"Electrophants" at Goldhanger

In the 1960s electrically driven mechanical elephants was developed and marketed at Follyfaunts in Goldhanger...

extracts from a USA magazine “Road & Track”

 

 

 

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the full article

The main people involved in this enterprise appear to have been:

Lord Hillingdon - Director of Electrophants company. He was probably Charles Hedworth Mills 4th baron 1922-1978.

An inscription in St. Martin's Cemetery, Feering, Essex, reads "Charles Hedworth Mills, 4th Baron Hillingdon, 1978"

Frank Stuart - the original designer from Thaxted

Maurice Radburn - employee of Frank Stuart, he later lived and worked at St Osyth, Essex.

Fred Berry - of Aldham, Nr Colchester

Karl Nelles - employee of Frank Stuart and driver who was an ex German P.O.W.

Colin Chapman - just possibly the same person who founded of Lotus Cars.

However, there had already been several other versions mechanical elephants developed in the UK previously by:

Frank & Eric Smith - Morcombe 1947 - 1950

Macades Entertainment & Luneside Engineering - Halton, near Lancaster 1950

Frank Stuart - Thaxted 1948 to the 1952

Fred Berry -  Aldham, Nr Colchester

Maurice Radburn - St Osyth, Clacton, Essex. late 1940s

In this video Eric Smith relates the history of the Morecambe mechanical elephants...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qxhrg5FsTUQ

Over a twenty five year period many different versions on the mechanical elephants were developed. There were full and half size models with both petrol and electric versions. The petrol versions suffered from the drawback of the exhaust fumes, emitted from the elephant’s trunk, caused the children to choke. The electrical version had the advantage that it could be operated indoors and photographs available show it being used for children's rides in a departmental store.

The machines were sold and shipped around the world and the very large and extensive website cyberneticzoo has many examples of destinations such as the USA, Canada, Australia and Sweden. Today many have found homes in museums and, as some of the more recent videos (identified below) indicate they even occasionally take to the roads for special events. It is difficult to track particular models as most seem to be named either Nellie or Jessie and most have been completely re-built as they would have needed constant maintenance.

There have been many newspaper articles about the them in the UK over the years, a search within this website for:

“mechanical elephants” between 1948 and 1980...

www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk

produces well over 100 relevant articles from resorts around the country

The version marketed from Follyfaunts was electrically driven using conventional 12volt car batteries. Only a few models of this version seem to have produced before the company closed down, probably resulting of an incident in the USA when the elephant fell over while carrying children. It was most likely that it toppled due to the weight of the batteries held within the body combined with the weight of the children being carried. This was probably inevitable because with the batteries and the children they were ‘top heavy’ with a centre of gravity far too high. The driver would have to have been very careful to stay on level ground and avoid pit holes and bumps.

Various locals remember seeing a mechanical elephant on the Prom at Maldon. One recalls riding on it in 1950 and another recalls it in 1954. One person remembers seeing it in the Maldon carnival, but no one else has verified that.  Here are photos taken on Maldon Prom and at the Purleigh Queen Inn...

a large version on the Prom at Maldon

remembered by many locals

at the Purleigh Queen Inn

Purleigh, Essex

at Margate

at Thaxsted

Frank Stuart’s drawing

A 1967 advert in the USA

inside a London store

the inners of an electric version

a small version at Cromer

 

 

There is much more information about the many variants of mechanical elephants and Electrophants at...

cyberneticzoo.com/great-britain

There are also many videos available from past times showing mechanical elephants on the move... ( * recently added)

1932    www.britishpathe.com/video/mechanical-el  *   a stroll in a park – a very early record

1949    www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5Z4YApl06Y      small 2-stroke petrol versions at Humberside

1950    www.britishpathe.com/thaxted-news               Frank Stewart at Thaxted

1950    www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSdZCmm6Vgk   as above on YouTube

1967    www.eafa.org.uk/catalogue/954                      Jessica with Lord Hillingdon at Stratford St Mary, Suffolk

1975    www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKyY34D-O98     from BBC Blue Peter, large electric version (poor quality video)

1980    www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlDq6nIl9Ag        Jessica (formerly Nellie?)  - has comments about the poor centre of gravity

2008    www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4HMzpbTS68    BBC Top Gear and Jeremy Clarkson with a large petrol version

2011    www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLAmeCblFTk      Nellie in a Christmas Pageant, Adelaide Australia, large petrol version

2011    www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdV1oNlBoL8       Jumbo at Michigan, USA with a large electric version

2011    www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2hFrchgE_k       Larry Gavette and Eric go for a ride down in the USA

2011    www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSapsltKS0o      Jumbo 1st walks after rebuild

2013    www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbtK1AD614Q    Off Bros USA, large electric version

2013    www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0ER1Y4E1xE *  Mechanical Elephant USA – no location or details given

2013    www.youtube.com/watch?v=xreGGsDiVM8  * 'Rajah' returns to Lancashire in 2010, ITV News

2014    www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqWwxI_qpCI      Wendall in Auburn, Indiana, USA with a large electric version

2015    www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-XPIzBkCYQ      in the USA – maybe the same machine and event as Off Bros

2015    www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEnXc3UI0UU       Richland Michigan 4th of July Parade with the same machine

2020    www.msn.com/en-us/.../vp-BB1bjWBQ        *  Ron Martin's Mechanical elephant, MSN WGAL USA

 

This article dated 2016 has impressive pictures of a restored 1951 model which was auctioned for $275,000...

www.hemmings.com/stories/2016/08/18/an-eight-horsepower-three-speed-1951-elephant   *

 

an acknowledgement...

we would like to acknowledge the contributions made to this webpage by Mr Andrew S Hatton

 

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