Rich Boy's Toys--Hearst Ranch/San Simeon

San Simeon pictured at the top of the photo with surrounding real estate. It is difficult to conceive of one person possessing this kind of wealth, when children were/are starving around the world.

San Simeon

Rich Boy's Toys--Hearst Ranch/San Simeon

Some of the finest Arabian horse's in the United States at the time, were imported/bought by Hearst.

In 1912, William Robinson Brown established Maynesboro Stud in Berlin, New Hampshire with horses purchased from early breeders. Eventually he added farms in Iowa and Wyoming, and in a breeding career spanning more than 20 years, imported 33 horses, from Crabbet Park, France and Egypt. The Depression forced the stud's dispersal in 1933, and the Brown horses were sold to the Kellogg Ranch, Roger Selby, William Randolph Hearst, General Dickinson at Traveler's Rest and a few others.

Arieana Arabians ~ Articles: The Hearst Importation of 1947 (by Suzi ...

Another breeder was newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst who owned one of the largest herds of Arabians in the country at his San Simeon estate. Hearst's original Arabians were purchased from Maynesboro Stud in the mid-1930's. His most prominent stallions were Gulastra (purchased from Travelers Rest), Rahas, Ghazi and Rihal. In 1947 Hearst's stud manager (previously horse manager to General George Patton) explored the Syrian desert in search of fresh Arabian bloodlines to stimulate the stud, and 14 horses were imported. Unfortunately, Hearst died in 1951 before the effects of the infusion of new blood could be felt, and the horses were auctioned. William Randolph Hearst, Jr. purchased a few of them, and the San Simeon program carries on on a smaller scale today.

Rich Boy's Toys--Hearst Ranch/San Simeon

Feline enclosures adjacent to the bear grotto's.








For it's time the Hearst Zoo was one of the finer private facility's in the world.

Rich Boy's Toys--Hearst Ranch/San Simeon

Bear Grotto's, on the right, adjacent to the feline enclosures on the left.








Bear Grotto's. Hearst donated most of what was left of his bears, plus funds for "Grizzly Gulch" to the San Francisco Zoo, when he closed the zoo at San Simeon. There have been many interesting accounts written about the Hearst Zoo. At the link below, go to history & art for an interesting account of the zoo plus additional photo's of the enclosures.

Hearst Castle | California State Park

Julia Morgan: The Quiet Pioneer

http://books.google.com/books?id=0_vlbBFgd88C&pg=PA145&lpg=PA145&dq=size+of+rand..

Rich Boy's Toys--Hearst Ranch/San Simeon

Given the expanse of the property the elusive Aoudads, descended from original herds, are seldom seen.



Stock tank

Old feeding station from the Hearst zoo

Rich Boy's Toys--Hearst Ranch/San Simeon

Hearst Ranch along Highway 1 south of San Simeon, California. The zebra's are descendant's of the original stock of the Hearst Zoo

Rich Boy's Toys--Getty Villa

The Getty Villa seems to be more "accommodating" to human comfort then the bear pits were "accommodating" to bear comforts. Information is hard to find about the Getty menagerie. The Museum folks seem to have distanced themselves from the "fact." Does anyone know anything else about the animals J.Paul had at the estate?

Bear pit at Getty Villa which was once J. Paul's home. Like many other wealthy collectors he had a menagerie which included bears, bison, and lions.

Rich Boy's Toys--Paignton Zoo

Mr. Herbert Witley who owns one of the finest private menageries in Europe at Frimley, Paignton Devon in 1927.

Herbert Whitley was born in 1886 and brought up in Liverpool. His father, Edward Whitley was a solicitor, an ardent churchman, mayor and brewery baron. It was the latter that laid the foundation of the family fortune and the basis for the story of Paignton Zoo and the WWCT.

Edward Whitley died in 1892 at the age of 67 and was commemorated by the City of Liverpool by a statue now standing in St. George's Hall in silent company of William Ewart Gladstone, his great friend and rival. The bereaved Mrs Eleanor Whitley proved to be a courageous lady who saw the need to move to new pastures with her five children. In 1904 they arrived at the Primley Estate in Paignton, when Herbert Whitley was only 18.

Herbert Whitley was a shy, self-taught scientist and eccentric. As he developed his animal collections he became known as a mysterious millionaire who was said to live a monastic life in a white mansion on Primley Hill in Paignton. Stories were told of guarded reserves where weird and exotic creatures lived. He opened his animal collections up to the public for the first time in 1923 but closed them again twice due to disputes with the taxman over ‘entertainment’ tax. Herbert Whitley was adamant that his zoo was a place of education so should not pay entertainment tax on the admission charge.

Herbert Whitley died in 1955 and in his will, founding trustee Philip Michelmore was instructed to set up a Trust to manage and control Paignton Zoological and Botanical Gardens, Slapton Ley Estate and all other lands and buildings defined in the will.