Sign-In
Cart
Clara's Grand Tour: Travels with a Rhinoceros in Eighteenth-Century Europe
Paperback
General World HistoryOther Animals
Publisher Price: $20.00
ISBN13: 9780802142337
Publisher: Grove Press
Published: Nov 29 2005
Pages: 240
Weight: 0.63
Height: 0.65 Width: 5.51 Depth: 8.24
Language: English
A biography of Clara, an eighteenth-century globe-trotting celebrity that also happened to be a fully grown Indian rhinoceros
In 1741, an enterprising Dutch sea captain transported a young female Indian rhinoceros from Assam to Europe, where she was displayed before everyone from peasants to princes.
In an age before railways and modern roads, the three-ton Clara, as she became known, had to travel in an enormous coach drawn by eight horses. For seventeen years she journeyed across mainland Europe and Britain: she became a favorite of heads of state, including Frederick the Great and Louis XV; she modeled for scientific portraits and etchings; she inspired poems, songs, and fashions; and she was immortalized in everything from tin coins to the finest porcelain. She was a star.
Her tour involved unprecedented logistical planning, as no one knew how to care for this largest of land mammals. A rhinoceros can eat up to 150 pounds of vegetation a day-two and a half tons a month-and Clara developed an uncommon fondness for oranges, beer, and tobacco. Later, when Clara's popularity threatened to decline, her owner orchestrated a series of publicity stunts. For instance, upon news of Clara's certain and imminent death, there would be an upsurge in interest, sympathy . . . and bookings. She eventually ended her days in London, where she had become famous enough to merit mention in Oliver Goldsmith's History of the Earth and Animated Nature and in Samuel Richardson's Clarissa.
Awarded the prestigious Institute of Historical Research Prize, Glynis Ridley's sparkling history brings Clara's tragicomic story vividly to life. Clara's Grand Tour is also a portrait of an era that saw the rhinoceros as both an object of marvel and a challenge to fundamental philosophical and theological beliefs.
Also in
Other Animals
The Ghost of the Mountains: Unraveling the Secrets of the Snow Leopard
Suryawanshi, Kulbhushansingh
Hardcover
Lab Dog: A Beagle and His Human Investigate the Surprising World of Animal Research
Kaplan, Melanie D. G.
Hardcover
Horse Country: Inside the World of Equestrian Style and Sport, from British Dressage to Western Riding
O'Shea-Evans, Kathryn
Hardcover
The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter & Miracles
Lipton, Bruce H.
Paperback
Mammals: A Fully Illustrated, Authoritative and Easy-To-Use Guide
Zim, Herbert S.
Hoffmeister, Donald F.
Paperback
Start with a Bear: Humans, Grizzlies, and the Power of Stories on a Crowded Planet
Alagona, Peter S.
Hardcover
The Perfect Horse: The Daring U.S. Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped by the Nazis
Letts, Elizabeth
Paperback
The Ultimate Book of Big Cats: Your Guide to the Secret Lives of These Fierce, Fabulous Felines
Winter, Steve
Hardcover
The Secret Lives of Bats: My Adventures with the World's Most Misunderstood Mammals
Tuttle, Merlin
Paperback
Heart of the Jaguar: The Extraordinary Conservation Effort to Save the Americas' Legendary Cat
Campbell, James
Hardcover
What the Bears Know: How I Found Truth and Magic in America's Most Misunderstood Creatures--A Memoir by Animal Planet's the Bear Whisperer
Erskine, Chris
Searles, Steve
Paperback
The Handbook Of Nature Study in Color - Fish, Reptiles, Amphibians, Invertebrates
Comstock, Anna
Paperback
Animal Tracks of the Northeast: Your Way to Easily Identify Animal Tracks
Poppele, Jonathan
Paperback
For the Love of Bats: Exploring Nature at Night with the West's Flying Mammals
Desautels, Niki
Paperback
Brain Games - Sticker by Number: Neon Jungle (28 Images to Sticker)
Publications International Ltd
New Seasons
Brain Games
Paperback
Nary a Horse Left Standing: How a Nineteenth-Century Epidemic Transformed Medicine, Animal Welfare, and the Modern City
Dugatkin, Lee Alan
Hardcover
Dead Moose on Isle Royale: Off Trail with the Citizen Scientists of the Wolf-Moose Project
Holden, Jeffrey M.
Paperback
Stowaway: The Disreputable Exploits of the Rat - A New Scientist Non-Fiction Book of the Year
Shute, Joe
Paperback
Color & Frame - Horses (Coloring Book): Featuring 31 Adorable Coloring Pages
Publications International Ltd
New Seasons
Paperback
Connection Training: The Heart and Science of Positive Horse Training
Weston, Hannah
Bedingfield, Rachel
Paperback
Bringing Up Beaver: Two Orphaned Beaver Kits, Their Humans, and Our Journey Back to the Wild
Aberth, John
Hardcover
The Story of the Mammals in 25 Discoveries: Amazing Fossils and the People Who Found Them
Prothero, Donald R.
Hardcover
Path to Pet Wellness: The Holistic Vet's Guide to Thriving Pets and Empowered Pet Parents
Feinman, Jeff
Paperback
Pacific Coast Mammal Finder: Identifying Mammals by Their Tracks, Skulls, and Other Signs
Russo, Ron
Paperback
The Eye of the Elephant: An Epic Adventure in the African Wilderness
Owens, Delia
Owens, Mark
Paperback
Horse Anatomy for Performance: A Practical Guide to Training, Riding and Horse Care
Higgins, Gillian
Hardcover
Think Like a Horse: Lessons in Life, Leadership, and Empathy from an Unconventional Cowboy
Golliher, Grant
Hardcover
The Odyssey of Kp2: An Orphan Seal and a Marine Biologist's Fight to Save a Species
Williams, Terrie M.
Paperback
The Art of Making a California-Style Vaquero Bridle Horse: Second Edition, Softcover
Bridges, Mike
Paperback
Grizzly Confidential: An Astounding Journey Into the Secret Life of North America's Most Fearsome Predator
Grange, Kevin
Hardcover
The Secret World of Red Wolves: The Fight to Save North America's Other Wolf
Beeland, T. Delene
Paperback
Animal Tracks of the Northwest: Your Way to Easily Identify Animal Tracks
Poppele, Jonathan
Paperback
Theodore Roosevelt and the Smithsonian Expedition to British East Africa, 1909-1910
Goodyear III, Frank H.
Hardcover
The Safari Companion: A Guide to Watching African Mammals; Including Hoofed Mammals, Carnivores, and Primates
Estes, Richard D.
Paperback
The Last Ride of the Pony Express: My 2,000-Mile Horseback Journey Into the Old West
Grant, Will
Hardcover
Mark of the Grizzly: Revised and Updated with More Stories of Recent Bear Attacks and the Hard Lessons Learned
McMillion, Scott
Paperback
The Hoofprints Guide to the Wild Horses of Shackleford Banks and Vicinity
Gruenberg, Bonnie U.
Paperback
Taming Wild: The Compelling Origins of Freedom Based Training and the Promise It Holds for Horses with Humans
Sinclair, Elsa
Paperback
The Wild Horse Effect: Awe, Well-Being, and the Transformative Power of Nature
Hanson, Chad
Hardcover
The Tao of Equus (Revised): A Woman's Journey of Healing and Transformation Through the Way of the Horse
Kohanov, Linda
Paperback
Felids and Hyenas of the World: Wildcats, Panthers, Lynx, Pumas, Ocelots, Caracals, and Relatives
Castelló, José R.
Paperback
In the Company of Bears: What Black Bears Have Taught Me about Intelligence and Intuition
Kilham, Benjamin
Paperback
Grizzly Bear Science and the Art of a Wilderness Life: Forty Years of Research in the Flathead Valley
McLellan, Bruce
Paperback
Dressage 101: The Ultimate Source of Dressage Basics in a Language You Can Understand
Savoie, Jane
Paperback
If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal: What Animal Intelligence Reveals about Human Stupidity
Gregg, Justin
Paperback
Blood Memory: The Tragic Decline and Improbable Resurrection of the American Buffalo
Burns, Kenneth
Duncan, Dayton
Hardcover
Greyhound: The Remarkable Story of the Legendary Racehorse Who Inspired a Nation
Eriksen, Cheryl
Paperback
Red Pandas The Ultimate Book: 100+ Amazing Red Panda Facts, Photos, Quiz & More
Kellett, Jenny
Hardcover
Bovids of the World: Antelopes, Gazelles, Cattle, Goats, Sheep, and Relatives
Castelló, José R.
Paperback