Mystery photo: Two men and a monkey

A few weeks ago I launched into a fiftieth anniversary post on Hugh Morton’s photographs made during John F. Kennedy’s campaign tour in North Carolina.  In the course of researching the post, I got intrigued by the story behind the event and began reading Triumph of Good Will: How Terry Sanford Beat a Champion of Segregation and Reshaped the South by John Drescher. In the mean time as that post takes shape, I’m posting the following lighter fare from Elizabeth. —Stephen
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Can anyone help us out on this one? We’re stumped by these images of two men, a small monkey, and some kind of industrial equipment. What the heck is going on? (Morton included the color version in a slide show he titled “Superlatives,” but we’re unsure as to the “superlative” nature of the image content. Monkeys are superlative, in my opinion, but is there more to it than that?). Let us hear from you in the comments!

6 thoughts on “Mystery photo: Two men and a monkey”

  1. The black and white image was part of a group of images that Elizabeth sent me back in May of 2009 (Morton Picture Group #4). I wasn’t able to do anything with it, but here’s what I wrote on 5/14/09.
    P081_NTBR1_001029_04
    Two men and monkey. This is indeed a strange picture. My first reaction was perhaps this picture was taken in the early 1960s when the US space program was sending monkeys into space. The Morehead Planetarium was used for early space training. But the likely date given of 1969-1970 makes it too late for the space program and too early for the NC Zoo. This picture looks like something one might see on the cover of “Alumni Review.” I’ll check that out the next time I’m working in the UNC Alumni Library. (I never checked).
    Today I looked at it again and came up with this listing in the Roland Giduz finding aid which sounds like it might be related. But, for some sreason, I can’t open it.
    Roland Giduz Photographic Collection, 1947-1970
    Giduz died in January 2009 in Chapel Hill. The collection comprises …… Group of views showing Dr. Taylor and assistants with a monkey being used in …
    library.unc.edu/wilson/ncc/pcoll/inv/P0033/P0033.html

  2. Was finally able to get the Giduz link open. The March 16, 1950 date doesn’t fit.
    Sheet Film P0033/0183 Medical School Researchers with Monkey Being Used in Heart Research, 16 March 1950’s #P0033, Series: “Roland Giduz Photographic Collection, 1947-1970.”
    P0033/0183
    Mixed formats (negatives)
    5 images
    Group of views showing Dr. Taylor and assistants with a monkey being used in heart research; Chapel Hill, Orange County, N.C.

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