This is one of the best photos I have seen of the exterior of the lion house, and I have looked around a fair amount for some.
I am enjoying these photos Andrew, they bring back childhood memories for me, I hope that there are more to follow.
Pleased you are enjoying the photographs. There a few more from the 1960s, but not many I am afraid - my father was not a prolific photographer (it was a family joke that a 12 exposure slide film usually lasted him quite a while).
The Lion House was very old-fashioned by this time. If I remember correctly the floors of cats' cages were elevated at least 2 feet above the visitor's feet. The indoor cages had wooden floors, which must have helped to retain the rich odour inside the house, and the outside ones appeared to have asphalt floors. Next to the outdoor cages were two small squarish, heavily wired enclosures which held cheetahs, and possibly other cats of similar size at earlier times.
It was a great building, big, light, spacious and airy- for the visitors that is... the acoustics were great too when the Lions roared. But practically speaking, I think the barred cages both inside and out, were a thing of the past. As I've mentioned before, although there were both indoor and outdoor cages, the cats did not often interchange between them on a daily basis, there were too many cats exhibited to allow for that.
I wholeheartedly agree with Panthera's comment about the Lubetkin Penguin Pool; I feel certain that Lubetkin would never have wanted it to be seen against a backdrop of greenery. I still think, if it could be done, moving the structure to outside Tate Modern would be an improvement from all points of view.
Clinton Keeling used to say that London Zoo lost its soul when this house was demolished. It went with the intention of building a house for hippos on the site, but there was no money left in 1976 to accomplish this.
The outdoor cages had a great deal of height, and I have often felt that with their plinths hollowed out, and (of course) a thorough revamp of the interior, the building might have worked very well for (say) Leopard-sized cats; maybe even for orang-utans.
I think most people who can remember the building would say that it was one of the great experiences of going to the zoo in the 1960s/ early 1970s. Raffles' bust stood there, in the centre.
I believe that there were actually fourteen cages inside the old Lion House. I think, too, that there were six outdoor cages; four large ones with semi-circular ends and two somewhat smaller rectangular ones.
In addition there was another cage built into one of the side walls (the end nearest the old Deer & Cattle Sheds);it was in this cage that I saw my first ever snow leopard, when I was a very young child, and in later years this cage held lynx.
I am sure that this has been discussed in another thread but the Temminck’s golden cat that lived in one of the interior cages was presented to the zoo by E. P. Gee, author of “The Wild Life of India” and, before being moved to the Lion House, was previously kept in the old North Mammal House.
I believe that there were actually fourteen cages inside the old Lion House. I think, too, that there were six outdoor cages; four large ones with semi-circular ends and two somewhat smaller rectangular ones.
In addition there was another cage built into one of the side walls (the end nearest the old Deer & Cattle Sheds);it was in this cage that I saw my first ever snow leopard, when I was a very young child, and in later years this cage held lynx.
14 sounds nearer the correct estimate, it was a long row of cages in the House.
Snow Leopard- same goes for me too.
I agree with the above comments about the iconic state of this building- it was at the heart of the Zoo really.
The interior of the lion house is memorable. The smell, the noise, the hanging baskets and the wooden bench seating, were there free flying macaws at one time?. Feeding time was of coarse not to be missed.
I believe that there were actually fourteen cages inside the old Lion House. I think, too, that there were six outdoor cages; four large ones with semi-circular ends and two somewhat smaller rectangular ones.
In addition there was another cage built into one of the side walls (the end nearest the old Deer & Cattle Sheds);it was in this cage that I saw my first ever snow leopard, when I was a very young child, and in later years this cage held lynx.
14 sounds nearer the correct estimate, it was a long row of cages in the House.
Snow Leopard- same goes for me too.
I agree with the above comments about the iconic state of this building- it was at the heart of the Zoo really.
Those who know me may like to speculate on the psychological damage inflicted by the fact of my having made two visits to London Zoo and not remembering Snow Leopard from either!
The last London specimen died (I think) in 1969. Truly incredible to think that ZSL has NEVER kept the species on either site since....
