M.D. writes...
"The following is what I know of these photos. I have no dates for the photos but know that Oliver Carr, my Aunt's (Dot) father and elephant trainer at the zoo lived in Los Angeles for 10 years and died on February 18, 1930. His daughter, my Aunt Dot as pictured below, was just 13 when he died. All the family papers were lost. I have just obtained his death certificate. We were told he was buried in Forest Lawn. He was actually buried at Evergreen Cemetery, in LA. The Death Certificate confirms he was a trainer at the Selig Zoo, that he resided in California for 10 years, and at his N. Broadway address for 6 years. My Aunt Dot (the little girl) also told me that her mother owned or ran a café called "White Rock Café" located near their North Broadway home in Lincoln Heights.
The little girl (Dot) is still with us today and describes
about the photos below as told by M.D.
These are photos of Aunt Dot and the settings could be the zoo. I think that she bears a strong resemblance in these photos to the girl leaning on the elephant in the Luna Park brochure on your web site. The fact that she was apparently at the zoo and riding the elephants seems to support the supposition that she is the girl on the brochure.
The man with the mustache is Oliver Carr. She says that her father did not perform and did not wear a uniform. He only trained the elephants.
I am assuming the pony photos of an older Dot were shot at the zoo.
The adult elephant in these photos could be "Annamae." Dot tells how Annamae liked her father. Previously, I mentioned that Aunt Dot stood in for Mickey Rooney in the film, which I think was a short, "Mickey's Menagerie." This must have occurred after Selig closed his studio.
The baby elephant is named Boo, the smallest elephant in captivity. 8 months old at 175 lb., 2 feet and 6 inches high. Dot is giving Boo milk and Boo works in pictures since she's been at the zoo.
This is an African baby lion three months old born on the 4th of July. The baby lion's mother worked in all of the moving pictures at the zoo.
A nice rare photo of what was behind the original Selig Zoo Gates. j.a.
Some scenes at the Zoo.
