Historical fiction has two beautiful things: real history as a guide, and fiction for when the history is scarce. While I was researching my novel, The Rhino Keeper, which is about Clara the Indian rhino, who traveled Europe for eighteen years with her keeper in the 1700s, I could have struggled. But instead, I realized that this topic was perfect for historical fiction. 

The real-life rhino keeper, Douwemout van der Meer, left behind nearly nothing. A few signatures on official documents, but no captain’s log or journal of his adventures with a rhino. Remarkably, this was perfect for me for a few reasons. 

First, I truly believe if Douwemout van der Meer would have heavily documented his life with the so-called first animal celebrity, it would be a much more well-known story and the novel would have already been written. 

Second, I got to play with my characters, invent scenes, and fill in the gaps. So, what do I know—and how did I learn—about a real historical figure who left little primary documentation?

I know where he and Clara went based on advertisements, art, news reports and reported rumors, and celebrity and royalty documentation.

Third, it allowed for some real liberty while also reflecting on stair-step, documented moments that propelled the narrative forward.

Advertisements: 

How lovely are these historical documents!? They not only told me the dates and places Clara was, but what people thought about her based on the owner’s presentation. She’s called the Behemoth of Job, “The Surprising, Great and Noble animal,” and the ads even have full descriptions of her appearance and mannerisms. Gentle as a lamb, they called her!

These also paint a picture of the time: how much it cost to feed her, mentions of what she ate, how much she weighed, and who owned her. Perfect. That much information on each broadside goes far!

Art: 

Clara was the subject of so many pieces of art. While they are beautiful and poignant, they also told me exactly where she was and who saw her and when. Artists catalog many of their works and because of this, I could piece together a sort of map for Miss Clara’s journeys. I knew she was in Venice thanks to a famous Longhi, I knew she was in Germany being sketched for porcelain thanks to a new Meissen mold, and I knew what she looked like when she was young thanks to a beautiful anatomy print by masters at the University of Leiden. 

These pieces of art also revealed characters to me: in the crowd of two of Clara’s prints is a young boy caring for her and staring at her adoringly. That became a character named Zubin, whom readers are absolutely loving. 

News reports: 

These were harder to find from the 18th century, but searching old newspapers for rhinos (and all European language translations of the word) was a sure bet to find a few mentions of Clara. Unfortunately, some of the news reports were false – including one that said she drowned in a river. As Clara pops up several times after that, it was clear rumors were being spread about the traveling rhino. That fueled the narrative instead of hindering it, as I had to ask myself the question of why these false reports existed in the first place. The answer to that question is a spoiler, you’ll have to read the novel to find out what I came up with!

Celebrity and royalty documentation:

Lucky for me, Voltaire was a prolific writer. Even luckier, he wrote about Clara, though not by name, we must assume his writings about a rhino were about her as she was the only one in Europe during his life: “Modern natural philosophers have found God in the folds of the skin of the rhinoceros.”

The courts were also helpful with extensive documentation of special events and visits. Clara’s visits are documented in Versailles, the Schonbrunn, and in the Spittelmarkt with King Frederick of Prussia. Additionally, rhino art appeared in many royal art collections, further enhancing Clara’s legacy. 

While I do wish keeper Douwemout van der Meer would have left an entire journal documenting his travels with Clara, it is also amazing to have the freedom to research setting, people, and place, and fill in the gaps of historical events with imagination. I hope you enjoy these real and fictional events in The Rhino Keeper.