The giraffe, a creature with a long and graceful neck, first appeared in Florence in 1487 at the court of the Medici. It caused quite a stir among those who witnessed its presence, with children being fed by the noblewomen from upper-story windows. Its extraordinary appearance left a lasting impression on all who saw it.
Nearly three centuries later, in 1827, a female giraffe presented to Charles X in Paris sparked a wave of giraffe-mania. People were so captivated by the sight of this majestic animal that they began adopting high-piled hairstyles and decorating their homes with giraffe-spotted wallpaper. Some even speculate that the design of the Eiffel Tower was influenced by the giraffe, demonstrating its lasting impact on art and architecture.
Anne Innis Dagg had a similar transformative experience when she was just two years old visiting the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. The sight of the towering giraffes in their enclosure left a lasting impression on her young mind. When the giraffes suddenly became scared and galloped with a flurry of necks and legs, the spectacle was both terrifying and beautiful, forever shaping her deep connection to these graceful creatures.
