Martini Maccomo

Martini Maccomo (died 11 January 1871) was a lion tamer in Victorian Britain. He performed with William Manders' menagerie from around 1854 and remained the group's key attraction until his death. His act involved pursuing lions and tigers around a cage utilising whips, pistols and knuckledusters. The performances were renowned for their danger, and attacks on Maccomo by the animals were often reported on in newspapers. He was portrayed as a noble savage with stereotypical "African" dress, although he later moved away from this characterization. He was known for his coolness of nerve in the ring and his mild-mannered nature outside it. Maccomo died in Sunderland in 1871.

Biography

Early life Maccomo is recorded as being born in Angola, although he was also reported as being either born Arthur Williams from the West Indies, as previously being a sailor born in Liverpool, or a Zulu. his age in the 1861 census gives his age as 25, and his death notice in the York Herald states he was 31, thus placing his birth year between about 1835 and 1840.

Career Maccomo was one of the first recorded black lion tamers in Britain. by 1854. At this point, Manders' menagerie were touring Ireland and Maccomo was referred to in advertising as the 'Lion King' and 'Lion Hunter'. The writer Thomas Frost wrote an account of Maccomo's first meeting with William Manders in Circus Life and Circus Celebrities (1876). He wrote that Maccomo approached the menagerie at Greenwich fair, claiming he was a sailor who was interested in working with the animals. Frost wrote that Manders gave Maccomo the chance to prove himself in the lion's cage, "and displayed so much courage and address in putting the animals through their performances that he was engaged forthwith". During a show at Shaw's Brow, Liverpool in 1861, Maccomo's hand became wedged in the mouth of a Bengal tigress. It was freed around five minutes later when one of the keepers pressed a hot iron bar against her teeth, causing the tigress to recoil and release Maccomo's hand, which had been lacerated. Such spectacles were expected by the audience; one man gave 10 shillings to Maccomo in recognition of his bravery. In 1862, Maccomo performed in Norwich where his show consisted of him pursuing lions and tigers with a whip and firearm. During the show, a young lion bit Maccamo's hand and dragged him across the floor. As a result, part of the bone of his index finger had to be removed. Maccomo was attacked again by a Bengal tiger whilst performing in Dalkeith in 1866. A contemporary news story reported that his injuries "were merely of a superficial nature". In February 1866, Maccomo was awarded a gold medal by Manders during a presentation at Joseph Battley's Lodge-Lane Hotel in Liverpool. The inscription on the medal read "Martini Maccomo, 1866. Presented by Williams Manders, Esq., as a reward for bravery, courtesy, and integrity".

Photograph of blind children and the now stuffed Wallace the Lion, which attacked Maccomo in 1869. Whilst performing in Sunderland in 1869, Maccomo was attacked by a maneless lion known as Wallace and was only able to escape its grip by using his brass knuckles. Wallace died in 1875 in Warrington and was taxidermied by William Yellowby—a taxidermist based in South Shields. The lion was bought by Sunderland Museum in 1879, where it has been displayed ever since.

Death alt=Photograph of white stone graveMaccomo was staying in The Palatine Hotel in Sunderland where he died of rheumatic fever on 11 January 1871. According to the death certificate, he died age 35, but according to his death notice he was 31. His name, too, was recorded differently as "Martino".

Style and character Advertisements for Manders' shows were put in national newspapers, where Maccomo was given such names as "the African Wild Beast Tamer", "Angola's Mighty Czar of All Lion Tamers", "the Black Diamond of Manders' Menagerie", "the Dark Pearl of Great Price", "the most talented and renowned Sable Artiste in Christendom" and "The Hero of a Thousand Combats". Maccomo's outfits when performing exemplified the idea of the "noble savage"; a contemporary illustration from 1860 depicts him stylised in a stereotypical "African" way—different from that of the white lion-tamers of the time, who tended to embody imperialism by wearing military clothing. Maccomo's fame led to a prevalence of impersonators who tended to opt for the stereotypical African style. His success resulted in lion tamers becoming a staple of menageries in Great Britain.

Maccomo was described as being cool in the face of danger and did not make it clear to the audience if he was in peril or in pain. Maccomo was known for being teetotal and for being calm and pleasant outside the ring.