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File Photo: Ruben Johnston, left who housed Ivan for three years, and Earl Irwin, right, founder of the B&I hold a baby Ivan for a portrait.
The Irwin Family
Richards Studio Collection Series: D142671-4 (Unique: 30359) Date: 08-31-1964 Description: Burma and Ivan, two baby gorillas purchased by E.L. Irwin, the owner of the B & I Circus Store at 8012 South Tacoma Way, were photographed in August of 1964 shortly after they arrived in Tacoma from the Congo. Burma, the little female, died soon after she arrived. Ivan, the male of the pair, resided off and on at the Irwin's home until his natural playfulness, curiosity and strength proved destructive. In 1967 he moved into the little gorilla house at the B & I that had been built for him, located between the pet shop and the clothing department; he was a resident at the B& I for nearly 30 years. In 1994, the family of E.L. Irwin donated Ivan to the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. The zoo then arranged a permanent loan to Zoo Atlanta where it was felt that Ivan could best integrate into a social group.
File Photo: A postcard starring Ivan the Gorilla and other animals on display at Tacoma's "World Famous," circus store the B & I on South Tacoma Way.
The Irwin Family
File Photo: Helen Johnston holds Ivan for a family photo with son Larry. The Johnston's , who owned a pet store at the B & I , opened their South Tacoma home to Ivan beginning in 1964 after the infant Western Lowland Gorrila was captured in what is the Democratic Republic of Congo today. For three years Larry Johnston and Ivan were best friends and the two "did everything together," including riding motorcycles and going on trips. In 1967 Ivan was moved to the B & I. The family decided that Ivan had grown to be too much to handle as evidenced by the wholesale destruction of all their homes' furniture.
Dean J. Koepfler
The Johnston Family
File Photo: Helen Johnston feeds a young Ivan the gorilla. Ivan shared many family meals including a favorite, Mrs. Johnston's fried chicken and potatoes.
Dean J. Koepfler
The Johnston Family
File Photo: Larry Johnston was a best friend, playmate and big brother to Ivan the Gorilla in the three years Tacoma's favorite western lowland gorilla lived in the family's south Tacoma home.
The Johnston Family
For teenager Larry Johnston, it wasn't a monkey but Ivan the Western Lowland Gorilla on his back as he tried to read the paper in this Johnston family photo from the mid-1960's. For three years Larry Johnston was like a big-brother to Ivan while he lived with the Rubin family in their South Tacoma home. The photo shows Johnston's father Ruben, who ran the pet store at the B & I , and would take Ivan to work with him every day , relaxing in a reclining chair that would later be destroyed by a young and powerful , gorilla with too much energy.
Courtesy of the Johnston Family
File Photo: Larry Johnston was a best friend, playmate and big brother to Ivan the Gorilla in the three years Tacoma's favorite western lowland gorilla lived in the family's south Tacoma home. Johnston said he would often wake up with a eager Ivan sitting and pounding on his back.
The Johnston Family
File Photo: Ivan did everything with the Johnston family including going on family trips in the car.
Dean J. Koepfler
The Johnston Family
File Photo: Larry Johnston was a best friend, playmate and big brother to Ivan the Gorilla in the three years Tacoma's favorite western lowland gorilla lived in the family's south Tacoma home. Here he secures Ivan's diaper that he wore while in the house.
Dean J. Koepfler
The Johnston Family
File Photo: Ivan relaxes on the mantle of the Johnston's home....his favorite place according to Larry Johnston.
Dean J. Koepfler
The Johnston Family
File Photo: Ivan is photographed jumping off a reclining chair in the Johnston family home.
Dean J. Koepfler
The Johnston Family
File Photo: In 1967 Ivan was moved to the B & I. The family decided that Ivan had grown to be too much to handle as evidenced by the wholesale destruction of this couch and the rest of the homes' furniture.
Dean J. Koepfler
The Johnston Family
File Photo: A reluctant cat posed with Ivan the Gorilla for a family photo in the home of Ruben and Helen Johnsotn. Ivan lived with the family for three years before being moved to the B & I.
The Johnston Family
File Photo: A portrait of Ivan the Gorilla done while on the set of the Daktari Television show that aired from 1966-69. Ivan traveled with the Johnston family to Hollywood to be in the show but damaged a hotel room and bit a actor wearing out his welcome.
The Irwin Family
File Photo: Ivan with Santa Claus. Ivan appears to be grabbing Santa's fur lined sleeve cuff.
The Johnston Family
File Photo: Ivan did everything with the Johnston family including going on family trips in the car.
Dean J. Koepfler
The Johnston Family
File Photo: Larry Johnston was a best friend, playmate and big brother to Ivan the Gorilla in the three years Tacoma's favorite western lowland gorilla lived in the family's south Tacoma home. Johnston said he would often wake up with a eager Ivan sitting and pounding on his back.
Dean J. Koepfler
The Johnston Family
File Photo: Larry Johnston was a best friend, playmate and big brother to Ivan the Gorilla in the three years Tacoma's favorite western lowland gorilla lived in the family's south Tacoma home. Ivan, eyed a glass of milk Larry was drinking from his favorite perch in the house, the mantle.
Dean J. Koepfler
The Johnston Family
Richards Studio Collection Series: D163776-9C (Unique: 36936) Date: 09-05-1973 Description: A playful Ivan the gorilla approached the camera in September of 1973. For 27 years, from 1967-1994, Ivan was the most famous resident of the B & I Circus Store, 8012 South Tacoma Way. Store owner Earl (E.L.) Irwin purchased Ivan and another infant gorilla from an animal trainer in the Congo in 1964. The pair were intended to publicize the B& I. The female Western Lowland gorilla died soon after arrival, but Ivan became a favorite of the Johnston family and took up residence at their house. By 1967, Ivan's strength, natural curiosity and playfulness ruled him out as a house pet and he went to live at the B& I full time. As attitudes toward captive animals changed with the time, Ivan's fans became the core of a "free the gorilla" movement. In 1994, the Irwin family donated Ivan to the Woodland Park Zoo.
Richards Studio Collection Serie
File Photo: This 1988 file photo shows Ivan the gorilla at the B & I Shopping Center in Tacoma making finger paintings. He spent 30 minutes a day making paintings that sold for $40, with proceedes going to improve his living conditions.
Carrie Robertson
The News Tribune
File Photo: Ivan stands in his concrete home at the B&I complete with a painted jungle scene, a tire and some bars to play with and windows to look out at B&I customers 94/10/02.
Dean J. Koepfler
The News Tribune
File Photo: One of Ivan's favorite treats at the B&I is sucking a raw egg through a small hole, then handing the egg shell, intact, through the bars to one of his keepers, in this case Joyce Barr. Some of Ivan's paintings hang in the background.94/10/02 IVAN EATS EGG
Dean J. Koepfler
The News Tribune
File Photo: Popcorn on a fully decorated Christmas tree was a favorite for Ivan the Gorilla's in his enclosure at the B & I store. Tacoma's favorite western lowland gorilla lived at the store for nearly three decades before going to Zoo Atlanta to live in a more natural setting with other Gorilla's in 1994.
The Johnston Family
File Photo: During his almost three decades at the B & I store in Tacoma Ivan became well known as a people watcher and trickster , waiting until someone approached one of his enclosure windows before running and pounding of the glass , startling visitors, who's shreaks could be heard across the busy store. Generations of Tacoman's and later fans in Atlanta enjoyed gazing into his brooding eyes behind the glass.
Dean J. Koepfler
The News Tribune
File Photo: Joyce Barr, and Tonya Hill, keepers at the B&I with Ivan in 1994 before his move to Zoo Atalanta. .
Dean J. Koepfler
The News Tribune
File Photo: Animal rights activist groups pressured the Irwin family, owners of the B & I store to "Free Ivan" , and find a more naturalistic home during protest in the early 1990's.
Kate Horgan
The News Tribune
File Photo: The hard shadows cast by bars over Ivan's outdoor concrete compound at the B&I in Tacoma in 1994 were replaced by the dappled light and shadows from trees at Zoo Atlanta's natural habitat.
Dean J. Koepfler
The News Tribune
File image: Woodland park Zoo's Veterinarians Darin Collins left, and Janis Joslin , center, along with Zoo Atlanta's chief Vet. Rita McManamon try to rouse Ivan, the lowland Gorilla, and help him to sit up after a two and one half hour long examination in which Ivan had 4 teeth pulled and a battery of test done in preparation for his move to Zoo Atlanta in July of 1994.
Dean J. Koepfler
The News Tribune
File Photo: Zoo Atlanta's veterinarian Rita McManamon , center, prepared an injection to sedate Ivan during a 2 hour medical examination of Ivan before his transfer to Zoo Atlanta.
Dean J. Koepfler
The News Tribune
File Photo: After thirty years of living with, being cared for and interacting exclusively with humans Ivan, the Western Lowland Gorilla, peers out from a shipping container Tuesday 10/11/94 before catching a flight to Zoo Atlanta, to live in a more natural setting with other gorillas.
Dean J. Koepfler
The News Tribune
File Photo: A crowd showed up to watch as Ivan, Tacoma's famous 30 yr. old Western Lowland Gorilla, is wheeled away from the B&I Tuesday 10/11/94 in route to Sea-Tac for a flight to Zoo Atlanta, his new home. Charles Horton, of Zoo Atlanta far right, said that Ivan was comfortable in his ventilated shipping container having made a nest out of wood shavings and his favorite, burlap.
Dean J. Koepfler
The News Tribune
File Photo: Ivan the Western Lowland Gorilla who spent nearly three decades in a concrete and steel habitat at the B & I store in Tacoma , picked a Magnolia blossom on his first day in his new natural enclosure at Zoo Atlanta Thursday 03/16/95 . The photo, which showed Ivan contemplating the Magnolia blossom in his enormous right hand is the basis for a larger than life braze statue that will be located near the entrance to the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.
Dean J. Koepfler
The News Tribune
File Photo: Always the crowd pleaser in Tacoma the faces of adoring fans and Ivan mingle separated by only a pane of glass on the first day of Ivan's new world in the outdoor habitat of Zoo Atlanta,
Dean J. Koepfler
The News Tribune
File Photo: Zoo Atlanta Courtesy photo Ivan the Gorilla at Zoo Atlanta relaxes in his naturalistic surroundings.
Zoo Atlanta Courtesy photo
File Photo: Zoo Atlanta Courtesy photo Ivan the Gorilla at Zoo Atlanta relaxes and enjoyed the sunshine and other gorillas in his naturalistic surroundings.
Dean J. Koepfler
Zoo Atlanta Courtesy photo
File Photo: I Ivan the Gorilla reaches out and touches the glass in his enclosure as a rapt audience looked on at Zoo Atlanta.
Zoo Atlanta Courtesy photo
File Photo: Zoo Ivan entertains visitors to Zoo Atlanta.
Zoo Atlanta Courtesy photo
File Photo: Zoo Atlanta Courtesy photo Ivan the Gorilla strikes a contemplative pose at Zoo Atlanta.
Dean J. Koepfler
Zoo Atlanta Courtesy photo
File Photo: Zoo Atlanta Courtesy photo As in Tacoma , Ivan the Gorilla became popular with visitors , keepers and staff at Zoo Atlanta after his move to the zoo in 1994. Ivan died at the age of 50 during a examination at Zoo Atlanta in August of 2012.
Zoo Atlanta Courtesy photo
As in Tacoma , Ivan the Gorilla became popular with visitors , keepers and staff at Zoo Atlanta after his move to the zoo in 1994. Ivan died at the age of 50 during a examination at Zoo Atlanta in August of 2012. At a memorial and celebration of life event in Atlanta, a single rose adorned a memorial to the iconic gorilla who's story touched peoples lives around the world.
Earl Borgert
Courtesy Photo Earl Borgert
Noted Northwest artist Douglas Granum of Port Orchard will immortalize Ivan in a larger than life braze statue that will welcome generations of Ivan fans to the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.
Dean J. Koepfler
The News Tribune
Ron Irwin center, with sculptor Douglas Granum and Irwin's nephew Earl Borgert, right watch as employees from Form 3 D Foundry in Portland work on a 3-D acrylic composite form of Ivan's head that will be used to cast Ivan's bronze statue later this year at Two Ravens Studio in Tacoma. The Irwin family which ran the B&I store for years is spearheading a campaign called the BeLovedIvan Project to create a larger than life bronze sculpture of Ivan the gorilla that would tell Ivan's story and great generations of his fans in front of Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.
Dean J. Koepfler
The News Tribune
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