Charles Edwin Baldock (British, 19th Century)


Head of a lion, thought to be Wallace "The Monster of the Jungle" signed 'Chas.EM.Baldock/-1896-' (lower left)oil on canvas61 x 50.5cm (24 x 19 7/8in).
|ProvenanceBy descent through the Bostock family.In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the brothers Edward Henry Bostock and Frank Charles Bostock were the driving force behind the Bostock and Wombwell dynasty renowned for travelling menageries. While Edward Henry ran the main show in England, Frank Charles embarked on a tour of Europe and America which would see him dubbed "The Animal King". Having arrived in America during the summer of 1893 at the age of twenty-seven, it is said that Frank and his family lived in one wagon and had another two wagons housing four monkeys, five parrots, three lions, a sheep and a boxing kangaroo.Frank Bostock made the headlines on the 27th October 1893 as one of his prized lions, "Wallace, The Monster of the Jungle", escaped in New York. While very few people saw Wallace, his roar drew large crowds hoping to catch a glimpse of the beast who was reportedly in a stable eating a prize horse he had killed. Debate raged about whether the 'escape' was a publicity stunt, something that Frank Bostock vehemently denied, The New York Times, however, had a rather different view of the day's events. They wrote, 'His a-a-awful r-r-roar attracts excited thousands, who are told that he is devouring a horse, menacing the lives of his keepers, and may break into the street at any moment – a circus lion, but not an advertising scheme – oh, no.' They also described Wallace as a 'coy young thing of about thirty years,' who was also in need of a dentist. By 4pm the saga was over and Wallace was once again caged and ready for public display.Another major attraction of the Bostock menageries was a so called "Oregon Wonder Horse" named Linus. The horse depicted here (lot 51) is in fact, Linus II, sired by the original Linus, another famous exhibition horse. Linus II was purchased by the Bostocks for £1200 in 1905 and shipped to England to be part of H.E. Bostock's show. Billed as having a double mane reaching 13 feet each side and a 17 feet long tail he was featured in three performances daily. It is reported that the proprietors offered to forfeit £10,000 if his equal could be produced or give £1000 to any local charity if any person could prove that the manes and tail were not genuine.