I once stayed at The Peabody Hotel in one of my favorite cities, Memphis, Tennessee. The highlight of course, was watching the famous Peabody Ducks in action.
The five Mallards, one drake and four hens, swam in the elaborate fountain. They later marched down the red carpet for a ride up the elevator to their penthouse apartment.
Under the direction of the Duckmaster, dressed in a bright red jacket, they waddled to the sounds of a marching band and the cheers and applause of visitors. An honorary Duckmaster who was a member of the military assisted that day.
Although the hotel was built in 1925, the first ducks arrived in 1933. As a practical joke, the hotel manager and a friend added them to the hotel’s fountain. The three English call ducks generated lots of attention. The hotel decided to keep them, but soon replaced them with five North American Mallard ducks.
The first Duckmaster, Edward Pembroke, was a bellman and a former circus animal trainer. He led the ducks to the fountain from their rooftop penthouse every morning at 11 a.m. The ducks returned at 5 p.m. Mr. Pembroke performed his role as Duckmaster from 1940 until 1991. He started the now famous Peabody Duck March.
