Andrew McClellan Collection of Jumbo Memorabilia

Collection

Call Number: MS250

Ask a Question

Scope and Contents

This collection contains items collected by Tufts University Art History Professor Andrew McClellan for a 2014 exhibition at the Tufts University Gallery on Tufts's mascot, Jumbo the Elephant. McClellan curated this exhibition and wrote an accompanying book entitled Jumbo: Marvel, Myth, and Mascot. Jumbo was born in Africa around 1860, and transported to Paris and London before being sold to P. T. Barnum, who took him to the United States as part of his circus in March of 1882. Jumbo became a national sensation, but in 1885 was killed in a train accident.

Many of the items in this collection were used in McClellan’s exhibition. This collection contains original and copies of photographs, sheet music, posters, newspapers, maps, flyers, and other paper materials related to Jumbo; as well as books, catalogs, programs, glassware, playing cards, a record, and other objects related to Jumbo.

Dates

Creation: circa 1860 -- 2014

Creator

McClellan, Andrew (Person)

Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Some material in this collection may be protected by copyright and other rights. Please see “Reproductions and Use” on the Digital Collections and Archives website for more information about reproductions and permission to publis. No documentation is available regarding the intellectual property rights in this collection.

Biographical / Historical

Andrew McClellan began teaching in the Tufts University Department of Art History as an Assistant Professor in 1986, and became an Associate Professor in 1993. From 1995 through 2002 he was the Chair of the Department of Art and Art History. In 1990, McClellan co-founded the Museum Studies Program at Tufts, and was the inaugural Director of Museum Studies (2000-2002); he held this position again from 2006-2007. As of 2018 McClellan is a Professor and Museum Studies Advisor in the Department of Art and Art History. His expertise is in Early Modern European art and theory; the history of museums, exhibitions, and collecting; and the history of art history.

Extent

3 Linear Feet (2 record cartons, 1 map folder, 1 oversize box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Overview

This collection contains Jumbo memorabilia collected by Tufts University Art History Professor Andrew McClellan for a 2014 exhibition at the Tufts University Gallery on Tufts's mascot, Jumbo the Elephant.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in one series.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Andrew McClellan, 2016, accession number 2016-120.

Processing Information

Processing of this collection was completed by Leah Edelman in 2018. Materials were placed in archival boxes if the original housing was damaged. Materials were arranged by format. A box-level inventory, series-level description, and finding aid were created at the time of processing.