The Coleman Frog (also known as Cornelia Webster) is a 19 kg (42 lb) frog statue on display at the Fredericton Region Museum in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, since 1959. It was previously owned by a man named Fred Coleman, who ran a nearby lodge in the 1880s.

Description

The frog was captured from Lake Killarney, at which time it weighed 7.3 pounds (3.3 kg).[1][2] Supposedly, the immense size of the frog was caused by the fact that Coleman fed it whiskey, baked beans, June bugs, buttermilk toddies,[3] and whey. It died in a "dynamite accident" and was sent to Bangor, Maine, to be stuffed.[1]

Controversy

Skeptics say that the frog is a fake that was used to promote a cough syrup that would "relieve the frog in your throat".[4] In a 1988 report, the Canadian Conservative Institute stated that the artifact consists of canvas, wax, and paint and in a letter it refers to the exhibit as “an amusing example of a colossal fake and deception”.[5] The museum will not allow DNA testing to be performed on the frog to confirm whether it is real or a fake.[4][6][7]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "The Coleman Frog". York Sunbury Museum. June 24, 2009. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Story of famous "Coleman Frog"". The Lewiston Daily Sun. Christian Science Monitor. Apr 12, 1979. p. 7. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  3. ↑ Wood, Gerald L. (1976). The Guinness book of animal facts and feats (2nd ed.). Enfield , England: Guinness Superlatives. ISBN 0-900424-60-5. OCLC 2831478.
  4. 1 2 "The Coleman Frog". Museum of Hoaxes. July 30, 2007. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  5. ↑ Nickell, Joe (2001). Real-Life X-Files: Investigating the Paranormal. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0-8131-2210-6. JSTOR j.ctt2tv655.
  6. ↑ "Monster frog no bull, says museum manager". Canada.com. Canwest News Service. July 28, 2007. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  7. ↑ Mandell, Charles (July 28, 2017). "Story of the big frog is no bull, museum says". Retrieved July 21, 2020 – via PressReader.
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