Image: ZSL archivist Natasha Wakely holds Cullingfords’ Baby Brumas toilet soap, 1949 © Jas Lehal PA
The charity behind both London and Whipsnade zoo is looking for memories and objects to add to its 200th birthday exhibition and celebrations
The charity behind the London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire has launched a public appeal to collect memories, artefacts, and stories associated with the organisation.
Ahead of its anniversary celebration and a new exhibition in 2026, The ZSL (Zoological Society of London) is launching History Hive: a public appeal for everything from vintage zoo toys and historic tickets to correspondence and maps.
The objects will form part of an exhibition to celebrate the 200th in 2026 alongside artefacts from ZSL’s existing archive, which are hoped to paint a picture of ZSL’s impact on animal care and conservation, and more broadly in society, as the charity behind the very words ‘zoo’ and ‘aquarium’.
Notable artefacts already in the organisation’s archive include a first edition of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, zookeeper uniforms from decades past, and a decorated ostrich egg which marked the opening of Whipsnade Zoo in 1931.
Those with memories of ZSL and its zoos are also being invited to share these as part of the charity’s Oral History Archive, which will preserve first-hand testimony.
Natasha Wakely, ZSL’s Archivist, said its History Hive project “is an incredible opportunity for us to unearth the objects and material culture which bring to life our 200 years of history”.
History Hive will culminate in an exhibition in 2026, and those who contribute their stories and ephemera will be invited to the exhibition’s launch.
2026 will also see the launch of a programme of interactive displays, talks and trails, illustrating the story of the charity and the public support which makes its conservation work possible.
