Experiencing North American Bears in post-medieval Britain

O'Regan, Hannah

Abstract

North American bears have had cultural significance outside the United States. This chapter explores the role of black, brown and polar bears in Britain, focussing on the period following the founding of the Hudson Bay Company in the late 1600s. Both live bears for exhibition, and their products (particularly skins) are considered. The most culturally significant bearskin artefact is the bearskin cap - worn by the guards of Buckingham Palace - and their history is explored here. Key exhibited animals include an ancient grizzly bear called ‘Old Martin’, who was one of the last members of the Royal Menagerie at the Tower of London and one of the earliest inhabitants of London Zoo, and ‘Winnie’ the Canadian black bear who was the inspiration for Winnie-the-Pooh.

Citation

O'Regan, H. (2020). Experiencing North American Bears in post-medieval Britain. In H. A. Lapham, & G. A. Waselkov (Eds.), Bears: Archaeological and Ethnohistorical Perspectives in Native Eastern North America. University Press of Florida

• Acceptance Date: Nov 27, 2018
• Publication Date: Nov 2, 2020
• Deposit Date: May 31, 2019
• Series Title: Florida Museum of Natural History: Ripley P. Bullen Series
• Book Title: Bears: Archaeological and Ethnohistorical Perspectives in Native Eastern North America
• Chapter Number: 11
• ISBN: 9781683401384
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2116114
• Related Public URLs: https://upf.com/book.asp?id=9781683401384