Jumbo the Elephant: The Life and Legacy of History’s Most Famous Circus Animal

by Charles River Editors

*Includes pictures*Includes accounts of Jumbo's life written by his trainer, P.T. Barnum, and contemporary newspapers*Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading*Includes a table of contents“I had often looked wistfully on Jumbo, but with no hope of ever getting possession of him, as I knew him to be a great favorite of Queen Victoria, whose children and grandchildren are among the tens of thousands of British juveniles whom Jumbo had carried on his back. I did not suppose he would ever be sold.” – P.T. BarnumModern views of animals range from hunters who pay big money to go on safaris in Africa to vegans who refuse to use even the wool or milk from a fellow creature, and as is the case with most controversies, most people fall in the middle, not wanting to kick a dog but still enjoying a good steak. However, in the early 20th century, the standards were much different, with animals seen as strictly property to be gathered and used with little to no consideration about their health or feelings. It was into this world that a little elephant later called Jumbo was born. He quickly learned the harsh realities of life when his mother was killed by hunters before his first birthday. Then he himself was taken from his sunny home and transported thousands of miles to soggy London, where he was expected to spend his days on display or earning his very limited keep by carrying small children for rides on his back. While he was fed hay, dry grass that was at least some substitute for the fresh greenery of the African plains, he was also fed both beer and hard liquor, oysters, cakes and candy, a diet that would have severely shortened his life had not a terrible accident ended it first.During this time his one faithful friend, a man named Matthew Scott, tried to do the best he could to care for the animal and even meet his emotional needs. However, even Scott was hampered by the times in which he lived, especially when the command came to walk an 11 foot tall Jumbo into a crate barely big enough to hold him and to travel with him in these cramped quarters for a two week trip across another ocean to yet another unfamiliar land. Ironically, it was that same trip that made Jumbo an international celebrity. Americans had loved traveling circuses for generations, and none represent the country’s love for entertainment quite like the most famous of them the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Circus promoters have long been viewed as somewhat shady hucksters, but none could top P.T. Barnum, who used a blend of traditional circus entertainment, freak show exhibits, and outright hoaxes to create “The Greatest Show on Earth”. In fact, Barnum had specialized in circus entertainment decades before traveling circuses were truly a national sensation, particularly thanks to the popularity of the Barnum American Museum in New York City. Barnum’s museum offered something for everyone across its different halls, from poetic readings to animal exhibits, and all the while, Barnum was defiant when confronted by criticism, reminding people, "I am a showman by profession...and all the gilding shall make nothing else of me."Jumbo was not a pet to P.T. Barnum but an investment, an attraction that soon paid off in a big way. But Jumbo was also beginning to suffer the effects of his poor lifestyle even as fate led him toward his death on a crowded railroad track. It’s a story that saddens many today, but in the 1880s, it was more or less the way things were. Nonetheless, the influence Jumbo had was fitting given his size, leading not only to similar acts across various traveling circuses but also to adaptations of his story, perhaps most notably Disney’s Dumbo in the 1940s.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

93 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 31, 2016

About the author

Charles River Editors is an independent publisher of thousands of ebooks on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and Apple iBookstore & provider of original content for third parties.

Reviews

[Justine 🦊🍂 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is around 52 pages, including illustrations and photos, but somehow manages to pack an emotional punch while delivering the key elements of an extraordinary story. This slim volume proves that sometimes less is more, especially when the subject matter is as compelling as Jumbo's life.
The book wastes no time, efficiently chronicling Jumbo's journey from the London Zoo to P.T. Barnum's circus – a sale that caused such an uproar in Britain that Queen Victoria herself reportedly expressed concern. Through careful curation of historical details, the authors paint a vivid picture of how one elephant became a Victorian celebrity whose name would eventually define anything of massive proportions.
At the heart of this brief account is Jumbo's touching relationship with his keeper, Matthew Scott. Even in such a condensed format, their bond comes through clearly, offering a poignant contrast to the commercial exploitation that defined much of Jumbo's existence. The authors don't need many pages to convey the sadness of Jumbo's story – his night rages, his difficult life as a performing animal, and his tragic death on the railroad tracks at just 24 years old.
While you won't find exhaustive historical detail in such a short book, what's here is well-chosen and impactful. The included illustrations and photographs help bring the story to life, showing readers why this particular elephant captured the imagination of two continents.
For its brevity, the book delivers a surprisingly complete picture of Jumbo's lasting influence on popular culture and language. It's remarkable how efficiently the authors convey both the historical facts and emotional weight of Jumbo's story, making each page count. While some readers might wish for more detail, this concise account serves as an affecting introduction to one of history's most famous animals.

[Jerry Jares · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodness, veterinarians were not much in evidence in the 1880s, according to this book.  I would have expected a vet to be along on the trip from London to the US if nothing else.  It is a tragedy how Jumbo died, but he probably wouldn't have lived much longer anyway.  He was routinely fed junk food and alcohol.  Once a wild animal loses its teeth, it slowly dies due to starvation (without teeth, he cannot chew food).

I would have liked to have heard what happened to the two men who traversed the ocean with Jumbo after the elephant died (Matthew Scott and William Newman).  Did they stay in the US or go back to England?  Also, I would have liked for the authors to have given a bit more info about the African elephant.  I googled the subject and found out that they live 60 to 70 years, which is why the book said he was early middle-aged at death (he was 24-years then).  The photos and posters were exceptional and added so much to the enjoyment of this unique story.

[Diarmuid O'Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting but Rushed End

The beginning of Jumbo's life is well detailed and his trip to the US is highly detailed, but by the end its rushed and the details of his time in the US are sparse. The ending is completely focused on Barnum. Still very interesting bit of history, but less satisfactory than it could be.

[Jeimy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot of this book is told--almost entirely in its entirety--in the Goodreads summary.

[Darren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good read

It was not the story I was expecting; however, I enjoyed the background information behind how B.B. circus was started.