humongous

Wonderful!

That elephant appears to be completely unrestrained. Those were the days.

Lovely picture, charming picture....I'll bet the animals breath smelled! Good one TAW, this picture is a cracker!

This looks like the Bostock and Wombwell Menagerie, there's a photo similar to this one dated 1913, at this link www.nfa.dept.shef.ac.uk/history/galleries/gall03.html

@lisabee73 I think you're on to something there! Thanks so much for the info. I'll it pass on to the keeper now looking after this collection.

wow! royal treatment! :D

this is very sad, the elephant is skinny, distressed and obviously underfeed.

The elephant is holding up its foot to have its shoe fitted. If it were distressed I doubt if the man would be too keen on having its foot resting in his knee. It is probably one of Bostock's famous elephants which all had long happy lives, and were very well fed.

Thw humans are sqauting uncomfortably, arduous labor to make an animals feet comfortsale. Wonder if they had decent wages and accomodations. Wonder if the humans were warm in winter and cool in summer tending to the animals.

Kate Feely and Tom Bartlett.

Bostock and Wombwell's menagerie elephant wearing shoes for travelling on roads.

Kate Feely.