California's Lion Farm

The lions at Gay's Lion Farm were trained especially for the burgeoning movie industry that was expanding in Hollywood in the 1930s 

Around 200 big cats lived at the park, where Charles and Muriel Gay would breed and train them for the movie industry 

Former circus performers Charles and Muriel Gay opened Gay's Lion Farm in El Monte, California in 1925.

This was where hundreds of lions were being taught to perform tricks, pose for drawings and even sit down at dinner parties.

Charles began the venture with his wife in LA in 1914 with just three lions being trained at an attraction in MacArthur Park.

It proved particularly popular causing the operation to expand rapidly.

Now that more space was needed the Gays found a large plot of land in El Monte, close to Los Angeles, to raise more lions.

A group of men sit at a dinner table and raise a toast to a lion called Numa. He was the inspiration behind the lion in the Tarzan films 

The park then quickly became a massive tourist attraction as people flocked to see the lions in action.

Fascinating pictures from the time show people getting up close and personal with the animals, including, shockingly, a group of school girls, who held hands as they circled one of the lions.

Other images show Mr and Mrs Gay cradling young cubs and even announcing which youngster was the cutest baby lion.

However, in December 1942 Gay's Lion Farm was forced to close due to America entering the Second World War.

A brave group of schoolgirls hold hands in a circle around another one of the lions, who lived at Gay's Lion Park between 1925 and 1942