United Kingdom George Bruce Chapman (1885 - 1935) Chapmans Animal Dealers

zoowhosewho

zoowhosewho

Well-Known Member
78039182_10157734809329133_2425770801199316992_o.jpg
Chapmans Animal Dealers / Circus , Zoo and Museum (?)... Chapmans was established in either 1922 or 1923 (the business seemingly having been purchased from John Hamlyn naturalist and Animal dealer who passed away in 1922) This 1924 advert shows that George Bruce Chapman (1885-1935) ran his main office / shop from 17 Tottenham Court Road London W1 ... It states 2 telephone numbers one being for the "Museum" ... there is also an address for an Animal Depot at 11 High Street Barnet .... Having checked on both property addresses today it is evident that both have been rebuilt in the 95 years since the advert .... 17 Tottenham Court Road is now glass fronted retail premises and 11 High Street Barnet is a large charity shop ... The business moved from number 17 to Number 24 Tottenham Court Road...

Chapmans Circus began in 1928 and as Mr Chapman knew nothing about Circuses Fossetts were assisting.
On 28th March 1934 Mr Chapman was a partner in the newly formed Belfast Zoo .... Upon Mr Chapmans death in 1935 it was thought that the Animal Dealing Business , 2 Travelling Circuses and other related businesses would fold ... but his younger sister Ada Mary Chapman (1880-1965) stepped into the breach and ran all the businesses successfully ... and successful she was ... and then in March 1940 due to the slump in circus activity since the start of World War 2 there was an auction of the circus and many of the Circus animals .... Ada could not bear to be parted from her Elephants and purchased them at the auction...Also present at the auction were many other Zoos and Private collectors ... Bears , Hyenas, Tigers and Penguins were amongst some of the animals sold at auction .... The animals that were not sold moved with Ada Chapman (and some of her Circus Workers) to a village called Suckley in Worcester ... sadly one of the Elephants died in December 1941 .... In 1942 the animals and Ada Chapman moved to Tack Farm , Bromyard , Herefordshire ... Ada Chapman passed away in 1965 ...
I am unsure as to when the Chapman family involvement with Belfast Zoo ended (possibly 1960's) but will research further
 
zoowhosewho said:
78039182_10157734809329133_2425770801199316992_o.jpg
Chapmans Animal Dealers / Circus , Zoo and Museum (?)... Chapmans was established in either 1922 or 1923 (the business seemingly having been purchased from John Hamlyn naturalist and Animal dealer who passed away in 1922) This 1924 advert shows that George Bruce Chapman (1885-1935) ran his main office / shop from 17 Tottenham Court Road London W1 ... It states 2 telephone numbers one being for the "Museum" ... there is also an address for an Animal Depot at 11 High Street Barnet .... Having checked on both property addresses today it is evident that both have been rebuilt in the 95 years since the advert .... 17 Tottenham Court Road is now glass fronted retail premises and 11 High Street Barnet is a large charity shop ... The business moved from number 17 to Number 24 Tottenham Court Road...

Chapmans Circus began in 1928 and as Mr Chapman knew nothing about Circuses Fossetts were assisting.
On 28th March 1934 Mr Chapman was a partner in the newly formed Belfast Zoo .... Upon Mr Chapmans death in 1935 it was thought that the Animal Dealing Business , 2 Travelling Circuses and other related businesses would fold ... but his younger sister Ada Mary Chapman (1880-1965) stepped into the breach and ran all the businesses successfully ... and successful she was ... and then in March 1940 due to the slump in circus activity since the start of World War 2 there was an auction of the circus and many of the Circus animals .... Ada could not bear to be parted from her Elephants and purchased them at the auction...Also present at the auction were many other Zoos and Private collectors ... Bears , Hyenas, Tigers and Penguins were amongst some of the animals sold at auction .... The animals that were not sold moved with Ada Chapman (and some of her Circus Workers) to a village called Suckley in Worcester ... sadly one of the Elephants died in December 1941 .... In 1942 the animals and Ada Chapman moved to Tack Farm , Bromyard , Herefordshire ... Ada Chapman passed away in 1965 ...
I am unsure as to when the Chapman family involvement with Belfast Zoo ended (possibly 1960's) but will research further
Click to expand...
I'm guessing that advert is from the Avicultural Magazine?
 
zoowhosewho said:
This 1924 advert shows that George Bruce Chapman (1885-1935) ran his main office / shop from 17 Tottenham Court Road London W1 ... It states 2 telephone numbers one being for the "Museum" ... there is also an address for an Animal Depot at 11 High Street Barnet ....
Click to expand...
I don't think one of the telephone numbers for the Tottenham Court Road premises was for the "museum"; rather "Museum" was the telephone exchange for that area of London, just as "Barnet" was the telephone exchange for the area of London where his Animal Depot was located.
 
zoowhosewho said:
78039182_10157734809329133_2425770801199316992_o.jpg
Chapmans Animal Dealers / Circus , Zoo and Museum (?)... Chapmans was established in either 1922 or 1923 (the business seemingly having been purchased from John Hamlyn naturalist and Animal dealer who passed away in 1922) This 1924 advert shows that George Bruce Chapman (1885-1935) ran his main office / shop from 17 Tottenham Court Road London W1 ... It states 2 telephone numbers one being for the "Museum" ... there is also an address for an Animal Depot at 11 High Street Barnet .... Having checked on both property addresses today it is evident that both have been rebuilt in the 95 years since the advert .... 17 Tottenham Court Road is now glass fronted retail premises and 11 High Street Barnet is a large charity shop ... The business moved from number 17 to Number 24 Tottenham Court Road...

Chapmans Circus began in 1928 and as Mr Chapman knew nothing about Circuses Fossetts were assisting.
On 28th March 1934 Mr Chapman was a partner in the newly formed Belfast Zoo .... Upon Mr Chapmans death in 1935 it was thought that the Animal Dealing Business , 2 Travelling Circuses and other related businesses would fold ... but his younger sister Ada Mary Chapman (1880-1965) stepped into the breach and ran all the businesses successfully ... and successful she was ... and then in March 1940 due to the slump in circus activity since the start of World War 2 there was an auction of the circus and many of the Circus animals .... Ada could not bear to be parted from her Elephants and purchased them at the auction...Also present at the auction were many other Zoos and Private collectors ... Bears , Hyenas, Tigers and Penguins were amongst some of the animals sold at auction .... The animals that were not sold moved with Ada Chapman (and some of her Circus Workers) to a village called Suckley in Worcester ... sadly one of the Elephants died in December 1941 .... In 1942 the animals and Ada Chapman moved to Tack Farm , Bromyard , Herefordshire ... Ada Chapman passed away in 1965 ...
I am unsure as to when the Chapman family involvement with Belfast Zoo ended (possibly 1960's) but will research further
Click to expand...
 
Chapman also operated a travelling menagerie, in addition to his circus ventures; it was known as "The Great Chapmans' London Olympia Zoo" but I have not determined which years it ran, nor where it visited. I have a photocopy of their guidebook (or "Descriptive Programme" as it was called) which confirms the Tottenham Court Road address, but now with 4 telephone numbers, but also there was an East End Depot; a Quarantine Station at 3, Sage Street, London; and a Zoological and Waterfowl Country Depot at Withdean Hall, Brighton, about which I would be keen to find out more. Whether by plan or co-incidence, proposals were made to build a zoo in Withdean, (but perhaps not necessarily at Withdean Hall?) Brighton in 1935. As a result of the War the latter site was not developed until 1947 and, while there may have been some exotic animals there since 1947, the Withdean, or Brighton, Zoo was not officially opened until 1949, by an actress, Jean Kent. There appears to be a clear Chapman link with Brighton Zoo, but it is noted that G.B. Chapman died in 1935.
 
zooboy said:
Chapman also operated a travelling menagerie, in addition to his circus ventures; it was known as "The Great Chapmans' London Olympia Zoo" but I have not determined which years it ran, nor where it visited. I have a photocopy of their guidebook (or "Descriptive Programme" as it was called) which confirms the Tottenham Court Road address, but now with 4 telephone numbers, but also there was an East End Depot; a Quarantine Station at 3, Sage Street, London; and a Zoological and Waterfowl Country Depot at Withdean Hall, Brighton, about which I would be keen to find out more. Whether by plan or co-incidence, proposals were made to build a zoo in Withdean, (but perhaps not necessarily at Withdean Hall?) Brighton in 1935. As a result of the War the latter site was not developed until 1947 and, while there may have been some exotic animals there since 1947, the Withdean, or Brighton, Zoo was not officially opened until 1949, by an actress, Jean Kent. There appears to be a clear Chapman link with Brighton Zoo, but it is noted that G.B. Chapman died in 1935.
Click to expand...
zooboy said:
Chapman also operated a travelling menagerie, in addition to his circus ventures; it was known as "The Great Chapmans' London Olympia Zoo" but I have not determined which years it ran, nor where it visited. I have a photocopy of their guidebook (or "Descriptive Programme" as it was called) which confirms the Tottenham Court Road address, but now with 4 telephone numbers, but also there was an East End Depot; a Quarantine Station at 3, Sage Street, London; and a Zoological and Waterfowl Country Depot at Withdean Hall, Brighton, about which I would be keen to find out more. Whether by plan or co-incidence, proposals were made to build a zoo in Withdean, (but perhaps not necessarily at Withdean Hall?) Brighton in 1935. As a result of the War the latter site was not developed until 1947 and, while there may have been some exotic animals there since 1947, the Withdean, or Brighton, Zoo was not officially opened until 1949, by an actress, Jean Kent. There appears to be a clear Chapman link with Brighton Zoo, but it is noted that G.B. Chapman died in 1935.
Click to expand...
zooboy said:
Chapman also operated a travelling menagerie, in addition to his circus ventures; it was known as "The Great Chapmans' London Olympia Zoo" but I have not determined which years it ran, nor where it visited. I have a photocopy of their guidebook (or "Descriptive Programme" as it was called) which confirms the Tottenham Court Road address, but now with 4 telephone numbers, but also there was an East End Depot; a Quarantine Station at 3, Sage Street, London; and a Zoological and Waterfowl Country Depot at Withdean Hall, Brighton, about which I would be keen to find out more. Whether by plan or co-incidence, proposals were made to build a zoo in Withdean, (but perhaps not necessarily at Withdean Hall?) Brighton in 1935. As a result of the War the latter site was not developed until 1947 and, while there may have been some exotic animals there since 1947, the Withdean, or Brighton, Zoo was not officially opened until 1949, by an actress, Jean Kent. There appears to be a clear Chapman link with Brighton Zoo, but it is noted that G.B. Chapman died in 1935.
Click to expand...
The circus began in 1928 after George Chapman death in 1935 it was continued by his sister until when the circus and animals were auctioned off
 
zoowhosewho said:
78039182_10157734809329133_2425770801199316992_o.jpg
Chapmans Animal Dealers / Circus , Zoo and Museum (?)... Chapmans was established in either 1922 or 1923 (the business seemingly having been purchased from John Hamlyn naturalist and Animal dealer who passed away in 1922) This 1924 advert shows that George Bruce Chapman (1885-1935) ran his main office / shop from 17 Tottenham Court Road London W1 ... It states 2 telephone numbers one being for the "Museum" ... there is also an address for an Animal Depot at 11 High Street Barnet .... Having checked on both property addresses today it is evident that both have been rebuilt in the 95 years since the advert .... 17 Tottenham Court Road is now glass fronted retail premises and 11 High Street Barnet is a large charity shop ... The business moved from number 17 to Number 24 Tottenham Court Road...

Chapmans Circus began in 1928 and as Mr Chapman knew nothing about Circuses Fossetts were assisting.
On 28th March 1934 Mr Chapman was a partner in the newly formed Belfast Zoo .... Upon Mr Chapmans death in 1935 it was thought that the Animal Dealing Business , 2 Travelling Circuses and other related businesses would fold ... but his younger sister Ada Mary Chapman (1880-1965) stepped into the breach and ran all the businesses successfully ... and successful she was ... and then in March 1940 due to the slump in circus activity since the start of World War 2 there was an auction of the circus and many of the Circus animals .... Ada could not bear to be parted from her Elephants and purchased them at the auction...Also present at the auction were many other Zoos and Private collectors ... Bears , Hyenas, Tigers and Penguins were amongst some of the animals sold at auction .... The animals that were not sold moved with Ada Chapman (and some of her Circus Workers) to a village called Suckley in Worcester ... sadly one of the Elephants died in December 1941 .... In 1942 the animals and Ada Chapman moved to Tack Farm , Bromyard , Herefordshire ... Ada Chapman passed away in 1965 ...
I am unsure as to when the Chapman family involvement with Belfast Zoo ended (possibly 1960's) but will research further
Click to expand...
Very interesting to read more about Chapman, have done some research about him myself.
 
zoowhosewho said:
The circus began in 1928 after George Chapman death in 1935 it was continued by his sister until when the circus and animals were auctioned off
Click to expand...
Could you please upload a copy of this guidebook? I have been researching G.B. Chapman for some time and would be really interested in seeing it. Thank you.
 
SarahMica said:
Could you please upload a copy of this guidebook? I have been researching G.B. Chapman for some time and would be really interested in seeing it. Thank you.
Click to expand...
Hi I have no guidebook. This is all information that I have gathered from books the Internet and Newspaper archives.
 
zooboy said:
Chapman also operated a travelling menagerie, in addition to his circus ventures; it was known as "The Great Chapmans' London Olympia Zoo" but I have not determined which years it ran, nor where it visited. I have a photocopy of their guidebook (or "Descriptive Programme" as it was called) which confirms the Tottenham Court Road address, but now with 4 telephone numbers, but also there was an East End Depot; a Quarantine Station at 3, Sage Street, London; and a Zoological and Waterfowl Country Depot at Withdean Hall, Brighton, about which I would be keen to find out more. Whether by plan or co-incidence, proposals were made to build a zoo in Withdean, (but perhaps not necessarily at Withdean Hall?) Brighton in 1935. As a result of the War the latter site was not developed until 1947 and, while there may have been some exotic animals there since 1947, the Withdean, or Brighton, Zoo was not officially opened until 1949, by an actress, Jean Kent. There appears to be a clear Chapman link with Brighton Zoo, but it is noted that G.B. Chapman died in 1935.
Click to expand...
Can I see the guidebook?
 
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