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Bobo the gorilla as a juvenile in the Lowman family home, ca. 1952
Bobo the gorilla as a juvenile in the Lowman family home, ca. 1952
TitleBobo the gorilla as a juvenile in the Lowman family home, ca. 1952
PhotographerWeber, Gene
Dateca. 1952
CaptionAnacortes native Bill Lowman brought an infant lowland gorilla from then-French Equatorial Africa to his parents home in 1951. Mr. & Mrs. Raymond Lowman raised the gorilla, which they named Bobo, as part of the family. Two years later, when when the time, money, and resources needed to raise Bobo were no longer feasible, the Lowmans sold him to the Woodland Park Zoo for $5, 500. The zoo built a great ape building in which to house Bobo, who quickly became the zoo's top attraction. Bobo died at the zoo on February 22, 1968. His body was later taxidermically preserved and put on display at the Museum of History & Industry.

This photograph shows Bobo, dressed in children's clothing, at the Lowman family home in Anacortes, Washington.
NotesStamped on verso: Fred Carter Photographers. SE 1530 912-A Pine St. Seattle. Gene Weber.
SubjectsGorillas—Washington (State)—Anacortes
PlacesUnited States—Washington (State)—Anacortes
Digital CollectionMuseum of History & Industry Photograph Collection
Image Number2001.23.16
Ordering InformationTo order a reproduction or to inquire about permissions contact photos@mohai.org or phone us at 206-324-1126. Please refer to the Image Number and provide a brief description of the photograph.
Credit LineLowman Family Collection on Bobo the Gorilla, Museum of History & Industry, Seattle; All Rights Reserved
RepositoryMuseum of History & Industry, Seattle (MOHAI).
Repository CollectionLowman Family Collection on Bobo the Gorilla
TypeImage
Physical Description1 photographic print: b&w; 8 x 10 in.
Digital Reproduction InformationScanned from original photograph as 4350 pixel TIFF image in 16-bit grayscale, resized to 700 pixels in the longest dimension and compressed into JPEG format using Photoshop CS4.
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