The Old Showmen and the Old London FairsFrost, Thomas
History
The Old Showmen and the Old London Fairs
Frost, Thomas
Fairs -- England -- London; London (England) -- Social life and customs
"Wonderful Phenomenon in Nature--The singular and hitherto deemed
impossible occurrence of a Lion and Tigress cohabiting and producing young
has again taken place in the Menagerie, on the 28th of October, 1828, at
Windsor, when the Royal Tigress brought forth three fine cubs!!! And they
are now to be seen in the same den with their sire and dam. The first
litter of these extraordinary animals were presented to Our Most Gracious
Sovereign, when he was pleased to express considerable gratification, and
to denominate them Lion-Tigers, than which a more appropriate name could
not have been given. The great interest the Lion and Tigress have excited
is unprecedented; they are a source of irresistible attraction, especially
as it is the only instance of the kind ever known of animals so directly
opposite in their dispositions forming an attachment of such a singular
nature; their beautiful and interesting progeny are most admirable
productions of Nature. The Group is truly pleasing and astonishing, and
must be witnessed to form an adequate idea of them. The remarkable
instance of subdued temper and association of animals to permit the Keeper
to enter their Den, and to introduce their performance to the Spectators,
is the greatest Phenomenon in Natural History."
Most of the shows enumerated in the list of 1828 attended Bartholomew Fair
in 1830, and there were a few additional ones, making the total number
about the same. They comprised the menageries of Wombwell, Atkins, and
Ballard, the first containing "the great Siam elephant, and the two
smallest elephants ever seen in Europe," and the last offering an unique
attraction in a seal, floundering in a large tub of water; Richardson's
theatre, Ball's tumbling and rope-dancing, Keyes and Laine's conjuring,
Frazer's conjuring, a learned pony, the pig-faced lady, a shaved bear (to
expose the imposture preceding), the "living skeleton," the fire-eater,
the Scotch giant, the diorama of Navarino, the fat boy and girl, and a
couple of peep-shows, one exhibiting, as its chief attraction, the lying
in state of George IV., the other the murder of Maria Martin.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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