The existing 1868 Elephant House at London Zoo was demolished and the foundations laid for a new Elephant House; however work stopped in 1939 because of the outbreak of World War II and the Tecton designed Elephant House was never built. A new building designed by Casson Conder and partners was completed in 1965.
Includes: memos from the Layout Committee; letters from Lubetkin to Huxley; costings; Contract with Tecton; copy of 'The Architect and Building News', June 1944; handwritten notes; specifications. Includes correspondence with Burnet, Tait and Lorne; and with Tecton. Also mentions other abandoned schemes by Tecton for Gibbon House, Children's Zoo, South Gate. Includes correspondence between Huxley and the Maharajah of Bhavnagar and J Ellerman about funding; with Sir Harry Boyd of the Home Office concerning Royal patronage. Correspondence with Zoo Directors in Chicago, Dresden, Stellingen about their elephant houses.
Concerning the new plans by Casson Conder and partners
Correspondence between Burnet, Tait and Lorne and Julian Sorell Huxley regarding proposed new elephant and rhinoceros houses and paddocks at the Zoological Society of London, and the proposed Tusker Elephant House at Whipsnade Zoo. Also minutes of the Whipsnade Committee 9th December 1936, and an extract from a memo on accommodation for catering staff at Whipsnade (known then as the House of Pleasant Bread)
Letters from Kenneth Clark of the National Gallery, to Julian Sorell Huxley regarding John Driberg and Lubetkin's plans for the Elephant House at the the Zoological Society of London
Letter from Julian Sorell Huxley to Jasper Ridley regarding the plans for the new Elephant House and an approach to Lord Howard de Walden regarding a donation towards the construction
Correspondence between Julian Sorell Huxley and Tecton Group regarding the construction of the new Elephant House
Correspondence between Veale & Saunders and the Treasurer of the Zoological Society of London regarding the construction of the new Elephant and Rhinoceros House at London Zoo
Records relating to the opening of enclosures and buildings including the Michael Sobell Pavilion, the Snowdon Aviary, the Elephant and Rhino Pavilion, and the Nuffield Institute
Sans titrePapers regarding the presentation of the RIBA Architecture Award Elephant and Rhinoceros Pavilion