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The following
photographic-rich article features the Jackalope which is
one of the most popular monsters seen at Dime Museums (a
pay-per-view exhibitions of curiosities and oddities
produced by sideshows in America.) This manuscript was
produced by Dr. Eriko N. Bond, an active art critic and
author in New York City, as told by Yamada and edited by
Diane M. Taros. The
Limited Non-Resident Jackalope License,
Jackalope brochure, “The
legend of the Jackalope”, “Proclamation” by the
Governor of the state of Wyoming are provided
by Mrs. Sheryl Herrick (wife of Michael Herrick) to Takeshi
Yamada.
White-Tailed Jack Rabbit
Prong-horned Antelope (detail) Jackalope
(Illustrations of rabbits & antelopes by John Audubon in
The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America)
Jackalope
The Jackalope as seen at
sideshows, taxidermy shops, novelty stores, and gift shops
in America, is a fictional cross
between a jackrabbit and an antelope (hence the name) and is
usually portrayed as a rabbit with antlers.
Today’s standard-style Jackalopes sold at novelty stores
have deer horns. The Jackalope is considered
as “novelty taxidermy” among professional taxidermists.
Technically speaking, the
Jackalope is one of good examples of freak taxidermy made of
100% animals’ body parts (except man-made materials stuffed
inside and glass eyes) commonly exhibited at American
sideshow.
Note: Because the Jackalope
is not a sea creature, it is not technically considered as a
Jenny Haniver. The term "Jenny
Haniver" is known to have two meanings, one general and one
specific. In the general sense, it means a preserved hoax
creature made from a real sea creature such as fish. The
most extreme and best known example of Jenny Haviver is the
Fiji mermaid.
In the specific sense,
Jenny Haniver is the name
for stingrays and skates mutilated to resemble mythical
creatures, everything from a Sea Eagle, Devil Fish, Sea
Devil, Basilisk, Chupacabra, Baby Dragon, and even Alien
from other planet. The body of the ray is made of soft
tissue, undeveloped muscles, and cartridges (no bones), thus
it is a very flexible material for an artist to form exotic
creature with strange shapes easily.
The Jackalope is also
called an antelabbit, horny
bunny, aunt benny, stagbunny, Jack hare, Jacka
rabbit, Jackelope, Jackolope, Jack-o-lope, Jack-a-lope or
Jackalop. Apparently, the original name and story of this
animal was passed down among people orally and created
variations. The Jackalope was originally created by Douglas
Herrick in Wyoming in America in 1939. (See Part 2 for
details.) This is a creature cherished by the common people
rather than exclusive scientists of empty skirts (and empty
suits) dwelling in the ivory nests in the remote island.
When Takeshi Yamada was a
child in Japan, he learned about the Jackalope when he
investigated the “Cabinet of Curiosities” which was
popularized in the 16th century in Europe.
He originally thought that the Jackalope is an American
version of the famous phrase, “"beautiful as the chance
encounter of a sewing machine and an umbrella on a
dissecting table", which became the revolution flag of one
of the modern European art movements called Surrealism in
the early 20th century.
Note: Surrealism was
founded in Paris
in 1924 by André Breton with his Manifesto of Surrealism.
This new art movement lead by the giant of the literature
inherited its anti-rationalist sensibility from Dada, but
was much lighter in spirit and expression than that
movement. Just like Dada, it was shaped by emerging theories
on our perception of reality, influenced by Freud's new
psychological model - subconsciousness. Example of artists
excelled in this art movements are Salvador Dali, Max Ernst,
Rene Magritte, Francis Picabia, Jean Arp, Marcel Duchamp, Francis
Picabia, Giorgio de Chirico, Man Ray, Paul Delvaux, and
Yves Tanguy.
The Jackalope is an animal
of enigma – embodiment of contradictory elements of terror
and cuteness. This is an animal with the aggressiveness of a
horned beast and submissiveness of the rabbit. If alchemists
of the 16the century in the Europe knew about this sweet
monster, Yamada believed they cherished this gentle beast.
There are several websites stating that the Jackalope is
almost as fearful and dangerous beast as the Basilisk. The
Basilisk is a mythological deadly monstrous snake-like
beast; people could die even just watching it. Incidentally,
this poisonous giant monster was depicted as a giant killer
snake in the recent fantasy adventure movie “Harry Potter
and the Chamber of Secrets” released in America in 2002.
Flying Jackalope
There are
several variations of the Jackalope. For example, the
traveling sideshows (Dime
Museum
style show) of Bobby Reynolds had a series of
“transitional-looking quasi Jackalopes” in his collections
entitled “Freakatorium Menagerie”.
A series
of vividly colored huge banners outside of the Bobby
Reynolds’s sideshow tent.
Photographs by Takeshi Yamada and Dr. Eriko N. Bond,
Coney
Island,
2001)
Specifically
speaking, one of the Jackalopes Yamada saw at Reynolds’s
spectacular sideshow tent in 2001 in
Coney Island
had a bird’s body, wings, tail feathers, and legs. It was
displayed between the “normal Jackalope” and “punk birds”
(artificially enhanced gaff birds). They were proudly
exhibited on the tall wooden display shelf by the mounted
six-legged calf on the pedestal. For Yamada, it was truly a
beautiful fine art exhibition which displaying the evolution
of creative ideas in the form of taxidermy. These one of a
kind artists - Herrick and Reynolds - truly got the spirit
of Surrealism at the Parthenon of fine art and pop art. They
were the alchemists of taxidermy art in their own rights.
Examples of the Flying Jackalope made of body parts of
rabbit, deer antler, and bird.
The Flying Jackalope submitted at the annual taxidermy
contest of Minnesota
Association of Rogue Taxidermists at Union Hall in Brooklyn,
New York in 2006.
Note the horn-like antlers on it’s head. It’s feet and the
upper portion are of a bird.
It did not have rabbit-like ears. (photograph by Takeshi
Yamada)
Pop
Culture of Jackalope
The
Jackalope taxidermy is often said to be the bestseller among
all the off-the-shelf animal taxidermies at novelty shops
and gift shops. In fact, there are many internet websites
dedicated to this monstrous animal. Varieties of
merchandises featuring Jackalopes are very popular. Examples
of them are postcards, desk calendar, slippers, Jackalope
hunting license, figurine, dolls, baseball-caps, rubber
stamps, stickers, T-shirts, (unofficial) coins, (unofficial)
road signs, and children’s book.
Examples of novelties portraying the Jackalope.
Douglas, Wyoming, Limited Non-Resident Jackalope License
Jackalope brochure (front)
Jackalope brochure (back)
“The legend of the Jackalope” by Marge Herrick (wife of
Douglas Herrick)
Proclamation by the Governor of the state of Wyoming
The
Jackalope is a really big business. There are absolutely no
other freak animals as popular as the Jackalope in American
circus sideshow.
Takeshi Yamada considers there are two kinds of American
circus sideshow monsters. One is belonged to the sunny side
and another is belonged to the dark side. For him, the
Jackalope is a super pop cultural icon of the sunny side.
The creatures belong to the dark side are two-headed baby in
a jar (whether they are real or man-made bouncers) and the
mummified Fiji mermaid (made of mummified monkey body and
fish tail).
(Continue to Part 2)
All rights
reserved by Takeshi Yamada, November 2006.
Museum of
World Wonders in Coney Island, 1405 Neptune Avenue,
Brooklyn, New York 11224, USA.
E-mail:
yamada108@aol.com
Special
thanks to
Michael Herrick, Sheryl Herrick,
Eriko N.
Bond, Lauren D. Travis, and Diane M. Taros.
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