PC-000-471

A mountain gorilla named N'Gagi sits facing a fence at the San Diego Zoo

 

1940s

 

EKC photo paper

Handwritten printing across the bottom of the image on this black-and-white picture postcard identifies the animal shown as "N'Gagi 535 lb. mountain gorilla. "N'Gagi" is the word for "gorilla" in Swahili and in this case refers to a wild-born male brought to the San Diego Zoo in 1931. He was the first registered Eastern Lowland gorilla N'Gagi died at the Zoo in 1944 at age 18. Mountain gorillas are a subspecies of eastern gorillas. According to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources), in 2013 the eastern or mountain gorilla is "endangered." This is a Real Photo Post Card (RPPC) made withEKC photo paper (as evidenced in the stampbox on the back of this card). The Real Photo process allowed photographers to take a "snap shot" and have it finished at a photo shop that printed it out on postcard backing for mailing. This EKC photo paper was made from 1930-1950.

San Diego Zoo; Zoos; Zoological Gardens; Balboa Park; San Diego; Gorillas; N'Gagi; Endangered species; EKC photo paper

2920 Zoo Drive

California - San Diego - Balboa Park

 

 

MS-0008

English

 

Postcard

3.5 inches x 5.5 inches

No

 

[hand-printed in white superimposed on the photograph]
N'Gagi 535 lb.
Mountain Gorilla

 

Image

TIFF

12.78 MB