Jumbo

Jumbo , 1882

Where object was made: Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom

Material/technique: earthenware

Credit line: William Bridges Thayer Memorial

Accession number: 1928.1680

Not on display

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Considered the greatest elephant in history, Jumbo inspired international admiration, songs, ceramic figurines, marketing memes, and imperial grandeur. At about 12-feet high and weighing seven tons at the peak of his fame, Jumbo was the largest animal anyone had ever seen. Jumbo was captured in 1862 as a calf in the highlands of present-day Eritrea. Brought initially to the Paris Zoo, the London Zoo traded an Indian rhinoceros to acquire the African elephant. In London, Jumbo gained fame as England’s proud pet, beloved by children and Queen Victoria. In 1882, the sale of Jumbo to P.T. Barnum for approximately $2,500 (about $66,000 in 2017) sparked national protests in England, but generated agreeable publicity for Barnum’s circus in America. Jumbo’s popularity continued even after his untimely death in Canada in 1885. Jumbo’s death was considered controversial in North American and Western Europe and was widely speculated about. Barnum toured a taxidermied Jumbo for several years before donating the stuffed hide to Tufts University, where it served as a school mascot. Although Jumbo‘s remains, along with those of other Barnum memorabilia at Tufts, perished in a fire in 1975, his skeleton is still preserved and displayed at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and not, as originally negotiated, at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.

What does Jumbo mean or symbolize to you?

How would you depict him; as a small ornament, large sculpture, painting, video game?

What part of his story would you emphasize?

Civic Leader and Art Collector: Sallie Casey Thayer and an Art Museum for KU

Considered the greatest elephant of the world, Jumbo inspired international admiration, songs, ceramic figurines, marketing memes, and imperial grandeur. At the peak of his fame, he was the biggest animal anyone had seen at about 12-feet high and weighing seven tons. Trappers captured Jumbo in 1862 as a calf in the highlands of present-day Eritrea. Initially, Jumbo was brought to the Paris Zoo, but the London Zoo traded an Indian rhinoceros to acquire the African elephant from France.

In London, Jumbo gained his fame as England’s prize pet, beloved by children as well as Queen Victoria. In 1882, Jumbo was sold to P.T. Barnum for roughly $2,500. Though this sale sparked national protests in England, it generated crucial publicity for Barnum’s circus in America. Jumbo’s popularity continued even after his untimely death in 1885. Barnum toured a taxidermied Jumbo for several years before donating the stuffed hide to Tufts University, where it served as the school mascot. While Jumbo’s remains, along with those of other Barnum memorabilia at Tufts, perished in a fire in 1975, his skeleton is still preserved and displayed at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Although he now resides in New York, Barnum originally negotiated for Jumbo to go to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.

Tap the Web icon above and click on a link to view documents relating to Barnum’s negotiations with the Smithsonian.

Tap the Web icon above and click on a link to view a Barnum poster of Jumbo.

Exhibition Label:
"Staffordshire Chimney Ornaments from the Nineteenth Century in the Collection of The University of Kansas Museum of Art," Jun-1973, Lea Rosson
In 1882 the sale of the London zoo favorite, Jumbo the elephant, to the American Barnum and Bailey Circus was a matter of great public concern. Jumbo's mate, Alice, was to be left behind at the zoo, and there was a public outcry against his leaving England. A popular song of the day was the "Jumbo and Alice Polka." Jumbo was killed in America after charging a locomotive.