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Two boys balancing with a monkey, while another boy looks on. A tent and a wagon are behind them. This photograph shows three of 'the Holden boys', of Holden Brothers' Circus, circa 1900-1910. Two are balancing with a monkey while one of their brothers looks on. Melba Ryan remembers: 'They were probably the twins Adolphus 'Dolph' jnr and Theodore, and an unknown brother. This would still be during the wagon days, circa 1900 - 1910.' The Holden Circus kept Rhesus monkeys, like the one in this photograph. According to Melba and her son Dennis: 'Monkeys are a pain to live with. They climb everywhere! If Doris Holden, Melba's mother, put the washing out and her father had let the monkey out for exercise, the monkey would go straight to the clothesline and pull the pegs out. All the washing would go on the ground and Doris would have to start again. The monkeys were often vicious. They have sharp teeth. Men could get near them, but they never seemed to get along with women. The Circus monkeys loved eating spiders and huntsmen spiders were a special delicacy. Neighbours would catch huntsmen in glasses and bring them to Ernie. Ernie would give them to the monkeys on a stick, 'it was like Christmas dinner to them.'

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