The Circus Blog

Posted By thecircusblog on December 4, 2009

 This photo was on a post card and the chimp was called Consul. The year was 1909. However, I know this chimpanzee as Andy Colino. What jogged my memory of him are the rings on his fingers as Andy Colino was fasinated with jewelry. I also remember other photos and stories about him being so intelligent.This is something I remember as a young child in the early 1940’s when my family was on the Yankee Patterson circus. The Grahams were on the circus with us. They did a single chimp act with this well trained animal who wasthen much older and a giant of a chimp. PaPa Graham worked the act and MaMa Graham handled the props. It opened with a restaurant bit and PaPa Graham was the waiter serving the well dressed chimp. The act continued with hand balancing and acrobatic tricks using a teeter board. As time went on Andy could not work any more because of his age.The Grahams semi retried in Los Angeles after the death of Andy Colino. He had lived to be over 40 years old which is quite unusual. I remember our family visiting the Grahams quite often.  PaPa Graham worked at the Los Angles Zoo taking care of the primates until his death. The Grahams had one son and as a young man he learned acrobatics and trapeze. He traveled with many circuses and became a very good flyer, Later he created his own flying act. His name was Del Graham of the Flying Viennas.

Categories: Henry's Chimps
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