Beastly London

Beastly London
Author :
Publisher : Reaktion Books
Total Pages : 290
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781780232171
ISBN-13 : 1780232179
Rating : 4/5 (71 Downloads)

Book Synopsis Beastly London by : Hannah Velten

Download or read book Beastly London written by Hannah Velten and published by Reaktion Books. This book was released on 2013-08-15 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Horse-drawn cabs rattling down muddy roads, cattle herded through the streets to the Smithfield meat market for slaughter, roosters crowing at the break of dawn—London was once filled with a cacophony of animal noises (and smells). But over the last thirty years, the city seems to have banished animals from its streets. In Beastly London, Hannah Velten uses a wide range of primary sources to explore the complex and changing relationship between Londoners of all classes and their animal neighbors. Velten travels back in history to describe a time when Londoners shared their homes with pets and livestock—along with a variety of other pests, vermin, and bedbugs; Londoners imported beasts from all corners of the globe for display in their homes, zoos, and parks; and ponies flying in hot air balloons and dancing fleas were considered entertainment. As she shows, London transformed from a city with a mainly exploitative relationship with animals to the birthplace of animal welfare societies and animal rights’ campaigns. Packed with over one hundred illustrations, Beastly London is a revealing look at how animals have been central to the city’s success.


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