Gertrude Lintz
Encyclopedia
Gertrude Davies Lintz was an eccentric animal lover from Brooklyn, New York.
She kept several animals in her Brooklyn home, including several St. Bernards
and the famous gorilla
s Gargantua
(called Buddy at that time) and Massa
. She was known to drive around Brooklyn with a fully clothed gorilla or chimpanzee
sitting in the passenger seat. She believed that apes would only thrive if they received proper mothering (she gained national attention by proposing this to the scientific community) so she treated them as her children - dressing them, teaching them to eat at the table with cutlery and so forth.
Buddy/Gargantua later became a major circus attraction after being sold to The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
in 1937. He had been frightened by a thunder storm and, having escaped from his cage, climbed into bed with his "mother", Mrs Lintz. Massa was sold to the Philadelphia Zoo
in 1935 after being severely startled when accidentally splashed with water. He became the oldest gorilla on record at 54 years old and his story, with elements of Gargantua's life, was made into the film Buddy (1997
). Mrs. Lintz was played by Rene Russo
.
Earlier, Mrs Lintz had another claim to fame when, on February 21, 1925 her St. Bernard
, CH Hercuveen Aurora Borealis, became the first of her breed to win an All-Breed Best In Show (at the Maryland Kennel Club’s twelfth annual dog show in Baltimore, Maryland).
One of her chimpanzees, Captain Jiggs, also became a well known national figure. In 1938 she claimed to have taught another chimpanzee, Susan, to talk and demonstrated this on the radio. The only words spoken by the chimp were "Who-who."
She was married to Dr. Bill Lintz, a stomach specialist. They lived at 8365 Shore Road in Brooklyn
, New York City
, a water-front "brownstone
stoop of a mansion
of faded grandeur straight out of Charles Addams
’ macabre cartoons" according to Henry Ringling North
She was the author of Animals are my Hobby (Museum Press Limited (1945). ASIN B0007JAIJC).
She kept several animals in her Brooklyn home, including several St. Bernards
St. Bernard (dog)
The St. Bernard is a breed of very large working dog from the Italian and Swiss Alps, originally bred for rescue. The breed has become famous through tales of alpine rescues, as well as for its large size.-Appearance:The St. Bernard is a large dog...
and the famous gorilla
Gorilla
Gorillas are the largest extant species of primates. They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies...
s Gargantua
Gargantua (gorilla)
Gargantua was a captive lowland gorilla who was famous in his lifetime and has been credited with saving the Ringling Brothers circus from bankruptcy. An acid scar on his face gave Gargantua a snarling, menacing expression, and the circus management attracted attention to him by emphasizing, in...
(called Buddy at that time) and Massa
Massa (gorilla)
Massa lived to be 54 years old, and until 2008 was the longest lived gorilla ever recorded.Massa was born in the wild in Ghana. He was shipped to America at an early age and his first owner was Brooklyn eccentric Gertrude Lintz. In 1935, after accidentally spilling water on Massa, which...
. She was known to drive around Brooklyn with a fully clothed gorilla or chimpanzee
Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
sitting in the passenger seat. She believed that apes would only thrive if they received proper mothering (she gained national attention by proposing this to the scientific community) so she treated them as her children - dressing them, teaching them to eat at the table with cutlery and so forth.
Buddy/Gargantua later became a major circus attraction after being sold to The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is an American circus company. The company was started when the circus created by James Anthony Bailey and P. T. Barnum was merged with the Ringling Brothers Circus. The Ringling brothers purchased the Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1907, but ran the circuses...
in 1937. He had been frightened by a thunder storm and, having escaped from his cage, climbed into bed with his "mother", Mrs Lintz. Massa was sold to the Philadelphia Zoo
Philadelphia Zoo
The Philadelphia Zoo, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the west bank of the Schuylkill River, was the first zoo in the United States. Chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on March 21, 1859, its opening was delayed by the American Civil War until July 1, 1874...
in 1935 after being severely startled when accidentally splashed with water. He became the oldest gorilla on record at 54 years old and his story, with elements of Gargantua's life, was made into the film Buddy (1997
1997 in film
-Events:* The original Star Wars trilogy's Special Editions are released.* Production begins on Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.* Titanic becomes the first film to gross US$1,000,000,000 at the box office making it the highest grossing film in history until Avatar broke the record in 2010.*...
). Mrs. Lintz was played by Rene Russo
Rene Russo
- Early life :Russo was born in Burbank, California, the daughter of Shirley , a factory worker and barmaid, and Nino Russo, a sculptor and car mechanic who left the family when Rene was two. Her father and maternal grandfather were of Italian descent. Russo grew up with her sister, Toni, and their...
.
Earlier, Mrs Lintz had another claim to fame when, on February 21, 1925 her St. Bernard
St. Bernard (dog)
The St. Bernard is a breed of very large working dog from the Italian and Swiss Alps, originally bred for rescue. The breed has become famous through tales of alpine rescues, as well as for its large size.-Appearance:The St. Bernard is a large dog...
, CH Hercuveen Aurora Borealis, became the first of her breed to win an All-Breed Best In Show (at the Maryland Kennel Club’s twelfth annual dog show in Baltimore, Maryland).
One of her chimpanzees, Captain Jiggs, also became a well known national figure. In 1938 she claimed to have taught another chimpanzee, Susan, to talk and demonstrated this on the radio. The only words spoken by the chimp were "Who-who."
She was married to Dr. Bill Lintz, a stomach specialist. They lived at 8365 Shore Road in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, a water-front "brownstone
Brownstone
Brownstone is a brown Triassic or Jurassic sandstone which was once a popular building material. The term is also used in the United States to refer to a terraced house clad in this material.-Types:-Apostle Island brownstone:...
stoop of a mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
of faded grandeur straight out of Charles Addams
Charles Addams
Charles "Chas" Samuel Addams was an American cartoonist known for his particularly black humor and macabre characters...
’ macabre cartoons" according to Henry Ringling North
She was the author of Animals are my Hobby (Museum Press Limited (1945). ASIN B0007JAIJC).