Poster for Wombwell's Royal Menagerie's appearance at the Bartholomew Fair, 1830 (printed paper)

George Wombwell (1777-1850) founded Wombwell's Travelling Menagerie in 1810; His menagerie at this time included, amongst other things, 3 elephants, tigers, lions, leopards, zebras, a polar bear and several boas; Wombwell was invited to the royal court five time to exhibit his animals, which is why he may have added the moniker 'royal' to his name; The Bartholomew fair was one of the foremost Charter fairs in London that occured annually from its foundation in 1133 until it was suppressed in 1855 by the City authorities for encouraging debauchery and public disorder;