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Dear Rachel, At Rossendale Museum in Rawtenstall, Lancashire a star exhibit is "Tiger and Python; thought to be a rare survival from William Bullock's London Museum, c.1813." ( Information from photo postcard of the display which I recently purchased there.) Maybe the Museum holds related archival material too? Best wishes Bente T. Loudon >From: Rachel Poliquin <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: History of Natural History <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: [HIST-NAT-HIST] george wombwell >Date: Thu, 8 Dec 2005 13:37:02 -0800 > >Dear all, especially David Lampard: > >Do you know the name of the taxidermist associated with the Ipswich Museum >who prepared the animals from Wombwell and Bostock? And do the museum's >archives contain any correspondence between Wombwell and the curators >regarding shipping costs, animal offers, or animal requests? > >This discussion of Wombwell is most timely for me as I am currently >researching nineteenth-century British attitudes towards animals in zoos >versus museums. If any members have any more information on where deceased >menagerie animals ended up or any documents relating to the purchase (were >they purchased or donated?) and transfer of animals, I would be most >grateful. > >Thanks, >Rachel Poliquin. > >-----Original Message----- >From: History of Natural History [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On >Behalf Of David lampard >Sent: November 18, 2005 7:50 AM >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: [HIST-NAT-HIST] george wombwell > >In Ipswich Museum we have at least 29 specimens from Wombwells menagerie >purchased between 1847 and 1852. There was a display case of of "Big Cats" >in Ipswich Museum until 1906 and I think that many of the specimens came >from Wombwells. We have a further 14 specimens from Glasgow Zoo via E H >Bostock who was a member of the Wombwell family. Again I believe that >Wombwells circulated lists of deceased animals to museums as a standard >business practice. During their most successful period Wombwells had three >travelling menageries on tour in the UK and I believe they managed the >Royal menagerie. They are rather more infamous for "Wallace" the lion, who >was involved in dog fights during the shows. Saffron Walden museum now has >Wallace mounted in their collection. we have a "son of Wallace" from >Wombwells. >Wombwells had a winter quarters in East anglia and owned the Hippodromes in >Ipswich and Great Yarmouth. >The personnel of the menagerie were documented in Ipswich during the 1851 >census. >I have put together a small file over the years with bits and pieces of >information about our specimens, and there a various entries in our minute >books and local newspapers of the time. >There are specimens scattered across the UK with the documentation being >spread likewise and I have seen surviving posters advertsising the >menagerie in a number of places. >Sheffield University library hold the National Fairground Archive and there >are a number of circus family history societies that may provide further >infoarmation. >I suspect that a full survey of Wombwell specimens would be a worthwhile >undertaking