{"product_id":"obaysch-a-hippopotamus-in-victorian-london-paperback","title":"Obaysch: A Hippopotamus in Victorian London - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eJohn Simons\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eObaysch: A Hippopotamus in Victorian London\u003c\/em\u003e tells the remarkable story of Obaysch the hippopotamus, the first 'star' animal to be exhibited in the London Zoo.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 1850, a baby hippopotamus arrived in England, thought to be the first in Europe since the Roman Empire, and almost certainly the first in Britain since prehistoric times. Captured near an island in the White Nile, Obaysch was donated by the viceroy of Egypt in exchange for greyhounds and deerhounds. His arrival in London was greeted with a wave of 'hippomania', doubling the number of visitors to the Zoological Gardens almost overnight.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDelving into the circumstances of Obaysch's capture and exhibition, John Simons investigates the phenomenon of 'star' animals in Victorian Britain against the backdrop of an expanding British Empire. He shows how the entangled aims of scientific exploration, commercial ambition, and imperial expansion shaped the treatment of exotic animals throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlong the way, he uncovers the strange and moving stories of Obaysch and the other hippos who joined him in Europe as the trade in zoo animals grew.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 248\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.52 x 8.27 x 5.83 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e January 01, 2019\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42713303449663,"sku":"9781743325865","price":37.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0105\/8226\/1823\/files\/42bc4a464273e5ef84865145d2f2f58a.webp?v=1765064191","url":"https:\/\/dhlswag.com\/products\/obaysch-a-hippopotamus-in-victorian-london-paperback","provider":"BBB","version":"1.0","type":"link"}