London Zoo

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Scope note(s)

  • London Zoo opened to Fellows of the Zoological Society of London, and to the public with a written order from a Fellow and payment of 1 shilling in 1828. The royal animal collection from the Tower of London was presented in 1831. In 1847 the public were admitted to London Zoo for the first time without an order from a Fellow. After the eruption of the Second World War, London Zoo was closed multiple times for over a week at a time starting 11:00am on 3rd September 1939, when all zoological places were closed by order of the government. On 27th September 1940, high explosive bombs damaged the Rodent house, the Civet house, the gardener's office, the propagating sheds, the North Gate and the Zebra house. In January 1941, the Camel house was hit, and the aquarium could not open until May 1943 due to extensive bombings.

Source note(s)

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      Hierarchical terms

      London Zoo

      London Zoo

      Equivalent terms

      London Zoo

        Associated terms

        London Zoo

          23 Archival description results for London Zoo

          Beaumont, John Thomas Barber
          SEC/2/1/6 · File · 1835-1836
          Part of ZSL Secretaries

          Letters from John Thomas Barber Beaumont, County Fire Officer, discussing the effectiveness of heating in the Elephant House
          Burnet, Tait and Lorne
          SEC/10/1/1 · File · 1936-1937
          Part of ZSL Secretaries

          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)
          Clark, Kenneth
          SEC/10/1/2 · File · 1937
          Part of ZSL Secretaries

          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
          Correspondence with architects on the proposed Elephant House, London Zoo
          ARC/7/1 · File
          Part of Architecture and buildings

          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.
          Elephant House
          Elephant House
          ARC/7 · Series · 1937-1971
          Part of Architecture and buildings

          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.