Henry Trefflich
Encyclopedia
Henry Trefflich was an animal importer and dealer. He procured animals of many different types and sizes from Africa, Asia and South America and imported them to the United States via ship and airplane. He sold them to zoos, circuses, Hollywood studios and also to various private and government research institutions. His business was headquartered on Fulton Street
in Manhattan, New York City, NY, USA where his shop was considered a local attraction in its own right. In the early 1960s his building along with the neighboring properties were bought by the Port Authority
for the construction of New York City's World Trade Center
.
There are two books about him: "Jungle for Sale", by Edward Anthony
, and "They Never Talk Back", by Baynard Kendrick.
, Germany to Heinrich and Carolyn Trefflich. Heinrich was the general manager of Fockelmann's Tiergarten, a zoo in Hamburg. Henry was born in the home which the family occupied on the zoo grounds. Heinrich had been born in Grosshettstedt, Thuringia
, Germany
and first became acquainted with animals by watching, tracking, catching and trapping them in the forest there as a young boy. His family moved to Hamburg later and both his parents worked as attendants on passenger ships. Heinrich completed a stint in the Kaiser's Navy and afterwards worked on a shipping line where he collected animals from various ports and brought them back to Germany as a way to make money on the side. Sometime after he became married he impressed August Fockelmann with his knowledge of animals and took the job as zoo manager so he could spend his time ashore with his family.
Henry frequently recalled that his early years in the zoo set the stage for his interest in animals his entire life. He had more or less free run of the zoo and at times his youthful mischief ended in mishaps with an annoyed animal. He learned much of animals at this early age from his father, with whom he also accompanied on an occasional African safari to procure new animals.
Heinrich later returned to the shipping line and again continued his side business collecting and dealing in animals. He set up shop in India and decided to remain ashore there to see to his fledgling business, particularly in supplying dogs to India's elite courts. The British authorities approached him with a request to train police dogs, which he began to do with great success. This continued until the outbreak World War I
when they asked him to develop a training program for combat roles. Although Heinrich himself was not fond of the Kaiser's role in the war, as a German he decided that he would not train British dogs which could possibly be used against his own people. He told the British he was willing to train dogs for Red Cross
work, but not for combat. This offer was refused, and he was placed in an internment camp in India
where he remained for the duration of the war.
Back in Germany life was difficult for the Trefflich family during this time, with the war going on, and their father locked away on a different continent.
When he was 15 years old he got a job on the Thuringia (named for the German state where his father was from), a ship that was bound for New York. A few days after docking in New York harbor, Henry jumped ship and made his way to the nearby house of some relatives. Although they were happy to see him and to know that he was safe, they scolded him for illegally entering the country, telling him that eventually he would have to go back and get the proper papers. In subsequent letters, his mother told him the same thing - that their family was above breaking the law.
In the meantime, he was able to land a job at Riggs' Restaurant, first as a dishwasher and later as a food preparer, where he shared his dreams of an animal business with his coworkers and bosses. He credited his learning of English primarily to attending movies. Eventually he did go back to Germany to reenter the United States legally, and later became an American citizen.
Years later, one of his bosses, a Mr. Bogart, would loan him money to set up his animal business.
. He supplied some of the "Monkeys in space
" to NASA
for use in the space program, some of which actually made the journey into space and returned successfully.
He remembered that his father used to speak of the satisfaction of supplying reptiles to the Pasteur institute for research in antivenoms, and he felt the same way about his role with the polio vaccine and other medical breakthroughs to which he contributed in his small way.
Although a complete list would be very long, some of the animals which he bought and sold included monkeys (many different types) and chimpanzees, big cats (lions, tigers, jaguars, leopards), large mammals (elephants, hippopotamuses,) not so large mammals (many different kinds) various kinds of birds, small house pets, and reptiles, including many different kinds of snakes.
His list of customers included many zoo
s, circus
es, and Hollywood studios. His business associates included individuals such as Frank Buck
.
His shop on Fulton Street was filled with wide eyed customers who would see what kind of exciting animal was on display. Children especially enjoyed coming to his store and seeing things as commonplace as the dogs, or perhaps the lynx which he had on the leash.
He moved his business to 141 West Broadway after the Port Authority bought the area for the construction of the World Trade Center.
He was somewhat of a celebrity in his day appearing on radio and television shows and writing pieces for magazines and newspapers. He frequently answered questions about animals from writers and journalists and the public at large. He especially enjoyed answering the questions of children who came to his shop. He wrote an article for Reader's Digest
1954 vol. 64 #384 entitled "Monkeys Out On The Town".
Trefflich died on July 7, 1978, at the age of 70 at his home in Bound Brook, New Jersey
.
Upon his death, the July 24th 1978 Edition of TIME Magazine ran the following: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,946875,00.html
DIED. Henry Trefflich, 70, the "Monkey King," who for 45 years imported wild animals to the U.S.; in Bound Brook, NJ. A flamboyant showman, Trefflich built a million-dollar-a-year business selling exotic creatures from his four-story Lower Manhattan menagerie to scientists, moviemakers and carnival hucksters. Among his sales: Tarzan's chimp Cheetah and the monkeys used in breakthrough Rh (rhesus) factor research. Occasionally a restless snake would escape from Trefflich's store; once 100 monkeys created harmless havoc on Wall Street and made the headlines. Trefflich claimed the escape was accidental; skeptics abounded.
Fulton Street (Manhattan)
Fulton Street is a busy street located in Lower Manhattan. It is in New York City's Financial District, a few blocks north of Wall Street. It runs from Church Street at the site of the World Trade Center to South Street, terminating in front of the South Street Seaport...
in Manhattan, New York City, NY, USA where his shop was considered a local attraction in its own right. In the early 1960s his building along with the neighboring properties were bought by the Port Authority
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a bi-state port district, established in 1921 through an interstate compact, that runs most of the regional transportation infrastructure, including the bridges, tunnels, airports, and seaports, within the Port of New York and New Jersey...
for the construction of New York City's World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
.
There are two books about him: "Jungle for Sale", by Edward Anthony
Edward Anthony (writer)
Edward Anthony was a journalist and writer who co-wrote Frank Buck’s first two books, Bring 'Em Back Alive, and Wild Cargo.-Early career:...
, and "They Never Talk Back", by Baynard Kendrick.
Family background and early life
Henry Heribert Fredrich Trefflich was born in HamburgHamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Germany to Heinrich and Carolyn Trefflich. Heinrich was the general manager of Fockelmann's Tiergarten, a zoo in Hamburg. Henry was born in the home which the family occupied on the zoo grounds. Heinrich had been born in Grosshettstedt, Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and first became acquainted with animals by watching, tracking, catching and trapping them in the forest there as a young boy. His family moved to Hamburg later and both his parents worked as attendants on passenger ships. Heinrich completed a stint in the Kaiser's Navy and afterwards worked on a shipping line where he collected animals from various ports and brought them back to Germany as a way to make money on the side. Sometime after he became married he impressed August Fockelmann with his knowledge of animals and took the job as zoo manager so he could spend his time ashore with his family.
Henry frequently recalled that his early years in the zoo set the stage for his interest in animals his entire life. He had more or less free run of the zoo and at times his youthful mischief ended in mishaps with an annoyed animal. He learned much of animals at this early age from his father, with whom he also accompanied on an occasional African safari to procure new animals.
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
when they asked him to develop a training program for combat roles. Although Heinrich himself was not fond of the Kaiser's role in the war, as a German he decided that he would not train British dogs which could possibly be used against his own people. He told the British he was willing to train dogs for Red Cross
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide which was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human...
work, but not for combat. This offer was refused, and he was placed in an internment camp in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
where he remained for the duration of the war.
Back in Germany life was difficult for the Trefflich family during this time, with the war going on, and their father locked away on a different continent.
Coming to the United States
When he was 14 years old Henry took a job as a cabin boy on a ship as his family didn't have the money for him to finish his education. He spoke a great deal of animals and at times captivated the attention of the sailors with his stories and facts, which he had acquired from his father, from books, and from first hand experience at the zoo.When he was 15 years old he got a job on the Thuringia (named for the German state where his father was from), a ship that was bound for New York. A few days after docking in New York harbor, Henry jumped ship and made his way to the nearby house of some relatives. Although they were happy to see him and to know that he was safe, they scolded him for illegally entering the country, telling him that eventually he would have to go back and get the proper papers. In subsequent letters, his mother told him the same thing - that their family was above breaking the law.
In the meantime, he was able to land a job at Riggs' Restaurant, first as a dishwasher and later as a food preparer, where he shared his dreams of an animal business with his coworkers and bosses. He credited his learning of English primarily to attending movies. Eventually he did go back to Germany to reenter the United States legally, and later became an American citizen.
Years later, one of his bosses, a Mr. Bogart, would loan him money to set up his animal business.
Animal business
As an animal dealer Henry Trefflich became well known in the United States as an honest businessman who delivered as promised. He set up outposts in Africa and India for the collection of the animals and shipped them to New York. He dealt in many different kinds of animals, but monkeys were his specialty. Among his customers for monkeys can be found Dr. Jonas SalkJonas Salk
Jonas Edward Salk was an American medical researcher and virologist, best known for his discovery and development of the first safe and effective polio vaccine. He was born in New York City to parents from Ashkenazi Jewish Russian immigrant families...
. He supplied some of the "Monkeys in space
Monkeys in space
Before humans went into space, several animals were launched into space, including numerous monkeys, so that scientists could investigate the biological effects of space travel. The United States launched flights containing primate cargo primarily between 1948-1961 with one flight in 1969 and one...
" to NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
for use in the space program, some of which actually made the journey into space and returned successfully.
He remembered that his father used to speak of the satisfaction of supplying reptiles to the Pasteur institute for research in antivenoms, and he felt the same way about his role with the polio vaccine and other medical breakthroughs to which he contributed in his small way.
Although a complete list would be very long, some of the animals which he bought and sold included monkeys (many different types) and chimpanzees, big cats (lions, tigers, jaguars, leopards), large mammals (elephants, hippopotamuses,) not so large mammals (many different kinds) various kinds of birds, small house pets, and reptiles, including many different kinds of snakes.
His list of customers included many zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
s, circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
es, and Hollywood studios. His business associates included individuals such as Frank Buck
Frank Buck (animal collector)
Frank Howard Buck was a hunter and "collector of wild animals," as well as a movie actor, director, writer and producer...
.
His shop on Fulton Street was filled with wide eyed customers who would see what kind of exciting animal was on display. Children especially enjoyed coming to his store and seeing things as commonplace as the dogs, or perhaps the lynx which he had on the leash.
He moved his business to 141 West Broadway after the Port Authority bought the area for the construction of the World Trade Center.
Public life
Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest is a general interest family magazine, published ten times annually. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, its headquarters is now in New York City. It was founded in 1922, by DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Wallace...
1954 vol. 64 #384 entitled "Monkeys Out On The Town".
Trefflich died on July 7, 1978, at the age of 70 at his home in Bound Brook, New Jersey
Bound Brook, New Jersey
Bound Brook is a borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. At the United States 2010 Census, the population was 10,402.Bound Brook was originally incorporated as a town by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 24, 1869, within portions of Bridgewater Township...
.
Upon his death, the July 24th 1978 Edition of TIME Magazine ran the following: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,946875,00.html
DIED. Henry Trefflich, 70, the "Monkey King," who for 45 years imported wild animals to the U.S.; in Bound Brook, NJ. A flamboyant showman, Trefflich built a million-dollar-a-year business selling exotic creatures from his four-story Lower Manhattan menagerie to scientists, moviemakers and carnival hucksters. Among his sales: Tarzan's chimp Cheetah and the monkeys used in breakthrough Rh (rhesus) factor research. Occasionally a restless snake would escape from Trefflich's store; once 100 monkeys created harmless havoc on Wall Street and made the headlines. Trefflich claimed the escape was accidental; skeptics abounded.
Notable sales
- J. Fred MuggsJ. Fred MuggsJ. Fred Muggs is a chimpanzee that was the mascot for NBC's Today Show from 1953 to 1957.The show debuted in 1952, with amiable host Dave Garroway. The show was in trouble initially; the addition of J. Fred Muggs boosted ratings and helped win advertisers...
, a staple on NBC's The Today Show from 1953-57, pioneering animals as regulars on live TV. - Kindu and Kasenyi- two BasenjiBasenjiThe Basenji is a breed of hunting dog that was bred from stock originating in central Africa. Most of the major kennel clubs in the English-speaking world place the breed in the Hound Group; more specifically, it may be classified as belonging to the sighthound type...
dogs imported from the Congo by Henry Trefflich and Phil Carroll. These 2 dogs along with 4 others from other importers are in the pedigrees of nearly all basenjis in the United States. - CheetaCheetaCheeta is a chimpanzee character appearing in numerous Hollywood Tarzan movies of the 1930s–1960s as well as the 1966–1968 television series, as the ape sidekick of the title character, Tarzan...
- The primate companion of Tarzan
External links
- http://www.tvacres.com/adanimals_jfredmuggs.htm (Mr. Muggs)
- http://www.basenji.org/african/jone8908.htm (Basenji Dogs)
- http://web.archive.org/web/20070930083556/http://www.bushwackerbas.co.uk/barkies_intro_page.htm (Basenji Dogs)