Henri Martin

Pierre Henri Martin (January 10, 1793 – April 8, 1882) was a French showman and lion tamer who became the first director of the Rotterdam Zoo.

Early life Pierre Henri Martin was born in Marseille, France, in 1793.

Career During his time working with a circus, Martin honed his natural ability to control animals by mastering the art of horse training, teaching his horses the complete range of professional tricks. After establishing himself as a horse trainer, he advanced to taming wild animals.

Martin established his menagerie in 1829 at the Porte Saint-Denis. The training of his royal tiger took eight months of work, and he taught the hyena the trick of retrieving his gloves. He starred in Les Lions de Mysore at the Cirque Olympique on April 21, 1831, marking the first time wild animals were presented at a circus venue.

He visited London and the other provinces of England from 1831 to 1832.

Before long, he began touring Holland with his show The Lions of Mysore.

Around 1836, he met the Indonesian painter Raden Saleh in The Hague. Saleh painted Martin's portrait, a gesture that secured him permission to sketch Martin's circus animals.

Martin retired in 1840.

Death Martin died in April 1882, in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Legacy Martin was one of the first famous lion tamers.

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