Gilmore (1930–1950) was a

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...

who flew with aviator Colonel

Roscoe Turner Roscoe Turner (September 29, 1895 – June 23, 1970) was a record-breaking American aviator who was a three-time winner of the Thompson Trophy air race and widely recognized by his flamboyant style and his pet, Gilmore the Lion. Early life ...

to promote the

Gilmore Oil Company The Gilmore Oil Company was an independent oil company in California which was founded by Arthur Fremont Gilmore after he struck oil on his dairy farm in the Fairfax district of Los Angeles around 1903. His son, Earl Bell Gilmore, took over the ...

. After he grew too large for flying, Gilmore accompanied Turner in publicity appearances for the next ten years. Gilmore was born on February 7, 1930, at Goebel's Wild Animal Farm – a theme park and supplier of animals for Hollywood movies. The lion was sponsored by and named after the

, whose icon was a red lion with the slogan "Roar with Gilmore". The company gave Turner $15,000 to buy the lion and a plane that was decorated to advertise Gilmore Oil. The Humane Society petitioned Turner to equip Gilmore with a parachute, which also resulted in enhancing the image of a "flying lion". After he grew too large for flying, Gilmore accompanied Turner to publicity appearances over the next ten years. During a brief eight-month period, Gilmore logged over 25,000 miles in the air and was a passenger during multiple air speed record runs. When not flying, Gilmore made public appearances including at the golf course and disconcerted the mailman and other visitors to Turner's home when he answered the door. Once he reached in weight and had outgrown the cockpit and his parachute, he was kept at the airport in

Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, w ...

(then known as the United Airport), and a Gilmore Oil service station in Beverly Hills until around 1940. He spent his last decade at the World Jungle Compound, where Turner continued to pay for his food and visited him, and died on December 17, 1950. Turner then had him

mounted Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...

as a display to be kept in his home. After Roscoe Turner's death in 1970, both the plane used during the 1930 campaign and Gilmore's stuffed remains were exhibited at the Turner Museum until it closed in 1972. They were then donated by his wife to the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

where they were exhibited first at the

Arts and Industries Building The Arts and Industries Building is the second oldest (after The Castle) of the Smithsonian museums on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Initially named the National Museum, it was built to provide the Smithsonian with its first proper facil ...

and then at the

National Air and Space Museum The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, also called the Air and Space Museum, is a museum in Washington, D.C., in the United States. Established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, it opened its main building on the Nat ...

until 1981.

Notes

External links

*{{commons category-inline, Gilmore the lion Lion mascots Individual animals in the United States Individual lions 1930 animal births 1950 animal deaths History of Thousand Oaks, California