Reuben Castang

Reuben Castang emmigrated to USA 1904 with Hagenbeck Animal Show at St. Louis Worlds Fair. He had charge of Hagenbeck's animal exhibit during the St. Louis World's Fair, where he worked in eleven acts each day with performing elephants, lions, tigers, polar bears, goats and dogs. After the World's Fair he traveled with the Hagenbeck circus until that outfit was purchased by B. E. Wallace of Peru, Ind. He remained with Wallace four years, and then trained chimpanzees for a circus man named J. E. Edwards, leaving this job to take charge of the Swope Park zoo, after which he took charge of the Memphis Zoological Gardens in 1910. 1918 Phil Castang resigned as superintendent of the Overton Park Zoo at Memphis, Tenn., to take charge of the animal performances for the Jungle Film Company at Los Angeles.

Reuben came from a family of animal traders and handlers. His grandfather, Philip Castang, was the first superintendent of the Royal Surrey Zoological Gardens and owner of a menagerie in Tottenham Court, London. His great-great uncle was Joshua Brooks F.R.S. (1761-1833), the renowned anatomist and naturalist, who treated the famous elephant at Cross’s menagerie in Exeter Change, Strand, London. His father, Harry Castang, was an animal dealer based at Ship Tavern Passage, Leadenhall Market.

The Castangs were Huguenots of German-Swiss descent, who joined in the influx of refugees from France after the Edict of Fontainebleau in 1685. Around 50,000 French Protestants sought refuge in England, escaping prosecution by the French state after King Louis XIV revoked their right to practice their religion.

• https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/nfca/researchandarticles/reubencastang
• https://www.elephant.se/location2.php?location_id=1485