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I never knew about Fritz. He was a very pretty dog, pretty coat I mean.

Excellent pictures - thank you!

Here, for everyone's education, is a graphic example of how the effects of excessive lighting can damage the condition of an animal mounting (admittedly, the cells in the fur have long since been dead. So there was nothing to replenish the color. But it is depressing nevertheless (also notice how the museum has the wrong birth date on the little placard in front of Balto. It says 1919 or something. It SHOULD say 1922):

It should be worth noting that that the fur of a black Siberian will acquire a reddish hue when exposed to sunlight for most of the dog's life (the same could also be said for the black half of a black-and-white Siberian). Balto's fur change is just an extreme example of this as it has been exposed to light for either 84 or 87 years.

There is some uncertainty about Balto's birth year. Although the accepted year is 1922, Seppala once said that Balto was six at the time of the Serum Run. That would make him fourteen when he died and have a birth year of 1919.

BaltoSeppala, I also accept the 1922 birth year. I just brought up the 1919 date since it is a possibility and deseves at least a footnote when talking about Balto's birth year.

Folks,

There has already been some discussion about how Balto and Togo, following their deaths, were mounted and put on display. I see that people have divided opinions on this. Of course, you have to remember that (especially in Balto's case, due to the amount of press he received after the Serum Run), people were still in love with him even years later (the idea that he died at 14 is a mistake. Balto lived no more than 11 years...from 1922 to 1933. Togo, conversely, lived 16.). It was felt, at the time, that there should be some way of remembering the hero that everyone saw him as, for posterity. Right or wrong, mounting is what they chose. (Pictures of each mount appear below.)

Now, in each case, only their skins were mounted (which, of course, included the fur). What happened to the rest of Balto's remains is not documented (at least, not well-documented, and I have found no record of it yet). However, Togo's skeleton was preserved and mounted separately. And he died before Balto did (Togo died December 5th, 1929...he was born in the month of October, 1913; Balto died on March 14th, 1933). It is possible that either the viscera (internal organs) of both dogs, and Balto's skeleton, were buried in honor and with respect. Or it is just as possible that the individual taxidermists simply disposed of those remains (which would be a terrible shame). However, both dogs met death peacefully, and being given loving embraces from their caretakers (I will mention those in a separate thread).

Here are pictures of the mounts, as well as some information on each, and links to where you can find more information:

BALTO


It is said that the mount of Balto has suffered due to previous exposure to too much light and moisture. The coat has faded from its natural jet black to what is now more of a deep mahogany red. The fur around the eyes, and more of the muzzle, grayed with age. This mount sits on display, with some very nice historical information and displays, at the Cleveland, Ohio Museum of Natural History...in the town where Balto died.

Here is a great link for information on the mount, which is now maintained in better condition, and with Balto's original leather lead:

http://www.fortunecity.com/boozers/elephant/114/baltomus.htm



TOGO


When you compare this mount of Togo to two life pictures of him (below), you can see how the condition of it has deteriorated...


The mount was originally displayed at the Peabody Museum of Natural History, at Yale University in Connecticut...protected by a display case. Togo's skeleton was also saved and mounted, and sits in storage at Peabody even today. The skin mount was then purchased by the Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont...and displayed out in the open, without a case, where visitors could (and did) pet it, photograph it, and moisture took its toll (along with all the petting, which pulled fur gradually out of the skin). It was then placed in storage, in 1979, where it languished for years. A newspaper story about the mount, and Togo himself, set off a campaign by Alaskans to get Togo's remains returned to his home state. In 1983, a deal was worked out, and Togo was shipped to where he is now on display, at the Iditarod Trail Headquarters Museum in Wasilla, Alaska (a suburb of Anchorage, where the annual Iditarod Sled Race gets fully underway, after a short run in the streets of Anchorage). The Peabody Museum of Natural History, as has already been noted, still retains possession of Togo's skeleton, which is still in storage. (My last remaining link to the information about the mount, from Iditarod.com, no longer exists on that site, however).



FRITZ

Some of you may not be aware that there is a third team leader who's skin was preserved and mounted! Yes, it was Fritz, half-brother to Togo, and his co-leader on Leonhard Seppala's team during the Great Serum Run, and another of Seppala's favorite dogs. The story about it is linked below. Here is a photo of the mount, and one of the life photos of Fritz below that (I have three or four in my possession):


The mount of Fritz, currently displayed at the Carrie M. McLain Memorial Museum in Nome itself. The mount, like Togo's, went through a sad and unfitting series of events before being rescued in the nick of time and returned home.


Fritz, at left, and Togo, at right, leading Seppala's team down an American street on their tour of the U.S. after the Great Serum Run (and which started shortly after Gunnar Kaasen was sent on a tour of the U.S. with Balto and most of his team, to satisfy the immense curiosity of the American people for Balto).

Here is a link to an article about Fritz's mount, and a little about him:

http://www.adn.com/front/story/6163088p-6042574c.html

Frizts looks vary porly preserved. It looks like he is just sorta leening up against the glass. But whats up with Togo's tail? thats is just wrong.