Wild about you

A longtime source of inspiration for authors and artists, wild animals were once considered acceptable household pets and beloved companions, finds Jeremy Hobson According to Florence's sister Parthenope, Athena very quickly 'became quite mannerly and took her meals regularly from her mist...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inCountry life (London) pp. 88 - 91
Main Author Hobson, Jeremy
Format Magazine Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Bath Future Publishing Ltd 05.10.2022
Subjects
Dickens, Charles (1812-1870)
Pets
Visual artists
Wildlife
Writers
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:A longtime source of inspiration for authors and artists, wild animals were once considered acceptable household pets and beloved companions, finds Jeremy Hobson According to Florence's sister Parthenope, Athena very quickly 'became quite mannerly and took her meals regularly from her mistress's hand'. Victorian books containing pet-keeping advice frequently mentioned animals and birds that could be captured in the countryside and subsequently tamed. Before that, Greeks and Romans frequently kept weasels in their homes to deal with infestations of mice * According to Mark Bryant, Mozart owned a pet starling 'which he taught to whistle the theme of the last movement of his G Major Piano Concerto (K453)' * In the First World War, pilots and crew of 32 Squadron of the RAF had a fox as a mascot (right) * Charlie Gilmour, adopted son of Pink Floyd guitarist Dave Gilmour, had a pet magpie named Benzene living with him and his wife, Janina, at their south London home.
Bibliography:content type line 24
ObjectType-Feature-1
SourceType-Magazines-1
ISSN:0045-8856