UC Riverside

Between 1893 and 1919, when he was fired for assaulting a zoo visitor, “Cy” DeVry appeared in over 300 articles; Chicagoans watched and read as he wrestled bears, cavorted with opera stars, and force-fed snakes. These articles often resulted from deliberate efforts to promote the zoo: in addition to staging public spectacles, DeVry actively engaged with the press by offering comments, responding to letters, and writing articles. While these efforts often featured zoo animals, they centered around DeVry’s presentation of himself as a manly professional. Over the course of his career, he performed an idealized version of white, American masculinity as he struggled to dominate, discipline, and care for the zoo’s animals. Ultimately, these performances were successful: DeVry effectively publicized the Lincoln Park Zoo by making himself into its star attraction. Visitors flocked to the zoo not only to encounter unfamiliar animals, but also to see “Cy” perform that encounter as a masculine struggle for paternal dominance.