ABSTRACT
Based on an actor-centered approach and thorough research in the Hagenbeck archives and the private papers of Johan Adrian Jacobsen, one of Hagenbeck’s impresarios, which consists of more than 5,000 letters, diaries, photos, and other archival material, this chapter provides an overview of the way the Hagenbeck shows were recruited and organized, how they worked behind the scenes, and how they were received by the public, the press, academia, and visitors. The research also sheds light on the motives and strategies of the non-European ethnic-show travelers and shows the personal expertise and continuity from ethnic show to filmmaking in creating a popularized “exotic” Other.
