8x10" high quality art print in 11x14" white mat.
 
B & I Circus Store and Ivan the Gorilla
The B&I store originally opened in 1946 as a hardware store by co-owners Bradshaw and Irwin.  As the years passed they added a circus theme which included the addition of a carousel, elephants and some chimpanzees. The name was eventually changed to the B&I Circus Store. In 1964, Ivan the gorilla was brought to the store where he lived in an enclosure for the next 28 years.  Eventually Ivan’s solitary life caught the attention of animal activists, and he was moved to Zoo Atlanta where he spent his final years. A statue of Ivan now stands at the entrance of Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium commemorating a beloved part of Tacoma’s history.