Lucy the Elephant

Postcards provided by Frank J. Tiemann
Reprinted here with his permission.

    Lucy the Elephant was built in 1881 by James V. Lafferty to promote sales of his seaside properties. Lucy was one of three elephants built by Laferty. A fire in 1896 claimed the Coney Island elephant, and Cape May demolished one in 1900. Lucy is the only surviving elephant and is now a national historic landmark. When Lucy was built she weighed 90 tons, stood 85 feet high with a canopied seat called a "howdah" on the top. Lucy is sculptured off nearly a million pieces of wood and covered with a tin skin. When she was built she amazed tourists with her size: 17 foot ears, 22 foot tusks, and a trunk that measured 26 feet long!

     In 1969, rotting away and facing demolition, the "Save Lucy Committee" formed by the Margate Civic Association. Lucy was moved in 1970 to public park land. Since 1973 enough money was raised to restore the structural integrity and exterior of the 90 ton woon-and-tin pachyderm. Fundraising continues today to protect Lucy from the damaging seashore elements. Lucy is surely one of the prides of Margate City. Enjoy the following postcards of Lucy's past!

Elephant Hotel, South Atlantic City.
This postcard was made by John M. O'Donnell 127 N. Vermont Avenue, Atlantic City

85 Feet High Elephant Hotel, South Atlantic City.

A famous old landmark- The Elephant at South Atlantic City.
This postcard was made by Chinton Company, Philadelphia, PA.

Atlantic City-The Elephant
This postcard was made by the World Post Card Company

Elephant Hotel-Atlantic City, NJ
This postcard was made by American Novelty Company, Atlantic City

Elephant Hotel, Margate City, Atlantic City
This postcard was published by Post Card Distributing, Philadelphia, PA.

The Elephant Hotel an old landmark on the beach in Atlantic City.
This postcard was published by the Starkman Cigar Company in Atlantic City.