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- Piece of Tusk Taken Posthumously from Jumbo the Elephant, 1885 - Jumbo was the largest animal in captivity when showman P. T. Barnum purchased it from the London Zoological Society in 1882. The 11-foot, 6-ton African elephant became the latest--and probably the most famous--spectacle in Barnum and Bailey's traveling circus. Jumbo died in a tragic train accident in 1885. Pieces of his tusks were made into souvenirs to commemorate the life of the giant-sized attraction.
- September 15, 1885
- Collections - Artifact
Piece of Tusk Taken Posthumously from Jumbo the Elephant, 1885
Jumbo was the largest animal in captivity when showman P. T. Barnum purchased it from the London Zoological Society in 1882. The 11-foot, 6-ton African elephant became the latest--and probably the most famous--spectacle in Barnum and Bailey's traveling circus. Jumbo died in a tragic train accident in 1885. Pieces of his tusks were made into souvenirs to commemorate the life of the giant-sized attraction.