Drawing

The Elephants featured in this illustration may well be part of the troop of performing elephants owned by Samuel Lockhart (1851–1933). Samual Lockhart was a famous Victorian elephant trainer who took his elephants across the UK, including Royal command performances in front of Queen Victoria. He also toured to Europe (where he ran his own circus in France) and to America, where he worked for the famous Ringling Brothers Circus from 1896 to 1901. His most famous group of elephants were known as "The Three Graces" and consisted of Wilhelmina and two younger elephants, Trilby and Haddie. His other famous elephants were Jock and Jenny, who were worked in front of Queen Victoria. Samual Lockhart's english base was often Leamington Spa where he lived at 1, Warwick Road, and the sloping walkway to the River Leam, where the elephants regularly bathed, was nicknamed 'Elephant Walk'.

This item is one of several theatrical drawings from a collection of sketches commissioned from contemporary artists to be printed in illustrated magazines. The collection was donated to the museum by Sir William James Ingram in 1914.