Surely, Jane Goodall's friend has a name. What is it?
October 3, 2023 6:13 PM Subscribe
What's the name of the chimpanzee in Apple's "Jane Goodall / Think Different" print?
Famously, David Greybeard is the name she gave to the first chimp in Gombe to trust her, so that's just my off-the-cuff guess. That's where she was working when she was young, as in the photo. (And where her work still carries on today.)
posted by BlahLaLa at 7:31 PM on October 3, 2023
posted by BlahLaLa at 7:31 PM on October 3, 2023
Best answer: "Flo's daughter Fifi" according to this National Geographic article (near the bottom).
That’s how Jane thought the chimps regarded her: As one of them, just different. Here Flo’s daughter Fifi looks up Jane’s shirt. “I became totally absorbed into this forest existence,” Jane wrote later.
posted by flug at 8:16 PM on October 3, 2023 [4 favorites]
That’s how Jane thought the chimps regarded her: As one of them, just different. Here Flo’s daughter Fifi looks up Jane’s shirt. “I became totally absorbed into this forest existence,” Jane wrote later.
posted by flug at 8:16 PM on October 3, 2023 [4 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks, Flug! That's awesome! But you raised another question I hadn't thought of. Is "A PECULIAR WHITE APE" the name of the original photo, or is it just a caption for the article?
posted by 2oh1 at 8:57 PM on October 3, 2023
posted by 2oh1 at 8:57 PM on October 3, 2023
More about Fifi and the other chimps from Gombe.
Getty Images dates this photo to 1972. However, I happen to know those dates are not always pinpoint accurate. The date might be the date it was published somewhere, or some other such date - not necessarily the date it was taken.
If you compare the clothes, hairstyle, etc etc, to other photos in that National Geographic article taken by Hugo van Lawick in 1965, they are a very good match.
In 1965 Fifi, born 1958, would have been about 7 years old - a good match with what we see in the photo. But 1972 Fifi would have been 14 and - I (non chimp expert) would say, very noticeably too old to be the chimp in the photo. But Fifi in 1965 is an excellent match.
If you look at the photos here, you can see a series of photos by van Lawick from this time period. Particularly note photo #8, captioned "Jane Goodall pets Fifi and Flint while Flo watches in Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania."
You'll note that Flint is too small and obviously young to be the chimp in your photo. Here is a photo of Flint alone from that same series. Note that Flint is far too small to match your chimp. He is only about 1 year old at this point, and has coloring etc more typical of that age. However, also note the similarity of Goodall's clothing, hair, etc to your photo.
Also, Flo in Photo #8 is far too large and adult to be your chimp. Flo, born c. 1919 would have been around 46 in this photo. Point being - your chimp is young and quite slender, clearly not an adult but also clearly far older than, say Flint.
When you look at Fifi in Photo #8, she is a very, very good match for your chimp, even though Photo #8 only shows Fifi from the back. But her general size, slenderness of her body and arms, height of her body relative to Goodall, and even the size & shape of her ear are all a very good match.
Bonus photos: The Dec 1965 National Geographic has another photo of Goodall, Flint, and Fifi (p. 803). Note Goodall has same clothes as your photo, down to the sewing on her moccasins, hem on the shorts, etc, and Fifi (now in front view) matches in every particular as well. My guess is, your photo was taken that same day and perhaps the same session.
The caption for that photo says Fifi is five years old. I don't quite know how that lines up with Fifi's birthdate of 1958 and Flint's of 1964 (both per Wikipedia), but without getting too deep in the weeds, clearly the photos were taken sometime after Flint was born before the National Geographic publication date of 1965.
See the full National Geographic article for several more photos of Fifi, Flint, and Goodall from this time period.
Altogether, I think this confirms what the first National Geographic article says, that this is Fifi, and the time frame is that same as the other matching van Lawick photos in that article, 1965 or perhaps 1964.
If the time frame the photo was taken was January 1972, as Getty Images says, then I don't think it can possibly be Fifi. In fact I was looking at Flint (age 8 in 1972) as my prime suspect. But a 14 year old chimip is basically an adult and looks like an adult (here is a photo of a 14-year old chimp for comparison). In fact, Fifi had her first son, Freud, in 1971. She would have been a lot larger and had noticeably different facial coloration by 1972.
In short, I am pretty well convinced that National Geographic is right, and your answer is: Fifi, taken in 1965, or maybe 1964, by Hugo van Lawick for the Dec 1965 National Geographic.
posted by flug at 9:22 PM on October 3, 2023 [14 favorites]
Getty Images dates this photo to 1972. However, I happen to know those dates are not always pinpoint accurate. The date might be the date it was published somewhere, or some other such date - not necessarily the date it was taken.
If you compare the clothes, hairstyle, etc etc, to other photos in that National Geographic article taken by Hugo van Lawick in 1965, they are a very good match.
In 1965 Fifi, born 1958, would have been about 7 years old - a good match with what we see in the photo. But 1972 Fifi would have been 14 and - I (non chimp expert) would say, very noticeably too old to be the chimp in the photo. But Fifi in 1965 is an excellent match.
If you look at the photos here, you can see a series of photos by van Lawick from this time period. Particularly note photo #8, captioned "Jane Goodall pets Fifi and Flint while Flo watches in Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania."
You'll note that Flint is too small and obviously young to be the chimp in your photo. Here is a photo of Flint alone from that same series. Note that Flint is far too small to match your chimp. He is only about 1 year old at this point, and has coloring etc more typical of that age. However, also note the similarity of Goodall's clothing, hair, etc to your photo.
Also, Flo in Photo #8 is far too large and adult to be your chimp. Flo, born c. 1919 would have been around 46 in this photo. Point being - your chimp is young and quite slender, clearly not an adult but also clearly far older than, say Flint.
When you look at Fifi in Photo #8, she is a very, very good match for your chimp, even though Photo #8 only shows Fifi from the back. But her general size, slenderness of her body and arms, height of her body relative to Goodall, and even the size & shape of her ear are all a very good match.
Bonus photos: The Dec 1965 National Geographic has another photo of Goodall, Flint, and Fifi (p. 803). Note Goodall has same clothes as your photo, down to the sewing on her moccasins, hem on the shorts, etc, and Fifi (now in front view) matches in every particular as well. My guess is, your photo was taken that same day and perhaps the same session.
The caption for that photo says Fifi is five years old. I don't quite know how that lines up with Fifi's birthdate of 1958 and Flint's of 1964 (both per Wikipedia), but without getting too deep in the weeds, clearly the photos were taken sometime after Flint was born before the National Geographic publication date of 1965.
See the full National Geographic article for several more photos of Fifi, Flint, and Goodall from this time period.
Altogether, I think this confirms what the first National Geographic article says, that this is Fifi, and the time frame is that same as the other matching van Lawick photos in that article, 1965 or perhaps 1964.
If the time frame the photo was taken was January 1972, as Getty Images says, then I don't think it can possibly be Fifi. In fact I was looking at Flint (age 8 in 1972) as my prime suspect. But a 14 year old chimip is basically an adult and looks like an adult (here is a photo of a 14-year old chimp for comparison). In fact, Fifi had her first son, Freud, in 1971. She would have been a lot larger and had noticeably different facial coloration by 1972.
In short, I am pretty well convinced that National Geographic is right, and your answer is: Fifi, taken in 1965, or maybe 1964, by Hugo van Lawick for the Dec 1965 National Geographic.
posted by flug at 9:22 PM on October 3, 2023 [14 favorites]
> Is "A PECULIAR WHITE APE" the name of the original photo, or is it just a caption for the article?
Regarding the "Peculiar White Ape" - that is explained in the caption of the Natl Geographic article (which is quite recent, though it doesn't seem to have a date on it anywhere), and simply refers to how Goodall thought all the chimps thought of her - as a peculiar white ape:
For that reason and others, I've been looking for the original publication of that specific photo, based on the idea that it was published in 1972.
First I found this interesting book: My Friends: The Wild Chimpanzees, Jane Goodall, 1970. P. 176 and elsewhere has more photos of Fifi (get an account at archive.org and check the book out to view the entire book). However, not your photo.
Then I found out that Goodall published In the Shadow of Man in 1972, with photos by van Lawick (again, get an account with the Internet Archive, then check the book out for an hour to view the entire thing). There is a whole lengthy chapter, "Flo and Her Family," with lots of details about Flint, Fifi, and the other family units at that time. So that sounds promising.
And what do you know - there it is! It's in the photo insert between p. 106 and 107.
Photo caption: Sometimes we hid bananas under our shirts
posted by flug at 9:51 PM on October 3, 2023 [13 favorites]
Regarding the "Peculiar White Ape" - that is explained in the caption of the Natl Geographic article (which is quite recent, though it doesn't seem to have a date on it anywhere), and simply refers to how Goodall thought all the chimps thought of her - as a peculiar white ape:
"A PECULIAR WHITE APE": That’s how Jane thought the chimps regarded her: As one of them, just different. Here Flo’s daughter Fifi looks up Jane’s shirt. “I became totally absorbed into this forest existence,” Jane wrote later.But that doesn't really explain why the chimp was looking up her shirt.
For that reason and others, I've been looking for the original publication of that specific photo, based on the idea that it was published in 1972.
First I found this interesting book: My Friends: The Wild Chimpanzees, Jane Goodall, 1970. P. 176 and elsewhere has more photos of Fifi (get an account at archive.org and check the book out to view the entire book). However, not your photo.
Then I found out that Goodall published In the Shadow of Man in 1972, with photos by van Lawick (again, get an account with the Internet Archive, then check the book out for an hour to view the entire thing). There is a whole lengthy chapter, "Flo and Her Family," with lots of details about Flint, Fifi, and the other family units at that time. So that sounds promising.
And what do you know - there it is! It's in the photo insert between p. 106 and 107.
Photo caption: Sometimes we hid bananas under our shirts
posted by flug at 9:51 PM on October 3, 2023 [13 favorites]
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posted by donut_princess at 6:33 PM on October 3, 2023