Colonel Percy James Mundy (1865-1943)

Lion and Tiger Tamer, Animal Trainer and Showman

Only one headstone in the city of Jacksonville has a giant granite Lion guarding its safety. This is the memorial of one of the greatest showman of animal acts of the late 1800’s, Colonel Percy James (P.J.) Mundy. Using the words “Retired Circus Magnate” to describe Mundy’s life, his Florida Times-Union obituary barely mentioned the fact that a half dozen Mundy Animal Shows traveled all over world entertaining millions.

When the exceptional 30 acre amusement park known as Luna Park opened at Coney Island, it was Colonel Mundy who dominated the animal acts with his “Mundy’s Menagerie” consisting of over 200 wild animals ranging from lions to dozens of elephants. His hired entertainers combined acts involving, birds, dogs, cats, horses, buffalo, elephants and even pigs. Other rare
animals were added as the show expanded. Soon, the show was so large that it had to be performed in the Hagenbeck Hippodrome.

Thanks to Percy Mundy, Luna Park showcased more elephants than any other park in the world. With attendance exceeding a million per year, early employees who speculated on a show percentage versus salary earned 6 figure incomes in one year. Annual salaries for showmen like Colonel Mundy exceeded 7 figures.

When Colonel Mundy partnered with Midway pioneer Gaskill, the two had 6 elaborately carved and painted wagons specially arranged to attract the hordes of visitors. These wagons were of the finest quality and manufacture by the Leonhard Manufacturing Company in Baltimore.

While operating his show at Coney Island, Mundy was also the proprietor of the North Avenue Zoo.

Colonel Mundy (Colonel is probably a stage name) as he was known, was born in Exeter, Devonshire, England, February 24, 1863. He moved to the United States in 1885, bringing with him an established act of performing individuals and animals.

One thrilling act involved a motorcycle rider recklessly riding inside a giant sphere. In Kentucky, one of the riders lost control and died in front of thousands of witnesses.

Though he traveled across the country entertaining crowds of onlookers, his permanent home was built in Rochester, New York. It was there that on December 30, 1888, he married his wife, Bridie.

One of the funniest stories of his life involved a run-in with a lion in his Rochester home. He was walking through his living room in the dark when he stepped directly into the open mouth of a lion rug. The sharp teeth pierced his shoe and tore into his foot. P.J. screamed in pain and a house guest came running. Upon entering the room the guest asked what had happened. Standing in total darkness, P.J. exclaimed, “There is a lion in the room and he has bitten me.” Fearing the worst, the guest turned on the lamp to discover the true culprit. They both had a good laugh.

In 1903, he nearly lost his life attempting to separate two of his lions. His largest lion, Prince, turned and leapt at Colonel Mundy first biting his defensive left arm and then biting deep into his thigh. An assistant tossed him a chair. When P.J. attempted to strike him with it, Prince broke it into two pieces.

Finally, a crowbar was used to loosen its grip and pull his fangs from his thigh bone. Recovery required nearly 6 months of hospitalization. It left a teacup size deep scar in his thigh and a useless left arm.

By the following season he had regained his health and was prepared to entertain again.

In 1909, Mundy was requested to perform for the Dixieland Exposition in Jacksonville. As with most new transplants from the North, he came to Florida just to stay a few months. He was enchanted by the people, the weather and the opportunity to develop real estate. Another motivating factor involved the opportunity to provide trained animals to the up and coming movie production studios. With his wife’s approval, he decided to stay in Jacksonville and retired that same year. Several years later his sold his traveling shows and his stationary Coney Island show.

The wealthy entertainer turned his sights on developing Jacksonville’s Southside along San Jose Boulevard. Just north of where he was laid to rest, he purchased a large tract of land and built a mansion on a bluff overlooking the St. Johns River naming it “Hollywood Park”. In the mid-30’s, they sold a portion of the property which became known as the Ardsley Development. Today it is possible to drive on Ardsley Road and Mundy Drive just off San Jose Boulevard where it splits with Hendricks
Avenue.

Colonel Mundy and Bridie invited many of Jacksonville’s finest along with visiting dignitaries to their home. When they were not entertaining guests, they would normally be touring the world. Stories of their adventures provided much pleasure to local Jacksonville residents. To stay busy, he bred his show dogs for neighbors.

One of Colonel Mundy’s last acts was the promotion of the extension of Hogan Road to Jacksonville Beach. This occurred in the early 1920’s when Jacksonville Beach was still known as Pablo Beach. For his unselfish devotion to the project, the final portion of the road to the ocean was named Mundy Drive.

In his final years, his health deteriorated. Several strokes acted as setbacks but while there were those who expected the worst, Colonel Mundy would soon recover. Just before his final stroke that ended his life, Colonel Mundy and Bridie completed a tour of New York and Maine. They were married 55 years.

Residents of Jacksonville said that the Mundy home “Hollywood Park” was like a museum stuffed with treasures from world travel and visits to isolated points in Europe and the Far East.

P.J. Mundy died December 12, 1943.