My Native American Iroquois - Lion Taming - Circus Man Grandfather – Isaac Van Amburgh
Posted: Sunday, October 09, 2011
by Christofer French
Rain Dancer Associates, LLC
Isaac Van Amburgh had an Iroquois grandfather who was adopted by kind Dutch people in New York. This guy was a grandfather through my mother’s line. Because he was such an interesting character in American History, I am bound to tell you about his life. At Jack Schick’s suggestion, I prepare this mini Bio of this fascinating man.
“So, this is why you look like a Native American and seem crazy enough to stick your head in a lion’s mouth, and come from Show people”.
While this is not true of many of my cousins; it seems to be true of me. Maybe the Iroquois Dutchman Lion Tamer marked me more noticeably. DNA has a funny way.
Iroquois in Revolutionary New York
The history of the Iroquois was that the 5 nations were highly organized and perhaps the most sophisticated and independent of the Native American tribes. Ben Franklin was said to have used them as an example of “cooperation” in drawing up how our states could work together in aiding with the preparation of the Article of Confederation.
They had a choice during the American Revolution to ally themselves with the Brits instead of the wild and crazy American Revolutionaries. Anybody sensible would have. After all most all the world was giving the Americans a snowball’s chance in hell of succeeding. The Iroquois chose the wrong side. While we were fighting this war, and after, the Americans reduced the Iroquois down to broken down tribes. They really lost because they picked the wrong ally and the vengeance of the soldiers was methodical and ruthless. It was thus with this, and many post war situations that there were Iroquois Orphans. Isaac’s Grandfather was one of them.
Sarah Wanzer Van Amburgh was a daughter of Isaac’s she married into my Mother’s family, who were of Puritan extraction out of New York and into Wisconsin. Ironically, many Circus people settled in Wisconsin, and there is a Museum there.
Note, as you read please remember that Isaac was the first and most successful Lion Tamer. There were those who failed, and those who came after him. There was Barnum & Bailey and Ringling Brothers. You may have heard of them.
Isaac A. Van Amburgh (1811-1865) was an American animal trainer who developed the first trained wild animal act in modern times. By introducing jungle acts into the circus, Van Amburgh paved the way for combining menageries with circuses. After that, menageries began using equestrian and clown performances in circus rings. Gradually the distinction between circus and menagerie faded.
From the humble beginning of cage-cleaner in the Zoological Institute of New York, Van Amburgh quickly gained notoriety for his acts of daring, for example placing his bare arm and even head inside the jaws of a wild cat. Also known for his domineering attitude toward his animals, he earned the title “The Lion King.”
Despite the disapproval of some for his brutal treatment of animals, Van Amburgh remained very popular and successful, beginning his own menagerie which he took to Europe. He died a wealthy man, and his name continued to be used in the circus world for more than a century after.
Isaac A. Van Amburgh (a name adopted by his American Indian grandfather) was born in July of 1811 in Fishkill New York. Legend dictates that while reading the Bible, young Isaac came upon the tale of Daniel in the lion’s den, and, from then on, was determined to be a lion tamer. He found his start in the Zoological Institute of New York.
Zoological Institute of New York
At nineteen, Isaac left his home in Peekskill, New York too look for a job in neighboring North Salem. There he found a job as a cage cleaner in the Zoological Institute of New York. Despite its lofty-sounding name, the Zoological Institute was not a zoo at all, but rather a tiny traveling menagerie. In a period of time when amusement was regarded with suspicion, it was from its name that this show got its “value”.
Although he started out as a "cage boy," Isaac showed an aptitude for training the wild animals whose cages he cleaned. One of the owners of the Zoological Institute, Titus, was a dealer in wild animals. So he appreciated the novelty of trained wild animals, recognizing that "novelty plus publicity meant money."
June, Titus, and Angevine distributed posters by the thousands. They put Isaac in costume – a Roman toga, in reference to the gladiators of ancient Rome's Circus Maximus. In the winter, Van Amburgh trained his wild animals in the barns of New York's upper Westchester and the lower Putnam countries.
The next year, 1821, the Van Amburgh Menagerie hit New York City.
The Lion King
Isaac van Amburgh (1808–1865) by T. C. Wilson 1838 in National Portrait Gallery, London.
In 1833, at age twenty-two, Isaac A. Van Amburgh entered a cage of wild cats at the Zoological Institute. In the cage were a lion, a lioness, leopard, leopardess, black-maned, caped lion, and a panther. From the Richmond Hill Theatre, New York, Van Amburgh astonished the country. In the words of his biographer, "The effect of his power was instantaneous. The Lion halted and stood transfixed. The Tiger crouched. The Panther with a suppressed growl of rage sprang back, while the Leopard receded gradually from its master. The spectators were overwhelmed with wonder .... Then came the most effective tableaux of all. Van Amburgh with his strong will bade them come to him while he reclined in the back of the cage – the proud King of animal creation."
Van Amburgh did more than just enter the cage. Nathaniel Hawthornedescribed a menagerie he saw on September 4, 1828, near North Adams, Massachusetts: “A man put his arm and head into the lion’s mouth, – all the spectators looking on so attentively that a breath could not be heard. That was impressive, – its effect on a thousand persons, – more than the thing itself.” As Van Amburgh was one of the only performers of the time to perform this way, Hawthorne probably saw Van Amburgh. In fact, Van Amburgh is usually credited with being the first man ever to put his head into the mouth of a lion. In July, 7, 1838, the New York Mirror also described how Van Amburgh’s “fearless acts of placing his bare arm moist with blood, in the lion’s mouth and thrusting his head into the distended jaws of the tiger” were watched with keen interest.
Van Amburgh's Menagerie
Van Amburgh, made an instant hero, discovered he now had the freedom to make his own decisions. By entering lions’ dens in and out of the country, he began earning real money. Featured in the “Flatfoot shows,” he was able to earn up to four hundred dollars per week. By age twenty-three, he had his own traveling menagerie, and by the mid-1840’s his was the largest traveling show in England In 1861, it was one of America’s eleven big traveling shows
Even after the 1868 fire that killed Van Amburgh’s animals and destroyed other circus artifacts, the potent name of Van Amburgh continued to be used by circuses until 1922.
London and Queen Victoria
In the late 1830s, Van Amburgh took his act to England and Europe for several years. He made his debut in London at Astley’s on August 27, 1838, and his said to have made £300 per week there.
While in England, Van Amburgh performed for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1844. The former took special interest in him. In fact, the Queen commissioned artist Edwin Landseer to paint a portrait of him and his cats Upon its completion, the painting was exhibited at the Royal Academy, an impressive honor for the time.
In 1839, Queen Victoria traveled six times in as many months solely to watch Van Amburgh perform at Drury Lane. She even remained after one evening’s performance in order to watch his feeding the cats. Even before his 1838 European debut, Van Amburgh was one of America’s most celebrated characters. But after such special royal favor, Van Amburgh “became a figure that even the American upper crust could admit to appreciating.” He was the first major American wild animal trainer to achieve such an international celebrity status.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_A._Van_Amburgh
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)Fascinating! My mom's grandfather's claim to fame was that he took care of General Grant's horse during the war. My other grandpa's uncle was Hitler's economic minister (BUT was also in on the plot to blow Hitler up....) I hadn't even thought about writing about those men until I read your piece but suspect I will not as history is not my strong suit. Thanks for sharing yours with us though! You do it well.I would love to read about your German relative. Valkyrie was a giant effort, and I still can't believe it failed. Fate is the only answer.Actually someone beat me to it - it is Hjalmar Schacht and they wrote about him in the Rise and Fall of the 3rd Reich.
Of great interest to us and learning more about one of ours. You did a fine job detailing and in the telling. He stuck his arm into the mouth wet with blood? Good grief and lived to tell it? It was even a feat to travel with the animals the way he did. Way cool!
No wonder I like you and your writing. So far, in my life, I've never met a Native American I didn't like. Living in Connecticut and having belonged to the Abernackies in New Hampshire, I meet my share of Native Americans and even count several as personal friends.Because of this connection, my grandpappy who fought in the Civil War, when he came home dropped by Black Hawk, who was by then an old man, and shared company with him. That side of the family is definitely darker. They also have the name of Delos which is Greek.
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