L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano A t f i r s t g l a n c e , elephants and Seattle seem an u n l i k e l y p a i r - ing. Why would t h e w o r l d ' s l a r g e s t l a n d mammal, found in Asia and A f r i c a , h a v e s o i n t r i g u e d r e s i d e n t s o f t h e P a c i f i c Northwest? Yet two Seattle compa- nies have used this massive animal for decades to adver- tise their businesses. The more recognizable was the rotating hot-pink elephant with its display of cascading l i g h t s t o s i m u l a t e w a t e r spraying from its trunk. Two of these neon signs adorned the P i n k E l e p h a n t C a r Wash starting in the 1950s until the Belltown street cor- n e r w a s r e d e v e l o p e d i n 2020. Luckily, both elephants f o u n d n e w h o m e s a f t e r being displaced. The larger s i g n w a s d o n a t e d t o t h e M u s e u m o f H i s t o r y a n d Industry. The smaller one was given to Amazon which, after spending $175,000 to restore it, installed it outside t h e c o m p a n y ' s c o r p o r a t e headquarters, just blocks from its original location. S e a t t l e ' s o t h e r f a m o u s elephant has quite a differ- ent story, one that involved a n I t a l i a n i m m i g r a n t , a f l o w e r s h o p a n d a s t a t e highway. T h e A u r o r a A v e n u e e l e p h a n t c a m e t o l i f e under the skillful hands of Italian immigrant Giovan- ni Braida. Braida was born a r o u n d 1 8 7 3 i n F r i u l i , a region of Italy known for its marble mosaics and terrazzo artisanship. While still a teenager, Braida immigrated to the United States, arriv- ing first in New York and then making his way to San Francisco where he opened a terrazzo business. In 1909, s e a r c h i n g f o r m o r e w o r k opportunities, Braida moved w i t h h i s w i f e a n d s o n t o Seattle, where he was soon busy creating tile and mar- ble entryways for downtown storefronts. In 1915, Braida purchased a wood-framed house in the Fremont neighborhood, and in November of that year obtained a permit from the City of Seattle to adapt his residence to accommodate a store and marble workshop. T h e b u s i n e s s w a s c a l l e d Braida's Art Mosaic & Terrazzo Co. The property also included storage sheds and a garden visible from the street which Braida used as an outdoor showroom. Passers-by could see exam- p l e s o f h i s g a r d e n o r n a - ments and art. Eventually, a near life-sized elephant was added to the mix. B r a i d a l i k e l y g o t h i s i n s p i r a t i o n f r o m t h e e l e - phants of India which were often outfitted with a how- dah, a carriage seat used by the wealthy to transport rid- ers on top of the animal's back. In India, the howdahs were elaborately decorated, o f t e n w i t h s e m i - p r e c i o u s gemstones and lush fabrics. Braida, of course, had to improvise a bit to create his elephant. He used chicken wire stretched over a frame and reinforced it with water pipes. Wet concrete was lay- ered on top and molded into the shape of an elephant. T h e h o w d a h w a s b u i l t o f w o o d b u t w i t h a s p e c i a l touch – it showcased some o f B r a i d a ' s b e a u t i f u l t i l e work in bright yellow, red and blue. The covered car- riage sits on top of a decora- t i v e " c l o t h , " a l s o p a r t o f Braida's workmanship. After it was built, the ele- phant sat outside Braida's house at 3408 Woodland Park Avenue for years. The s t r e e t c a r p a s s e d b y t h e h o u s e o n t h e 3 4 t h S t r e e t side and the elephant quick- ly became a hit with passen- gers young and old. Kids were allowed to play on it and even climb into its hol- low belly. B u t t i m e s c h a n g e . T h e streetcar stopped running in 1 9 4 1 a n d B r a i d a d i e d i n 1943. In 1946 his son sold t h e e l e p h a n t t o D e n n y G r i n d a l l , o w n e r o f t h e Aurora Flower Shop. The price was in the $300-$500 range, depending on which news story you read. After purchasing the stat- ue, Grindall arrived with his c r e w , l o a d e d t h e 9 , 5 0 0 - p o u n d e l e p h a n t o n t o a truck, and drove it carefully t o i t s n e w h o m e a t 8 8 0 8 Aurora Avenue N (Highway 9 9 ) . T h e e l e p h a n t w a s installed on a pedestal above the north lanes of Aurora Avenue, positioned above a signboard advertising the floral shop. T h e m a r q u e e m e s s a g e would change periodically but usually played up the idea that elephants never f o r g e t . O n e d a y t h e s i g n might read: "Elephants have great memories. Do you? D o n ' t f o r g e t y o u r w i f e ' s birthday!" Another day, the shop would advertise where flowers had been delivered recently: "Yesterday we sent flowers to Ypsilanti, Michi- gan." Not surprisingly, decades of sun, rain and street grime degraded the statue's condi- t i o n . T h e n i n 2 0 0 4 , t h e flower shop closed, to be replaced by Aurora Rents, an equipment rental store. The elephant was part of the sale, although, at this point, it was missing some of its trunk, tail and eyes. Pigeons had roosted inside its hollow core. In 2009, the aging ele- phant was removed from its p e r c h a n d s e n t o u t f o r restoration, a project that t o o k m o n t h s . B i r d d r o p - pings were removed, rotten wood replaced, and the tile w o r k w a s r e p a i r e d a n d c l e a n e d . S c r e e n s w e r e installed inside the howdah a n d t h e s t a t u e ' s b e l l y t o keep nesting birds out. The r e p a i r c o s t m o r e t h a n $10,000. The elephant now rests on top of two 15-foot steel posts along a gritty section of Highway 99, one of the city's busiest thoroughfares. B e t w e e n i t s s h i n y w h i t e t u s k s n e s t l e s t h e A u r o r a Rents sign. It was a long road for the A u r o r a A v e n u e e l e p h a n t , one that started a century ago with an Italian immi- grant wanting to create a b e t t e r l i f e f o r h i s f a m i l y . Thanks to a Northwest com- munity that values roadside kitsch, Braida's elephant is now part of Seattle's pop landscape. How an Italian immigrant turned an elephant into a Seattle icon RITA CIPALLA Left: the large neon Pink Elephant Car Wash sign in Belltown, seen here in a photo from 1965, was a symbol of Seattle (Photo: MOHAI). Right: Braida's elephant, created during the Great Depression, today keeps watch over Aurora Avenue (Photo: Dale Smith) SEATTLE ITALIAN COMMUNITY

• Cover