#squirrel week

A Salute to Squirrel Week!

In celebration of the @washingtonpost’s Squirrel Week, we present “Sousa” a very patriotic squirrel, trained by Mrs. Florence Hinton and part of an exclusive feature in the October 22, 1953 Universal Newsreel:

Universal Newsreel Volume 26, Release 511, October 22, 1953. National Archives Identifier: 2662616 

According to a magazine clipping in the newsreel’s production file, Florence Hinton had been an opera singer on tour when a little boy gave her two baby squirrels in exchange for tickets to her performance. She later brought the squirrels with her to a performance for children. Her audience was so delighted that she decided to train the squirrels “despite warnings from experts that it could not be done.” At the time of the newsreel, she had eight performing squirrels with an arsenal of tricks.

As mentioned in our post yesterday, a young lady's lament for her late pet squirrel, "Phil." A tragic tale for #SquirrelWeek!

In 18th Century America, the humble squirrel was a desirable (and fashionable) pet! One young woman in Virginia was so distraught at the loss of her squirrel that she composed a poem for the Virginia Gazette (December 15th, 1768):

Relentless tyrant! Who could kill A thing so pretty as my PHIL, A thing so sprightly and so queer, The pet I lov’d so very dear, To rob me of the pretty elf, I wish that he had dy’d himself

Where now, enraptur’d, shall I see, My PHILLY skip from tree to tree! Caper and gambol in the air Suspended from the earth as far As where the topmost shoot makes out, There frisk, and dance, and turn about! Then chatter at me (saucy thing) And be so haughty as a King!

And though I sooth’d, and might entreat, He’d pluck his acorns, sit and eat, E’er he would to my arms retreat. Then did I stroke him, scratch his head, And in my bosom made his bed; For my affection was and still Is all engrossed by charming PHILL;

For him I mourn, for him I cry, For him alone I daily sigh; For him I’ve lost each night’s repose, Nothing enjoying but my woes. Oh could my squirrel but survive, Ecstatick pleasure me ‘twould give;

But he is gone ! ne’er to return! And useless ‘tis to sigh and mourn. I’ll therefore seek another pet, A husband I may surely get...

So celebrate Squirrel Week with more on the pet squirrels of early America, from our interview with historian Sarah Hand Meacham: 

The "Human Squirrel" drops by to celebrate the 110th anniversary of Times Square and #SquirrelWeek!

The "Human Squirrel" who did many daring "stunts" in climbing for benefit of War Relief Funds in New York City. He is shown here at a dizzy height in Times Square. Times Photo Service., ca. 1918