“History is written by people, or is it?”

Research Scholar Marianna Szczygielska presents her recent work on elephant mobility. By tracing the life of a captive elephant at the turn of the 20th century, she examines broader histories of animal capture, mobility, scientific knowledge, and human–animal relationships “to see animals not only as background characters but as historical actors who have helped to shape the world we live in.”

Publication

• Szczygielska, M. (2025). “Animating Capture: A Microhistory of Elephant Mobility.” Osiris, 40, 19-39. doi:10.1086/735516.