Zoo History

Zoo history is a fascinating but still largely untouched field.  I was right, in 2012 when completing my MA, that it would become a growth area and it is certainly the case that interest at a small number of UK universities has increased.  There have been many publications of various sorts; far more than in the previous decade and since I wrote my MA dissertation, London Zoo has introduced Zoo History tours and some other zoos, including Dudley and Chester have introduced far more heritage signage.

It was in 2012 that I first became aware of the Bartlett Society, a small but dedicated national group dedicated to studying the maintenance of exotic animals in the past; zoo historians.  It was with great pleasure that I was elected as acting Chair of this group in October 2025.  More about the society can be found here: The Bartlett Society 

      The 1876 Lion House at London Zoo was probably a lot more interesting for the people than it was for the lions.