South Vietnamese soldiers ride elephants across a river in the Ba Don area, about 20 miles from the Cambodian border, during a patrol in search of Viet Cong guerrillas in June 1964. In some conditions, the Hannibal-like transportation is more suited to jungle warfare than more modern vehicles

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South Vietnamese soldiers ride elephants across a river in the Ba Don area, about 20 miles from the Cambodian border, during a patrol in search of Viet Cong guerrillas in June 1964. In some conditions, the Hannibal-like transportation is more suited to jungle warfare than more modern vehicles
South Vietnamese soldiers ride elephants across a river in the Ba Don area, about 20 miles from the Cambodian border, during a patrol in search of Viet Cong guerrillas in June 1964. In some conditions, the Hannibal-like transportation is more suited to jungle warfare than more modern vehicles
Artist/Maker (German, 1933 – 2012)
DateJune 27, 1964
MediumVintage Associated Press wirephoto
DimensionsImage: 4 13/16 × 9 5/8 in. (12.3 × 24.4 cm) Sheet: 5 9/16 × 10 3/16 in. (14.2 × 25.9 cm)
Credit LineGift of Thomas J. Wilson and Jill M. Garling, P2016
Object number2023.12.201
On view

Additional Details

Exhibition History 2024-2025
Clinton, NY. The Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum of Art, Hamilton College. "Menagerie: Animals in Art from the Wellin Museum," September 7, 2024 –June 8, 2025 (no cat.).
Markings Verso, upper left (stamp, purple ink): "COPYRIGHT ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO / CAUTION: WATCH RELEASE DATE / THIS ASSOCIATED PRESS FEATURE PHOTO IS INTENDED / FOR FIRST PUBLICATION IN THE EVENING PAPERS ON / Date:..7 JUL 1964..."
Verso, center left (stamp, purple ink): [upside-down and ontop of above stamp] "The Daily Telegraph / PUBLISHED / 8 JUL 1964 / ART DEPARTMENT"
Verso, upper right (stamp, purple ink): "ASSOCIATED PRESS NEWSPHOTO / FROM ABROAD / SUBJECT TO [illegible] OF / ONE [illegible] / DATE OF ISSUE...7 JUL 1964"
Verso, lower center (newspaper clipping): [upside-down] "The elephant, immortalized as a vehicle of war by Hannibal / in 218 B.C., is still in military use. South Viet-nam soldiers, / fording a river near the cambodian border in search of Viet / Cong guerrillas, find the animals more suited to jungle / conditions than motorized vehicles."
Published References Illustrated: Associated Press ID # 350674139874
Inscribed Recto, upper left and right corners (black marker): [directional arrows in the margin pointed towards the corners of the image]
Verso, upper right (pencil): "P.16922"
Verso, upper right edge (pencil): [sideways] "1012NXK"
Verso, center (blue ink): [upside-down] "A3366"
Verso, lower right (pencil): "4 cos / x 4" / p20"
Verso, lower left edge (pencil): [sideways] "HF-VNM-193 1800"
Verso, lower edge (pencil): [upside-down] "Region. BA DON Sud-Vietnam. / patroulle a le recherche de la gueilla Viet cong / PHOTO BY HORST FASS. [double underlined]" [translation: "Region. BA DON South Vietnam. / patrol in search of Viet Cong guerillas"
Verso, lower right center (red pencil): "π"
Study for More Pricks than Kicks
Richard Cramer
Date: 1989
Medium: carbon pencil and acrlyic on struthmore paper
Object number: 1999.1
The War for the Union: Surprise of Rebel Guerrillas by a Squadron of United States Cavalry, from "Harper's Weekly"
Thomas Nast
Date: published November 15, 1862
Medium: Wood engraving on newsprint
Object number: 2019.13.23
Trapping Rebel Guerrillas in the West, from "Harper's Weekly"
Thomas Nast
Date: published November 21, 1863
Medium: Wood engraving on newsprint
Object number: 2019.13.46