State Library of South Australia

Promoting the 'Prehistoric Cabaret' [PRG 1459/6/12] • Photograph

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Summary

This photo was taken as part of the promotion of the Glenelg Christmas Pageant in December 1954. George Haig, the caveman, at that time was a member of the Glenelg Fire Brigade and the cavewoman was Lorna Maddern who was then the senior sales girl at Mackenzies's Shoe Store in Jetty Road. George naturally projected the perfect image of a caveman but to further enhance that image, before departing for the Pageant, he whipped out the plate bearing most of of his false front teeth and parked it on a ledge in the old shed where the dinosaur was built. The shed was originally part of a racing stable and for years after that was a chook house before becoming a workshop. Even the most fertile imagination could never have conceived of the awesome composition of the thick dust on that ledge. However, on returning from the Pageant, George, in true caveman style, casually picked up his teeth and popped them straight back into his mouth. Ugggg! George became so immersed in his role of a caveman that Lorna had to complain about his enthusiastic tugging of a fistful of her long hair, for the full length of Jetty Road, leaving her feeling half scalped by the end of the parade. The Apex Club of Glenelg's pet Tyrannosaurus, was originally created for the Apex 'Prehistoric Cabaret' held in the Glenelg Town Hall on 20 March 1953. He was affectionately called 'Claude' and featured in many Apex activities for years after the original event until storage of such a huge beast became impossible. When his den, just behind the National Bank on Jetty Road, was demolished he was sold to the Apex Club of Gawler where, after many more years of service to Apex, he was finally reluctantly cremated. [Text by Doug Mackenzie].

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Physical description

Photograph (B&W print); 24.3 cm x 19.2 cm

Dates / Publication details

1954

Photographer

Advertiser Newspapers Ltd

Collection

Part of Doug Mackenzie Collection

Subject

Models and modelmaking

Catalogue record

Return to catalogue

General notes

The photograph was featured in the Advertiser, 10 December 1954.

Historical information

This 14 foot high model of a Tyrannosaurus Rex was conceived and made by Doug Mackenzie, with the assistance of members of the Glenelg Apex Club, for the 'Prehistoric Cabaret' held in the Glenelg Town Hall on 27 March 1953. The dinosaur was brilliantly painted by Eric J. Field and photographed by Ross J. Rainsford. For years following the Ball this monster was used to promote Apex Club functions in Glenelg, such as Monster Auctions, and in and other venues. This photo was the best ever portrayal of the size of the monster, in comparison to humans, taken when it appeared in the Glenelg Xmas Pageant of December 1954. Featured are George Haig and Lorna Maddern. [Text by Doug Mackenzie].

Digitisation information

Date

19/04/2010

Format

image/tiff

Resolution

2,521 x 3,813 pixels (9.6 MP)

Size

28.87 MB

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