Artefact of the month - September 2012 Historic photographs
Historic photographs selected by John Edwards, author of London Zoo from Old Photographs 1852-1914 (second edition, ISBN 9780952709916)
To celebrate the new, expanded second edition of London Zoo from Old Photographs 1852-1914 we are featuring 12 of John Edwards favourite photographs from ZSL's collections. The new, second edition will soon be available to purchase in the Gift Shop at ZSL London Zoo.
Meanwhile on 21 September a special photography exhibition will open at ZSL London Zoo displaying the winning entries from the Animal Photography Prize 2012.
John will be publishing a sequel to London Zoo from Old Photographs 1852-1914 so please keep an eye out for publication details.
Update - November 2012 John's book has been published and is available from ZSL's Gift Shops and ZSL Library. It can be ordered online from ZSL's Online Shop John will be signing copies of his book in the Gift Shop at ZSL London Zoo on Saturday 8th and 15th December between 2 and 3pm Book of Zoo photographs launched with signings
Meanwhile please do enjoy this sample of photographs selected by John.
Jumbo, bull African Elephant, probably March 1882. Almost certainly taken shortly before Jumbo was sent away after his sale to P.T. Barnum, the American circus proprietor. His keeper, Matthew Scott (who went with him) is standing under Jumbo’s mouth, while Abraham Bartlett, the Superintendent, is on the other side of Jumbo’s trunk. Barnum’s elephant handler, Bill Newman holds the basket and Clarence Bartlett, the Assistant Superintendent is on the extreme left.
Thylacine. Photograph by F.W. Bond, about 1926. This female which died in 1931 was the last of the twenty specimens exhibited at London Zoo and the last to be exhibited anywhere outside Australia. Thylacine numbers had been dwindling for at least half a century by the time the last known specimen died in Hobart Zoo in 1936. __________________________________________________________________
Please note that members of the public are welcome to visit and use ZSL Library but both photographic ID and proof of address will be required on your first visit. Appointments are not normally necessary but they are needed to view historic photographs as they are part of our special collections Library Regulations for Special Collections (96 KB)
Ostrich Cart with Keepers Blore and Dexter (who was killed in 1916).
Lion House from South-West, probably 1876. Completed in 1876, this house with four large outside cages may look primitive to our eyes, but it was a great step forward from the cramped, damp dens in which the big cats had been kept previously. It was in use for exactly a century, being demolished in stages in 1975-1976. The present Lion Terraces occupy the eastern part of the site today.
Tiger Cub and baby Collared Peccary. Photograph by F.W. Bond, May 1914. Possibly taken in connection with Chalmers Mitchell’s research into the childhoods of animals, this and other similar photographs are amongst the most engaging images in the photographic archive.
Quagga. Photograph by Frank Haes, 1864. This was the only Quagga ever photographed alive, although when it died in 1872, there were others living in European zoos and possibly in Africa. The last of all is thought to have died in Amsterdam in 1883.
Cape Mountain Zebra 8 August 1899 This species very nearly shared the fate of the Quagga and was extremely rare when this photograph of a pair was taken in 1899. The female (feeding) had been bred in Amsterdam, which was an achievement as these animals were often very aggressive with one another. Indeed, the male in this photograph died in 1909 as a result of injuries inflicted by another female.
Javan Rhino. Photograph by T.J. Dixon, about 1883. This species, now probably the rarest of all mammals has very seldom been seen in zoos and this one was the only one to have been exhibited at London Zoo (from 1874 to 1885).
Sumatran Rhino about 1905. This male, the last nine specimens of this very endangered species to be exhibited by the Zoological Society lived in London Zoo from 1872 to 1910.
Pink-headed Ducks. Photograph by David Seth-Smith. This species is now thought to be extinct. These specimens belonged to a member of the Council, Alfred Ezra and were kept on his estate at Foxwarren in Surrey where the Society’s Curator of Mammals and Birds photographed them in about 1930. The last ones died during the Second World War and are believed to have been the last of their kind.
Guy Fawkes and the Giraffe House cat. About 1895. This female hippo had been born in the Zoo on 5 November 1872-hence her name! Her father was Obaysch, the first hippo to reach Europe since Roman times in 1850. She died in 1908 and unlike many hippos seems to have been very amenable. A number of cats were kept in the Zoo in an attempt to keep vermin such as rats and mice under control. This one seems to be completely at its ease in the hippo enclosure.
Keeper with Indian Python circa 1870 The first Indian Python was received in 1833 and these snakes were placed on public exhibit in 1849 in a building which stood on the site of the present Office and Library building. This was the world’s first Reptile House. It was replaced with a new house (now known as the Blackburn Pavilion) in 1883, partly paid for by the proceeds of the sale of Jumbo.
Library Regulations for Special Collections (96 KB)
