Explore the dark history of elephants in show business

For centuries humankind’s uses for animals were primarily limited to food, clothing, and labor—and then in the 19th century the use of exotic creatures for spectacle exploded. Perhaps none loomed larger in the American imagination than the elephants captured in Africa and Asia and shipped to the United States for entertainment. Mammoth stars such as Jumbo, Topsy, Alice, and Mary, were paraded by showmen such as P.T. Barnum and his infamous rival Adam Forepaugh, but the public’s “love” was often the death of them.
Today, as elephant populations have faced significant declines over the last century, Dawn Raffel revisits the history of sideshow spectacles and curiosities that continue to shape our relationship with these magnificent animals.

This free event is at the New York Public Library, 42 St and 5th Avenue. Register here