in Reed Photo Collection (1898-1960), Then & Now
Then & Now: Lucy the Elephant Atlantic City, New Jersey
This post is a continuation of a series of "Then & Now" images that will show photographs of buildings, street scenes, and other historical locales from Lewis Reed's Photo Collection alongside photographs of how they appear today.
Lucy the Elephant (THEN): Through the first half of the 20th century, Lucy served as a restaurant, business office, cottage, and tavern (the last closed by Prohibition). The building was depicted on many souvenir postcards, often referred to as "The Elephant Hotel of Atlantic City." (The actual hotel was in a nearby building, not inside the elephant.)
Lucy the Elephant. Photo by Lewis Reed, 1910.
Lucy the Elephant (NOW): The Elephant Hotel was neglected in more recent years, and eventually fell into a sad state of disrepair. In 1966, "Lucy" was saved from the wrecking ball when she was designated as a National Historic Landmark. On July 20, 1970 Lucy was moved about 100 yards to the west-southwest to a city owned lot and completely refurbished. In October, 2012, Hurricane Sandy made landfall near Margate. Lucy remained unscathed, although the surge reached the building's toes and a small booth in the parking lot was blown over. On July 23, 2016, Lucy announced her candidacy for President of the United States at a celebration for her 135th birthday.
Lucy the Elephant, National Historic Landmark, November 20, 2011
Tags: 1910 Elephant Hotel, Atlantic City landmark, Atlantic City NJ, Elephant Hotel, historic elephant, Lewis Reed photos, Lucy the Elephant, Margate's Elephant Building, reed brothers dodge, Reed Photo Collection, vintage photographs