899: King and Queen, the Diving Quadrupeds of Coney Island, Brooklyn
Posted: 7th May 2015 by The Hatching Cat in Animal Attractions, Horse TalesTags: Biograph Company, Coney Island, Diving Horses, Frederick S. Armitage, King and Queen, New York History, Roosevelt Building, Sea Lion Park
Billed as the amazing high diving horses, King and Queen were two pure white Arabian horses who had a knack for diving on their own from great heights into almost any body of water.
1941: The Sea Lions and Penguins at the Prometheus Fountain Pool at Rockefeller Center
Posted: 22nd April 2015 by The Hatching Cat in Animal Attractions, Sea CreaturesTags: Bronx Zoo, New York History, Penguins, Prometheus Fountain, Rockefeller Center, Sea Lions
Ever since the first Christmas tree went up in 1931, and the outdoor skating rink opened in 1936, Rockefeller Center has been associated with ice skaters and the winter holiday season. But what many people may not know is that the Prometheus Fountain in the sunken plaza at Rockefeller Center has also been home to a few sea lions and penguins during the off season.
