Siam, 1897
by Robert Lenz

This photograph, taken by the German photographer Robert Lenz (who ran a studio out of Bangkok), provides a rare view into the domestication of wild elephants owned by the King of Siam (currently Thailand). The process was relatively simple; young boys riding previously tamed elephants approached the wild elephants; the wild ones were mollified by the actions of the tame ones and finished by mimicking their behavior.