Moolah Shrine Circus 1988

An assortment of photos of circuses performing in St. Louis have been found in my father's collection. Unfortunately, most are unlabeled and they all are mixed up. An effort is underway to sort the photographs and identify the herds and handlers. St. Louis, Missouri, is the hometown of ShowMe Elephants. I look forward to beginning these sets.

Moolah Shrine Circus, St. Louis, 1988
Photo Courtesy of M Easley

This group of photographs are labeled taken in 1988. The ring curbs identify the show as the Moolah Shrine Circus of St. Louis at Busch Stadium. Veteran bear trainer James C. Hall advises the headpieces identify the elephants as leased from John Cuneo's Hawthorn Corporation and were formerly used by the Hamid show with Bucky Steele. The identity of the elephants in this act, presented by Ben Dewayne, is sought.

Update 07/24/2013:
Gary Thomas identifies the elephants as Dumbo, Maude, Misty and Ronnie. Three of these four elephants ( Dumbo, Misty and Ronnie), along with an African female Tyke and an Asian female Siam, were sold by John Cueno to the Toby Tyler Circus ( Dick Garden ) in late 1985. They were delivered to the show by Ben Williams following their appearance at the Texas Shrine dates. This is documented in Circus Reports 01/06/1986 and 03/17/1986. The North American Regional Studbook for the Asian Elephant states some of the group returned to the Hawthorn Corporation on July 17, 1988 ( Misty, Ronnie, Dumbo, Maude ). If the photos are labeled correctly on the back by the printer, these photos display one of their first appearances after returning to Cuneo's ownership.

Maude was a much older elephant than the others involved, imported by Ben Davenport in 1947 for his Dailey Bros. Circus. From the 1960s to mid-1980s, she performed with the Corporation shows ( Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros., Kings Bros., Sells & Gray ). In 1985, she was replaced on the Beatty circus by Tina from Carson & Barnes Circus. It is unknown if she went directly to Toby Tyler, but she is listed in a Circus Report census on Garden's show that year, one of eight in a herd consisting of both African and Asian females.

Moolah Shrine Circus, St. Louis, 1988
Photo Courtesy of M Easley

Moolah Shrine Circus, St. Louis, 1988
Photo Courtesy of M Easley

Moolah Shrine Circus, St. Louis, 1988
Photo Courtesy of M Easley

Moolah Shrine Circus, St. Louis, 1988
Photo Courtesy of M Easley

Moolah Shrine Circus, St. Louis, 1988
Photo Courtesy of M Easley

Moolah Shrine Circus, St. Louis, 1988
Photo Courtesy of M Easley

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