A Travelling Menagerie

Artistafter Paul Friedrich Meyerheim (German, 1842 - 1915)

Printer Gebbie & Co.

Datecirca 1880

MediumPhotogravure

DimensionsSHEET: 11 5/8 x 14 3/8 in. (29.5 x 36.5 cm)
IMAGE: 6 7/8 x 9 5/8 in. (17.5 x 24.5 cm)

ClassificationsPrints

Credit LineMuseum purchase, March,1966

Object numberSN1546.131.43

German artist Friederich Meyerheim was known for his paintings of landscapes and for scenes of human and animal interaction. A Travelling Menagerie suggests the artist’s familiarity with traveling animal shows, a precursor to zoos, where he likely found reference for many of his art works. The scene illustrates these traveling shows as sites of learning, as the audience interacts directly with certain safe animals like the white pelican and through mediation with the more dangerous creatures like the boa constrictor. The diverse ages of the audience was likely due to a growing interest in childhood education that took hold in the late 19th century. The older gentleman at the center of the composition is depicted reading form a booklet. Inexpensive publications were popular souvenirs at such attractions, offering an opportunity to learn more about the animals that one could encounter throughout the menagerie.

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Not on view