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James Vincent de Paul Lafferty, Jr. (1856–1898) was an American inventor, most famous for his construction of 
Official 'Lucy' website
1856 births 1898 deaths 19th-century American inventors American people of Irish descent {{US-inventor-stub
Lucy the Elephant
Lucy the Elephant is a six-story elephant-shaped wood frame and tin clad building, constructed in 1882 by James V. Lafferty in Margate City, New Jersey, Margate City, New Jersey. Lucy was built with the purpose of promoting real estate sales and ...
, the Elephantine Colossus and The Light of Asia
''The Light of Asia'', or ''The Great Renunciation'' (''Mahâbhinishkramana''), is a book by Sir Edwin Arnold. The first edition of the book was published in London in July 1879.
In the form of a narrative poem, the book endeavours to descri ...
(also known as "Old Dumbo"). Born to Irish parents in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, he received Patent Number 268503, on December 5, 1882 to protect his original invention, as well as any animal-shaped building.
Broke by 1887, Lafferty was forced to sell Lucy (originally named "Elephant Bazaar"). He died in 1898 and is buried in the cemetery of St. Augustine's Catholic Church in Philadelphia.
See also
* Charles Ribart, American architect who designed a similar elephant-shaped building *Zoomorphic architecture
Zoomorphic architecture is the practice of using animal forms as the inspirational basis and blueprint for architectural design. "While animal forms have always played a role adding some of the deepest layers of meaning in architecture, it is now ...
References
External links
Official 'Lucy' website
1856 births 1898 deaths 19th-century American inventors American people of Irish descent {{US-inventor-stub