Hamerton Zoo Park

Plans are being drawn up for a new attraction. Our new Zoo Museum will have three core displays. Its development is secondary to the animal collection and visitor facilities at the Park of course, and as we have to do all the work ourselves will be done at a time when we are not able to work outdoors. 1 - it will showcase model zoos and toy animals made in Germany, France, the UK, Denmark, East Germany and Czechoslovakia during the 20th Century. The animals and the models were often copied from the zoo buildings, enclosures and animal species of their time. They provide a fascinating insight into times gone by. The core collection is in secure storage and extends beyond 200 individual zoo buildings and several thousands of animals by a number of different manufacturers. 2- secondly, it is hoped to focus on exhibits and attractions of the past which are often unknown to modern generations, who know nothing of Chimps Tea Parties, Elephant Rides or Llama Carts; let alone human exhibits in Zoos, be they ethnic peoples in Germany or premature babies in America... 3 - in addition, the Museum will display information about the zoos which have opened and closed within our visitor catchment area. There is a surprising number, and details and knowledge of them is being rapidly forgotten. We have the offers of help from a number of different experts and specialists in this field. We are researching the following, and welcome any details on these: Thorney Wildlife Park Guilsborough Pets/Birds/Wildlife Coton Manor (Wildlife) Gardens Lilford Park Aviaries Stagsden Bird Gardens Clopton Bird Garden Peakirk Wildfowl/Waterfowl Gardens Lowlands Farm Park Melchbourne Bird Gardens Springfields Gardens Aviaries, Spalding Pheonix Tropical Birdland, Cowbit Brambles Pheasantries, Houghton Wellingborough Zoo Wicksteed Park Childrens Zoo Norfolk Wildlife Park Kilverstone Wildlife Park Kelling Park Aviaries Cromer Zoo Cromer Birdland Smallborough Waterfowl Collection Basildon/Vange Zoo Coombe Abbey Bird Garden Norton Bird/Pets Garden Flamingo Gardens, Olney Stapleford Lion Park

Pfeiffer Zoo Set - a very rich boys toy from 1904

Pfeiffer - Zoo Sconbrunn Giraffe House

Elastolin Lion Enclosure/Diorama

Elastolin Carnivore House

Elastolin Predator House

Elastolin folding & boxed Polar Bear enclsoure

1920s model zoo by Moritz Gottschalk, the famous German dolls-house maker

Reisler - Denmark - Monkey/Ape House, with interloper!

Reisler - Denmark - Zoo Playbase

Reisler Zoo

Model zoo enclosures by Theodor Thorngreen, Copenhagen.

Swedish Polar Bear enclosure by Ragnar Mattsson 1940s - with (Elastolin) bears.

Animal house and yard (Pigsty?) from 1936 - catalogue # 225, by Dansk Legetojsfabrik, Denmark.

Britains - 1962 - Zoo Playbase

Britains Ltd, bear pit (the 'rock pit') from the 1960s.

Elf Polar Bear pit, made for Britains. The most popular Zoo animals of the 1960s and 1970s were 'Brumas' and 'Pipaluk', bear cubs born at London Zoo. Toys and other merchandising followed in huge numbers.

Elf Penguin pool, made for Britains Ltd.

Britains Ltd 'Arctic Pool' from the 1960s, for your Polar Bears, Seals, Penguins or Walrus.

Elastolin Polar Bear pit with bears, from Germany in the 1970s.

Elastolin Hippo or Bear cage from Germany in the 1970s.

Elastolin Giraffenhaus - Germany, 1970s.

ZZ Riesen Zoo play-base - Germany 1970s.

Plaho Zoo play-base with buildings and animals. State produced in the 1970s - in the DDR.

Starlux - France

Composite (masse) animals made from waste, by the State furniture manufacturer Drevopodnik in Brno in the former Czechoslovakia.

Do you remember this one?

...what about here, did you ever visit?

...later in its life

..this was just a few miles from Hamerton