ERIC the elephant became one of the more popular exhibits at Bolton Museum but it was 28 years after being donated to the town that he first went on display.

The giant elephant head - measuring around 10 feet from the tip of this trunk to the top of his head - was donated to the museum in 1965 by Lancaster Grammar School and this photograph was taken shortly after he arrived in town.

Quite how the grammar school had acquired the elephant head isn’t clear but for a number of years it was part of the school’s natural history collection.

He remained in storage until 1993 when, following expert restoration by conservators from the North West Museums Service, the African elephant finally went on public view.

Eric continued a long association between Bolton and elephants. The elephant and castle forms part of the town’s coat of arms and elephant symbols were also stamped on Bolton-made cloth by early weavers to denote that the cloth was strong and of good quality.

The elephant symbol has been used to promote Bolton for many years and there are a number of symbols in and around the town, on walls, bridges, buildings and on railings.