Lion on the loose in Essex!

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Well that’s what I have just woken up to hear on the radio. So I tried the TV and it’s true apparently. It’s just that what’s apparent usually has a rational explanation, especially when the circus comes to town. You see it’s a very old trick to release a docile lion or other animal when the circus was about to hit town.

In the nineteenth century it brought in much business for George Wombwell and every menagerie and circus owner across the country.  Victorians flocked to the show that night.

So people of Essex do not panic it’s probably a stunt. Great British Circus  was in Clacton recently and the so-called sightings are in or around St Osyth just down the road.

Animals in circuses are not going through the best of times with animal rights ‘enthusiasts’ frequently harassing the owners. Owners are not doing too well either.

Martini Bartlett, Lion King as told by himself

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The second in the Lion Kings and Queens series sees the publication of Tommy Day’s story as told by himself during the first half of the twentieth century. It has been passed to me by Jim Stockley of Stockley Trained Animal Consultants. Jim’s family virtually ran Chipperfield’s Circus during the mid-twentieth century and I am eternally grateful for his wisdom and the wealth of information Jim has recently passed to me. Rather than forming the resource for another research paper I have published it here intact. It was written by Tommy Day (aka Martini Bartlett) – and was first published by World’s Fair as related to one L.Fairest. The footnotes are though my own and are made available subject to strict copyright. I have also corrected some minor spelling mistakes and grammar.

Link to story

Recently Received Postcard of Norwich Hippodrome

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Norwich Hippodrome circa 1910

In the early part of the twentieth century the Norwich Hippodrome came about which presented regular Menagerie shows. The name Hippodrome was given to two different theatres in Norwich when the properties changed hands between the owners of the two buildings. The owners of the Hippodrome was Edward (or EH) Bostock in conjunction with the theatrical Fitt family from Norwich. Research is underway to establish as much information as possible about these theatres, thought to be a re-transformation from traveling to fixed site menageries for Bostock and Wombwell, around 1900-1912 in Norwich. It is hoped to publish it later this year.

Rekindled Interest in Lion Tamers: The African Lion King Montarno

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There has been a rise in the interest of lion taming recently and the research website will be publishing a series of articles on lion training in history. Added today a new article (in PDF format) concerning Montarno from Bostock and Wombwell’s Menagerie.

Link to article

British Library’s UK Web Archive agree to archive GeorgeWombwell.com

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The British Library have agreed to archive this website.This means that the information is protected against problems in the future including internet problems, personnel changes, financial constraints and any other unforseen circumstances . Readers will have the ability to recover any pages that may get deleted or changed over time. It will include the blog as well as the main research website www.georgewombwell.com

From the BL’s – website:

The Archive contains sites that reflect the rich diversity of lives and interests throughout the UK. Search is by Title of Website, Full Text or URL, or browse by Subject, Special Collection or Alphabetical List.

Thomas Frost: link to an ebook from the 1900s

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Unfortunately the UK still does not allow many ebooks from Victoriana online. Thomas Frost’s 1874 book ‘Old Showmen and the Old London Fairs’ is one such book. However it is available in the USA at the archive.org website. Frost’s volume is a good starting point for researching Menagerists and other showmen through the 19th century. It  makes a quick and easy interface for researchers and others interested in the period. Be warned that it has sometimes relied heavily on perpetual myths and other unqualified reports for its information. At this time it is a free online read.

The link is: Thomas Frost