Knott's Monkey Farm, 1960s
I have three fun photos from Knott's Monkey Farm, from what I think is the early 1960s (judging by the clothes and the buzz-cuts on some of the boys). Walter Knott knew that boysenberries were OUT, and monkeys were IN, so he wisely changed the focus of his popular farm. FYI, two of the slides had damage, which explains the different aspect ratios of the images.
It appears that boys were more fascinated by the Capuchin monkey than anybody else, and that makes sense of course. I hope they treated the little guy with kindness. Or else he might bite their thumbs off! The boy with the blue cap is wondering if he could grab the monkey and make a run for it. They would be pals forever, solve crimes, and be elected as co-Presidents of the United States someday.
I'm not sure if that boy is shaking the monkey's hand (paw?), or if he is giving him a nickel. Judging by the hands of some of the other boys, they appear to be ready with their own coins. Notice the one to the right with the Davy Crockett t-shirt! Which might mean that these photos are from the 1950s? The kid to the left is thinking, "Yeah, yeah, but can he smoke a cigarette? I want him to smoke a cigarette".
You know what? I want a monkey too!
11 comments:
Major-
I'm calling foul on the date as being from the 1960's - and not due to the Davy Crockett tee shirt. I think the boys' "fashions" scream 1950's.
"The kid to the left is thinking, "Yeah, yeah, but can he smoke a cigarette?"" Actually, he's thinking about smoking a pipe-! Talk about distinguished-!
Thanks, Major.
I've sorta wanted a monkey for most of my life. But you have to know what you're doing. They're not like peacocks, iguanas, caiman alligators, chameleons (anole lizards), or tarantulas; all of which I've had at some point in my life. Monkeys are almost human, and need to have constant care and interaction with their humans. i.e., They demand a lot of your time and effort. And I knew I wouldn't be able to fill that role. So... no monkey for me. :-(
I did have a great uncle in the wine country of Northern California (before it was really known as that) who had a monkey. I think it was a woolly monkey; bigger than a capuchin, and darker, with dense fur. When we visited in the 1960s, the monkey had a large cage in the middle of the main room of the rustic-style house. He was only in the cage at night, for sleeping. The rest of the time he had the run of the house. I suppose he must have been house-trained, although I don't remember that aspect of the situation. I do remember interacting with him... and being a little afraid of him; they have big nasty sharp teeth, after all.
Oh yeah, today's pictures... Like Nanook, I would guess this to be the late '50s. That was the peak time for boys wearing stripy t-shirts and buzz cuts, I know I did.
Walter Knott made a wise decision to do away with those messy boysenberries and switch to monkeys... a no-brainer!
I hadn't thought of my great uncle's monkey for decades. Thanks, Major.
I wonder if the organ grinder was paid for performing at Knott's, or if he just had to rely on tips from guests? Maybe Walter Knott paid him and his monkey with day-old corn dogs and popcorn?
Walter Knott must have liked monkeys, because he eventually built the "Monkey Cage" over near the "Seal Pit." Speaking of monkey cages, whatever happened to Monkey Cage Kurt?
Thanks for the Knott's Monkey Farm images, Major!
I’ve never quite understood the connection between monkeys and sausage-makers.
Note the subtle differences between the identically-dressed twins in the second photo. One has his shirt tucked in, the other doesn’t. Mr. Sloppy is smiling and Mr. Neat looks pensive. Photos like this remind me of how much we miss Melissa.
Thanks, Major!
Wow, this was Knotts? I think I just remembered this! As Mrs. G would say, “the Penny dropped”…
I remember a little organ grinder monkey wearing clothes, just like this one. I gave him a nickel, just like the boys in the photos. But until now, no idea when or where it might have been. I remember he had nasty little fingernails, but I did not see him smoke anything.
Chuck, I miss Melissa too. And Monkey Cage Kurt.
Major, thanks for the flash of Deja Who.
JG
I've always wanted a monkey as well. Maybe it's a "boy" thing, but I did not want lizards or tarantulas....Even though the series "Lancelot Link" were chimps, we called them monkeys and I LOVED that series. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3ctZI9_oyo Of course, none of this can be done today, and I hope no chimps or monkeys were harmed in their exploitation. When in Africa, monkeys were kind of everywhere...and your hotel rooms often had visitors who knew how to open doors, and invariably, when you arrived there would almost always be a monkey in there waiting for you....and your luggage...which to them was always filled with candies and treats. After a few weeks, you get used to them. They knew how to work louvers in windows too. You had to lock your bags always, or else it would look like you were robbed. And perhaps, you would be robbed. Switching gears: when looking for a house in the Hollywood Hills we came across a couple of houses with little turret-like buildings away from the house...like a little "folly" of sorts....turns out that many old Hollywood stars kept gibbons as pets, and these were gibbon houses. e.g. Chimp in Sunset Blvd. One of the houses was Joan Blondells, but the gibbon may have preceded her. Thanks Major for the monkeying around this morning!
Nanook, “I'm calling foul on the date as being from the 1960’s” - see my text for photo #2!
JB, I have about 200 monkeys, and they are surprisingly easy to care for. In fact I expect that soon they will be caring for me - making my meals, driving me to the bank, and so on. In my opinion you should definitely get many monkeys. A woolly monkey? I’ve never heard of those, but you could brush him and braid his hair just like a Barbie. Monkeys *will* bite you, but only if you are delicious. I was not born until the 1960s, and I had a buzz cut until perhaps 1965. That Davy Crockett shirt pretty much seals the deal on the photos being from the 1950s though. I wish my uncle had a monkey, but he just owned a dumb elephant.
TokyoMagic!, there was a very powerful organ grinder’s union, he probably got healthcare, paid holidays, and a big pension. That doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t happily accept day-old popcorn, however. I think Monkey Cage Kurt had fun with GDB for a short while, and then was “over it”. It happens.
Chuck, monkey sausage was a favorite of Napoleon. He was reaching for a small piece inside his vest in that famous portrait. I’m afraid I am more like Mr. Sloppy, but I’ll never change.
JG, I wonder if organ grinders with monkeys still exist anywhere? It feels like such an old-fashioned idea, plus people often don’t like seeing animals forced to perform. Disneyland had its own organ grinder for a short while, in fact I have wondered if it was the same fellow, moving to Knott’s after his Disney days?
Bu, we did have anole chameleons when I was a kid, we loved to watch them change colors - unfortunately it was only from green to brown and back again, nothing cool like green to blue, or green to red. I still see people referring to apes as monkeys, but I guess “monkey” has become a generic term. As a senior gorilla, it bothers me! I’ve seen plenty of videos of people in countries that have monkeys, they will steal your food, your phones, and anything else they can get their hands on. I’m not sure I would enjoy being surrounded by dozens of monkeys “in the wild”. The ones in my home are all well-behaved! Hollywood stars keeping gibbons - I am against people keeping exotic pets, I don’t really get it. They aren’t tame, keeping them as pets seems cruel, and it’s just dumb. Years ago, somebody who owned a tiger who lived near my mom managed to let it out, and for days people were terrified of a tiger on the loose. Another guy had an illegal cobra that escaped. Argh.
Chuck, it took me a looong time to get the connection between "monkeys and sausage-makers" and these pics. Sort of 'eewww' inducing. :-p
Major, I see you've thought out your golden years: Monkeys!
Why can't they give the Capuchin a Davy Crockett outfit and a rifle.
I have a distant relative who owned a venomous snake that sent him to the hospital and nearly paralyzed him. I don't understand why anyone would own a wild animal.
TokyoMagic!, there was a very powerful organ grinder’s union, he probably got healthcare, paid holidays, and a big pension.
Not after Marion Knott busted up that union! Or maybe she prevented it from ever organizing at all, just like she did back in 1982! Then she immediately imposed a wage freeze on the organ grinder, just like she did to all of the employees back in 1982, right after the majority of them voted "No" on the union coming into Knott's. (Apparently, her crocodile tears at all of those mandatory employee meetings worked.) But it's not like I'm bitter or anything.
Chuck, the organ grinder was named Johnny Verbeck…
Post a Comment