[FAT BOY] The Giant Baby Boy. Plymouth: Halbert Litho., ca. 1885. Full-length lithographed portrait of a corpulent young man, advertising his presence and an exhibition of his girth at The World’s Fair, Royal Agricultural Hall. The “greatest of all wonders” is said to be “15 months old; 7 stone 4 ½ lbs. weight” and will be presented by Frank C. Bostock. Matted and framed to 26 ¾ x 21 ¾”. Visible wear and folds, but not examined out of frame. See Exemplars, p. 232. Frank Bostock (1866 – 1912), the exhibitor listed on this poster, was born into a family of animal trainers and menagerie managers, and went on to fame as an animal trainer and lion tamer. He was also the first to promote boxing kangaroos, and became known worldwide as “the animal king.” In the golden years of his career Bostock owned amusement parks on four continents and over 1,000 animals. The fate of the young man he exhibited here, during both their formative years, remains unknown. See Lot 61.