The six degrees of Kevin Bacon can kiss my bum.
I got one better. Story time.
So, last night silverontherose posted about family legends and then asked if anyone had any of their own to share. I do, so I did. About this guy:
That's Henry Bergh, my great great grandfather (I think it's two greats, might be three). He was born in 1811. He also started the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) in 1866. This is a story I've been raised with, but I'd never bothered to do any research about it myself. After mentioning it on silverontherose's journal last night I decided to pop over to Wikipedia to see if there was any info about him. Lo and behold, there is. So I read. And then I go to the external links as well.
As it turns out, Henry Bergh and P.T. Barnum were at odds for years over the way that Barnum treated his circus animals until they saw eye to eye and became friends later on in life. Barnum, living in Bridgeport, defended Bergh's causes and called himself the "Bergh of Bridgeport". After his death in 1891 he even left $1000 to Bridgeport (this is $1000 in the late 1800s, mind you) to have them erect a statue in Henry's honor in 1897.
P.T. Barnum's circus was bought by John Ringling to create Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1907.
John Ringling started Ringling School of Art and Design in 1931.
Yeah.
And this is completely failing to mention the weirdness that Henry Bergh happens to be buried at Green-Wood cemetery in Brooklyn, the same cemetery that Izzy is buried at in the Broadway Series.
So, last night silverontherose posted about family legends and then asked if anyone had any of their own to share. I do, so I did. About this guy:
That's Henry Bergh, my great great grandfather (I think it's two greats, might be three). He was born in 1811. He also started the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) in 1866. This is a story I've been raised with, but I'd never bothered to do any research about it myself. After mentioning it on silverontherose's journal last night I decided to pop over to Wikipedia to see if there was any info about him. Lo and behold, there is. So I read. And then I go to the external links as well.
As it turns out, Henry Bergh and P.T. Barnum were at odds for years over the way that Barnum treated his circus animals until they saw eye to eye and became friends later on in life. Barnum, living in Bridgeport, defended Bergh's causes and called himself the "Bergh of Bridgeport". After his death in 1891 he even left $1000 to Bridgeport (this is $1000 in the late 1800s, mind you) to have them erect a statue in Henry's honor in 1897.
P.T. Barnum's circus was bought by John Ringling to create Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1907.
John Ringling started Ringling School of Art and Design in 1931.
Yeah.
And this is completely failing to mention the weirdness that Henry Bergh happens to be buried at Green-Wood cemetery in Brooklyn, the same cemetery that Izzy is buried at in the Broadway Series.