It's been pretty clear that the keeping of animals (exotic and otherwise) is something that many of our characters are interested, so I did a bit of looking into what that was like in the late 1700s and early 1800s. I found that it was apparently a lot more prolific than I expected, even commonplace. Even the common folk, especially in London, had easy access to pay to go see animals as exotic as tigers and lions, to the degree that the roars of big cats was noted to be simply one of the "sounds of the city." That said, given the changes in history in this game, I imagine that it's slightly different in this setting (although not entirely).
In the real world, owning exotic animals was very much an imperialist symbol -- in addition to simply being a sign of wealth, the English took a particular pleasure in displaying beasts from places they had conquered. Obviously, most of these animals were poorly understood and perhaps even more poorly kept, many surviving only a few years after being brought to England (seemingly with the exception of parrots, which were common pets for the upper class, and the kangaroos kept and very successfully bred initially by the queen). As if to highlight this fact, nearly all big cats were commonly called tigers (or tygers), and it seems as though just about any small rodent-like animal was called some kind of hare. Of course, interest in biological science was also rising at this time (perhaps because of this), and so animals were also valuable dead, as their pelts, bones, and other parts of their body could be more... intimately studied after death.
In this setting, however, I imagine that while this remains partially true, there would be some changes. Obviously, humans forever remain fascinated with animals, especially the exotic (and often the deadlier the better as well). However, since imperialism never really took off in this timeline, I imagine that the keeping of exotic animals is more of a curiosity, source of study, and symbol of trade wealth rather than that a symbol of conquest. Since the English maintain a better relationship with the cultures originating from the same places as these animals, they likely have a better understanding and greater respect for them, leading to better care and (at least slightly) more accurate identification. They still, of course, probably wouldn't commonly receive the type and level of care that animals do in (good) modern zoos, probably with less effort put into emulating natural habitats, and conservation of the species, but some effort would probably be put into providing, at the very least, a home that is not entirely unsuitable or deadly. It also means that exotic animals are probably slightly less common than they were in the real world, as better care means more expensive care, and more respect for their native lands means that rare or valuable animals are probably less likely to be stolen or poached. Instead, I imagine keeping exotic animals would be a sign of substantial wealth and/or strong overseas trade relations, having to buy the animals (or get permission for capture) from their native cultures, or be gifted them.
Of course, not all valuable animals are ones from overseas, and there are plenty of domestic or native animals in which their owners are quite invested, like purebred horses and dogs, or valuable livestock. I imagine much of this remains unchanged from the real world, but I would have to look into it a lot more to offer an opinion (if you're knowledgeable on any related topic, please feel free to contribute that knowledge!).
In any case, I thought this could be an space in which those with characters who are interested in either exotic animals or more domestic ones could talk about the types of creatures their characters own or are interested in, from tigers to hunting dogs. It could lend to a good subject for which characters to correspond in play -- inquiring about animals they'd like to get their hands on, breeding prospects for ones they already have, or just plain curiosity.
I got inspired by dogs after reading a bit of this thread, so I thought I'd share some useful links I've found!
For a shortlist of 5 popular breeds in Georgian era England: https://elisabraden.wordpress.com/tag/dog-breeds-in-regency-england/
For a general feel on the view of dogs in Georgian England:
https://janeaustensworld.com/tag/dogs-in-the-georgian-era/
For a longer list of dogs popular in Regency England: https://www.sharonlathanauthor.com/dogs-essential-for-a-regency-era-hunter/
As for Lady Elaine, I am absolutely toying with the idea of her being some sort of dog breeder that will come to be known for the exceptionally fine, well-mannered Skye Terriers she breeds.
I’m planning on bringing back Arabian horses from India. I have to do a bit more research into the animals of Northern India before I state too much, but yeah. If I’m spending 2 years of my VERY short timeline abroad, I want some souvenirs!
like @Lady/Marquess Emmeline Petty-Fitzmaurice (Robin) my business in India was mutually beneficial and made in good faith. Part of the thrill of travel for me in Real Life is seeing and partaking in the natural beauty of other places.
if anyone has ideas of where I should look, feel free to DM me ideas or guidance. Or if you want a souvenir pet from India. (LIMITED, lol. James isn’t buying everyone a pony!)
I love this discussion and love how we can rethink what art and animal collecting looks like in this re-imagined world!
One thing we got very excited about in the writiers room was saving species that went extinct. Rianan, our Tsalagi consultant, got very excoted about reviving the Dodo and is going to make that a common pet among the Tsalagi and Dahomey-Tsalagi peoples. I would love to think of more creature/ art exchanges like this that might occur.
Similar in fashion. The main supplier of cottons is now the Dahomey-Tsalagi Trade coalition so you are more likely to see the brightly colored and pattered influences of African and New World cultures incorporated into clothing styles and art works.
Excellent points @Colonel G.O. Molyneux! To be totally clear, when I say business trip, I'm referring to mutually beneficial exchanges, not exploitation through colonialism. @Lord Nicholas maybe I brought your peacocks back with me from my trip? Even though I rolled my eyes when you handed me a personal shopping list without actually asking if I'd acquire some items for you while I'm there?
This is very interesting. When I think of all the species wiped out by colonialism, it's staggering. That, as well as the Natural History craze of going out and killing as many samples of "new species" as possible is what inevitably culminates in Darwin's Theory of Evolution. In a world where the sun does, in fact, set on the Union Jack, I am left to contemplate how the 19th Century's scientific context would change.
It's not just animals. They brought back plants, too. And, of course, the disgusting practice of human zoos and certain aspects of proto-freak shows also stems from this, by way of nominal medical research. During the early Enlightenment, the way a lot of scientific discovery happened was through royal patronage. So your science had to have a very interesting demo, which could be shown at Court. Electrocuting animals and displaying foreign bodies were all old standards.
Perhaps some of these animals came not through colonialism, but through tribute?
For example, an Aztec or Mayan diplomatic mission (in a world where the conquistadors failed) might offer a pair of live jaguars or a quetzal to the King. They could even sell cocoa pods, at an extreme profit. The difficulty, of course, is that I don't have a lexical knowledge of Mesoamerican sacred animals or gifting practices. But you get the gist, and no offence intended in the examples given.
Meanwhile, other exploitative uses of natural resources would probably be unaffected. Whaling comes to mind; would an end to colonialism really preempt the whale oil industry? It would certainly reshape its global impact. In a world where Captain Cook doesn't die trying to kidnap the King of Hawaii (or maybe he does, the bastard), where prison ships do not sail for Australia, and where we do not precisely know what role (if any) Europe had on the Japanese Edo Period, whaling culture might not become the Moby Dick behemoth we think of today. But there were still Scandinavian, Indigenous, and Pacific Islander whaling traditions (among many others, I am sure) -- as well as a slowly industrializing demand for things to burn.
The Alt-History angle certainly puts a spin on the mid-Victorian image of the Great White Hunter, that's for sure. I think if your character has exotic pets, or participates in medical, natural, or archaeological research -- then, yes, it does need to be a very thoughtful conversation. Even getting of the zoological approach, so much of the 18th Century Neoclassical has to be examined too. All those white marble statues and reliefs looted from around the Ancient World? Well, certainly some of them have made their way into iconic private collections that we would recognize today -- either via war, commerce, or imperialism prior to 1400.
Napoleon loots his way across Europe, so after he is defeated, the Louvre is emptied out and the artifacts are returned*. (*Sort of, insofar as you return art to the last person who owned it, as opposed to its cultural and historical lands). This leads to a gap, where they start promoting a new statue found in 1820. And by 1821, The Venus De Milo is a major point of French pride. Ditto the Elgin Marbles in 1816 England. So it really begs the question, same as the rest: do certain museums and zoos exist without colonialism?
It's definitely interesting. I don't expect us to get a detailed rewrite of 19th Century art, medical, and scientific endeavor. But I think anything on that vein, at minimum, deserves an anti-colonial acknowledgement from the player base who engages it.
In a more practical sense, Nicholas' family wealth comes largely from its animals -- largely livestock, but also more prize animals, such as horses, dogs (mostly hunting and shepherding dogs -- I'll be more specific later once I've thought about it more), and bulls. After reading about it, I imagine they probably maintain flocks of quill-producing birds as well -- mostly geese, but also swans and crows. He certainly has a few peacocks as well, but more for the sake of decoration and less for any practical reason lol. On top of that, I imagine they have a number of general livestock animals as well -- probably mostly sheep, but also doves, chickens, hogs, and cattle. Possibly carrier pigeons as well? (more research required)
Of course, Nicholas also has his share of less practical pets. Probably one or two parrots, which I imagine travel with him (actually, I might have fun with that idea), a couple of zebras for his estate in Cumbria, and I somehow also imagine that if he hasn't already gotten ahold of a tiger or a bear he will soon. Animals are one of his fascinations, so I'll certainly be adding to this list as I think of things lol.
Edit: I forgot to mention, he also definitely has a lot of house/barn cats. There's absolutely nothing special about these cats, he just likes them. They ALL have names. He's constantly bringing home stray kittens he finds.
I had mentioned somewhere that she brought a couple peacocks home from her India business trip August 1808-April 1810. My wax seal is a peacock (IRL) and she used feathers to make quills. She also brought back a parrot. They all stay in Bowood near Bath year-round.