John Daniel II
 John Daniel II by Valerie Harrisse Walter (SAAA) | |
| Other name(s) | Sultan |
|---|---|
| Species | Gorilla gorilla |
| Sex | Male |
| Born | c. 1920 Likely Gabon, French Equatorial Africa |
| Died | May 1926 Likely London |
| Notable role | Circus and zoo animal |
| Years active | 1923–1926 |
| Owner | Alyce Cunningham |
John Daniel II (c. 1920–1926), originally called Sultan, was a Western gorilla who was captured in August 1923[1] in the French Congo[2] when he was about three years old. The gorilla then passed into the possession of an Englishwoman named Alyce Cunningham,[3] who raised him as a successor to John Daniel I. He toured with Ringling Circus in America and was exhibited at the London Zoo before his death in 1926.
Biography
[edit]According to a 1924 press release, John Daniel II was taken from the same "gorilla village" as John Daniel I.[3] John Daniel II reportedly did not like men as a consequence of their involvement in his capture and as such needed a female chaperone at all times. He enjoyed bacon and eggs for breakfast, and took tea at 4 p.m.
John Daniel and Cunningham came to the United States from the UK in early 1924 on the SS Deutschland (1923).[2] John Daniel II lived with Cunningham at the McAlpin Hotel in New York and "even answered the door when visitors called."[4] That summer, John Daniel II and Cunningham toured with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus.[5] Per a poster held in the Ringling Museum circusiana collection he was advertised as a "Genuine Gorilla from the Wilds of Africa."[6] Valerie Harrisse Walter sketched John Daniel II in his hotel room in 1924.[7] Walter later sculpted him in bronze.[8] American journalist Mildred Seydell often performed palm readings as a gimmick to gain access to interesting interview candidates; John Daniel II was one such subject.[9]
In the winter of 1924, John Daniel II and Cunningham returned to the UK. Press reports had it that John Daniel II was to be married in London to Jenny Lind, a "spinster" gorilla in the possession of Professor T. Alexander Barnes.[10][11] Circa 1925, John Daniel II weighed about 80 lb (36 kg).[1] John Daniel II was exhibited at the London Zoo in 1925 and/or 1926, traveling to the zoo from his hotel by motorcar or taxi, arriving for his shift around 11 a.m. and leaving around 6 p.m.[12] One newspaper report claimed that John Daniel II, "the great chimpanzee, could smoke a pipe, ride a tricycle, chew tobacco, and tie his necktie."[13]
Daniel II died in London in approximately May 1926.[12][14] The cause of death was "some internal trouble such as humans suffer from."[12] With the passing of the cosmopolitan John Daniel II, American newspapers reported that the only gorilla remaining in U.S. captivity was Congo,[14] a female eastern gorilla, who was eventually passed into the custody of Robert M. Yerkes.[15]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Rehman, Richard (1926-01-01). "Gorilla a Trying Model". The Minneapolis Journal. New York World. p. 18. Retrieved 2023-02-04 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Gorilla Comes in State to New York to Be Part of the Ringling Circus". Baraboo weekly news. Baraboo, Wisconsin. 1924-04-10. Retrieved 2023-02-03 – via Chronicling America.
- ^ a b "ANOTHER GORILLA IS ON HIS WAY HERE; Cousin of John Daniel, Accompanied by Woman Guardian, to Join Circus Saturday. HE'S A JOHN DANIEL, TOO Miss Alyce Cunningham, Who Trained His Predecessor, to Be His Constant Companion". The New York Times. 1924-04-03. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
- ^ "Mate Acquired for Gargantua". Washington Evening Star. Washington, D.C. Associated Press. 1940-12-05. pp. A20. Retrieved 2023-02-03 – via Chronicling America.
- ^ Herzfeld, Chris (2017) [2012 (Paris, Editions du Seuil)]. The great apes : a short history [Petite histoire des grands singes]. Translated by Frey, Kevin. Foreword by Jane Goodall. New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 133. ISBN 978-0-300-22137-4. LCCN 2017940993. OCLC 982651819.
- ^ "Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey: John Daniel II Genuine Gorilla". emuseum.ringling.org. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
- ^ "Study sketches of John Daniel II, 1924, from the Valerie Harrisse Walter papers, 1911-1979". Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
- ^ "Valerie Harrisse Walter's sculpture John Daniel II". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
- ^ Lisby, Gregory (2019-05-10) [2006-06-02]. "Mildred Seydell". New Georgia Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
- ^ "News of the World as Seen by the Camera's Eye". Richmond Planet. Richmond, Virginia. 1924-12-06. p. 7. Retrieved 2023-02-03 – via Chronicling America.
- ^ "Science: Nuptials". Time. 1924-11-24. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
- ^ a b c "John Daniel II, Died During Strike". The Kingston Whig-Standard. Kingston, Ontario, Canada. 1926-06-28. p. 10. Retrieved 2023-02-04 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "A Glimpse of the Future". The Orwell Citizen. The Providence Journal. 1926-09-09. p. 2. Retrieved 2023-02-04 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Only One Gorilla Now in Captivity; Since Death of John Daniel II, Congo Is Sole Member of Her Species Outside Jungle. She Lives in Florida; Her Owner Disputes Woman's Theory That the Animals Should Be Treated Like Children". The New York Times. Vol. LXXV, no. 25012. 1926-07-18. p. 20. ISSN 0362-4331. ProQuest 103723611. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
- ^ Montgomery, Georgina M. (September 2009). "'Infinite Loneliness': the life and times of Miss Congo". Endeavour. 33 (3): 101–105. doi:10.1016/j.endeavour.2009.06.003. PMID 19640588.