San Diego Zoo Vintage

131 Pins
·
6y
1959 | Innovation | San Diego Zoo 100
In 1959, some new exhibits and features were added to the Children's Zoo, including the Clark Children's Theater. Its design was a geodesic dome, more than 50 feet in diameter at the base and 18 feet hight, placed over an area of child-height stools and a curved, raised stage. There were backstage areas for both humans and animals and places for information displays out front. It was a flexible space designed for a variety of educational presentations and opportunities for children to learn ...
Delighted girl meets her first camel, 2-month-old Barney. Born in the San Diego zoo, Barney was deserted by his mother. Photo: Allan Grant
1957 | Innovation | San Diego Zoo 100
1957---Opening of the Children's Zoo
1943 | War Years | San Diego Zoo 100
Two standouts: Georgia Dittoe, one of only a very few female zookeepers, says hello to one of the Zoo's first red pandas, a very rare species in zoos at the time.
1917 | Beginnings | San Diego Zoo 100
Animal exhibits left from the 1915-1916 Panama-California Exposition
1942 | War Years | San Diego Zoo 100
The Zoo's first giraffe calf was born in 1942, named Raffy (spelling changed from Raffe), after a giraffe character in a children's book.
1957 | Innovation | San Diego Zoo 100
Children's Zoo farmyard and petting paddock, where Galápagos tortoises made appearances as well.
Tortoise and the Heirs: 1950s high-resolution photo
Tortoise and the Heirs: 1950s:Unknown kids in an unknown location, riding a giant tortoise, probably in Southern California, possibly the San Diego Zoo, or wherever you go to ride a giant tortoise. 35mm Kodachrome slide from a thrift store find.
1954 | Growth | San Diego Zoo 100
A big achievement for the San Diego Zoo was receiving the first kiwi in the Western Hemisphere, as a gift from the New Zealand government. A local chapter of The Kiwis, a group of former American Airlines hostesses, donated funds to build an exhibit for this special bird. Because it is difficult to determine the sex of young birds, this one was thought to be female, and named Belle in honor of Belle Benchley. However, much to everyone's chagrin, this Belle later had to be renamed Benjamin!