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