Bostock, a travelling menagerie owner who became a trainer as a boy, describes the history of wild-animal acts and the daily work behind them: housekeeping for big cats, feeding snakes and elephants, the temperaments of different species and the danger of an animal “going bad.” Ellen Velvin, who lived in his exhibitions for weeks, edited the book.
A rare insider’s view of the Edwardian animal show, and a document of attitudes to captive animals now much changed. Download the free EPUB.