London Zoo wants your help to mark its 200th birthday, coming up in 2026.
Parroting history: Keeper Alden in 1935 with an African Grey at London Zoo. Do you have any family links with the zoo?
Perhaps you have some old photographs of a childhood visit to the zoo, or to its country outpost, Whipsnade? Maybe you had a grandparent, or great grandparent, who worked at the London Zoo?
ZSL has today launched “History Hive”: its public appeal for memories and artefacts to bring to life the 200-year history of the Zoological Society of London – the conservation charity behind London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo.
History Hive aims to build a collection of memories – from the tangible to the intangible – to reflect the varied voices and lived experiences of everyone who has played a part in the world-famous zoo’s rich history.
ZSL is asking the public to submit everything from vintage zoo toys and historic tickets to correspondence and maps, enriching the charity’s understanding of its own history.
The objects will form part of an exhibition to celebrate the 200th in 2026 alongside fascinating artefacts from ZSL’s existing archive, which all help to tell the story of ZSL’s impact not only on animal care and conservation, but on the very fabric of London and British culture.
Notable artefacts already in the Zoos’ archive include a first edition of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, a limited-edition bear-shaped soap from the 1940s which was produced by Cullingfords to mark the birth at London Zoo of Brumas, the baby polar bear, zookeeper uniforms from decades past, and a decorated ostrich egg, painted by an unknown artist, to mark the opening of Whipsnade Zoo in 1931.
Precious keepsake: ZSL archivist Natasha Wakely and a model from 1855 of the zoo’s first hippopotamus, called Obaysch
Those with memories of ZSL and its zoos are also invited to share these as part of the charity’s Oral History Archive, which will preserve first-hand testimony and celebrate the charity’s long history of connecting people to wildlife.
The words “zoo” and “aquarium”, now part of everyday language, were coined by London Zoo. Even the word “Jumbo”, meaning very large, comes from the name of an elephant at London Zoo in the 1880s, long before the term was borrowed for Boeing’s 747 jets.
Even Winnie the Pooh found his origins at London Zoo, based upon a black bear named Winnie, befriended by author AA Milne and his son Christopher Robin.
The Zoological Society of London has revolutionised public interaction with wildlife. Its long-standing associations with the world’s most influential figures in wildlife science and conservation range from Darwin to Sir David Attenborough, who featured animals from London Zoo in his very first natural history documentary, The Pattern of Animals.
Tina Campanella, ZSL’s Bicentenary Project Manager, said, “Everyone who has had a connection to ZSL – from world-famous biologists and renowned TV broadcasters to visitors to our two conservation zoos – is as much as part of our history as we’re a part of theirs. It’s only right we celebrate our bicentenary together, so we’re excited to see what people share.”
Conservation mission: London Zoo has long operated breeding programmes: This bactrian camel, with its keeper Wally Styles, was born in London in 1929
Matthew Gould, ZSL’s chief executive, said, “Our work has never been more vital than it is today. In those two hundred years, we have evolved into a global conservation charity, but stayed true to our roots as a scientific society. We are proud of our extraordinary story, and our History Hive project will help us tell it.”
History Hive will culminate in an exhibition in ZSL’s bicentennial year bringing its history to the 36-acre grounds of London Zoo.
Those who have contributed their stories and ephemera will be invited to the exhibition’s launch, celebrating both their role in two centuries of natural history and the start of a new century of critical conservation work.
The year will also see the launch of a programme of interactive displays, talks and trails, vividly illustrating the story of the charity and the public support which makes its conservation work possible.
Submissions to ZSL’s History Hive can be made via www.zsl.org/historyhive.
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So that is where Blakey from On The Buses ended up…..
Someone had to say it
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