Cheerful Gardner

From the list of elephant persons Family: Gardner

☨ Cheerful Gardner

Profession	circus elephant trainer
Personal details
Born	1885-07-18 Janesville, Wisconsin in United States

Dead	1952-03-17 in United States

Residence
Country	United States

Locations
Title	superintendent 1951-1952
Location	at British American Africa Zoo in United States

Title	elephant trainer 1946-1950
Location	at Polack Brothers Circus in United States

Title	elephant superintendent 1944-1945
Location	at Arthur Brothers Circus in United States

Title	elephant superintendent 1943-1944
Location	at Russell Brothers Circus in United States

Title	elephant trainer 1939-1940
Location	at Baldwin Park in United States

Title	elephant trainer 1938-1938
Location	at Great American Menagerie in United States

Title	elephant trainer 1925-1938
Location	at Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus in United States

Title	elephant trainer 1923-1924
Location	at John Robinson Circus in United States

Title	elephant superintendent 1920-1922
Location	at Al G. Barnes Circus in United States

Title	menagerie superintendent 1919-1920
Location	at Al G. Barnes Circus in United States

Title	elephant trainer 1918-1919
Location	at Walter L. Main Circus in United States

Title	elephant trainer 1915-1917
Location	at Cole Brothers Circus in United States

Title	elephant superintendent 1911-1913
Location	at Sun Brothers Circus in United States

Title	elephant trainer 1910-1911
Location	at Great J. E. Henry Show in United States

Title	assistant superintendent 1907-1909
Location	at Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus in United States

Title	elephant trainer 1905-1907
Location	at Carl Hagenbecks Wild Animal Circus in United States

Title	elephant trainer 1904-1905
Location	at Hagenbeck Animal Show at St. Louis Worlds Fair in United States

Title	zookeeper 1903-1904
Location	at Ringling Bros. Circus in United States

Biography details

Frank Gardner , circus elephant trainer in United States

Gardner was born * 1885-07-18 in Janesville, Wisconsin United States dead 1952-03-17 , in United States .

Frank was born in Janesville, Wisconsin He was nicknamed "Cheerful" because deadpan expression.

He learned the trade as a young man under the direction of George Denman. Cheerful began his circus career on the Ringling Bros Circus in 1903 as a camel handler.

By 1923 he had taken over the John Robinson Circus Herd and then in 1925 for whatever reason, the John Robinson Herd and the Hagenbeck-Wallace herds traded places. He had become a legendary Herd boss and trainer known for his swinging pendulum head carry.

From 1925 to 1934 he held the entire Hagenbeck-Wallace Herd in his control with as many as 29 elephants in 1934.

Records about Cheerful Gardner from William "Buckles" Woodcocks Blog

Records about Cheerful Gardner from William "Buckles" Woodcocks Blog

Above we see Cheerful Gardners 1931-32 twenty elephant Herd with Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus.

Peru Quarters 1935. Cheerful Gardner at left and Emory Stiles at extreme right.

William "Buckles" Woodcock Buckles Blog

Records about Cheerful Gardner from William "Buckles" Woodcocks Blog

Contradictory records:

FRANK "CHEERFUL" GARDNER
1903- Rinmgling Bros. Circus (Menagerie Hand)
1904- Hagenbeck Animal Exhibit (St. Louis Worlds Fair)
1905 Carl Hagenbeck Circus
1907-09 Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus
1910 Patterson Carnival- J.E. Henry Circus
1911-13 Sun Bros. Circus (Supt. of Elephantrs)
1915-17 Cole Bros. Circus (J. Augustus Jones)
1918 Walter L. Main Circus (Andrew Downie)
1919 Al G. Barnes Circus (Menagerie Supt.)
1920-22 Al G. Barnes (Supt. of Elephants)
1923-24 John Robinson Circus (Corporation owned)
1925-38 Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus
1939-40 Baldwin Park, Calif. Quarters
1940-41
1943 Russell Bros. Circus
1944-45 Arthur Bros. Circus
1946-47 Polack Bros. Circus (Western Unit)
1948-50 Polack Bros. Circus (Eastern Unit)
1951 Howard Y. Bary Zoo Train

FRANK "Cheerful" GARDNER

1903 Ringling Bros. (menagerie hand)
1904 Hagenbeck Animal Show (St. Louis Worlds Fair)
_____Carl Hagenbeck Circus
1909 Hagenbeck-Wallace (Asst. Supt. menagerie)
_____Patterson Carnival
_____J.E. Henry Circus
1911-13 Sun Bros. Circus
1915-17 Cole Bros. (J. Augustus Jones)
1918 Walter L. Main Circus (Andrew Downie)
1919 Al G. Barnes Circus (MenagerieSupt.)
1920-22 Al G. Barnes Circus (Elephant Supt.)
1923-24 John Robinson Circus
1925-35 Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus
1936 Peru, Indiana Quarters
1937-38 Hagenbeck-Wallace (Howard Y. Bary )
1939-40 Surplus H-W elephants in Calif.

1943 Russell Bros. Circus
1944-45 Arthur Bros. Circus
1946-47 Polack Bros. Circus (Western Unit)
1948-50 Polack Bros. Circus (Eastern Unit)
1951 Howard Y. Bary Zoo Train

Died March 17, 1952

William "Buckles" Woodcock Buckles Blog

He was inducted into the International Circus Hall of Fame in 1981.

Elephant Joe in Baldwin Park with Cheerful Gardner, 1939.

Cheerful Gardner and Bill Woodcock at Kelly-Miller, during their last meeting, 1950.

Cheerful Gardner is mentioned on 8 other person pagesBert Bowers,  Clyde Baudendistle,  Emory Stiles,  Fred Alispaw,  Jeremiah Mugivan,  Johan Ringling,  Walter McClain,  William Woodcock,

Cheerful Gardner is mentioned on 4 location pagesAmerican Circus Corporation,  Baldwin Park,  Cole Brothers Circus,  Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus,

Cheerful Gardner is mentioned on 6 elephant record pagesBlanche,  Gentry Babe,  Hattie (Haddie),  Joe,  Lizzie (Wallace Liz),  Vera (Bingo),

Reference list

References

Koehl, Dan, (2025). elephant trainer Frank Gardner in United States. Elephant Encyclopedia, available online retrieved 9 July 2025 at https://www.elephant.se/person.php?id=1511. (archived at the Wayback machine)

Sources used for this article is among others:

Selected publications

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