African Leopard Cub Skin By Edward Gerrard & Sons

African Leopard Cub Skin Rug (Panthera pardus), circa 1912-1913, British East Africa, by Edward Gerrard & Sons, Taxidermists & Osteologists, 61 College Place, Camden Town, London

An unusual and rare cub skin rug with open-mouthed head mount, glass eyes, relaxed ears, with limbs outstretched, backed on to its original tired waxed cotton material, 142cm long nose to tail, 92cm wide across forelimbs, 85cm across the rear limbs, bearing original taxidermist's silk trade label to underside.

Taken by Frederick Biscoe Oldfield (1871-1940) on safari in 1912.

Frederick Biscoe Oldfield was educated at Haileybury and New College Oxford, and admitted at the age of 19 to inner Temple. He became a member of the South Eastern Circuit as a barrister-at-law in 1896. He was a Freemason, a JP, County Councillor for Hampshire and County Councillor for Hackney. He served in the Boer War, and in WW1 as a major in the 7th Battalion Royal Fusiliers City of London Regiment in 1900 aged 29. He retained the rank of Major on resigning his commission at the end of the war. His biggest passion was hunting Big Game, unfortunately very fashionable at that time, going on safari in 1912-1913 was the first of many, at the age of 41, being a keen photographer he kept record of all his "kills", please see various accompanying copies of images taken on safari including the cub in question. Please not these are photocopies of the originals that are housed in the family's archive.