Slideshow: The First London Zoo

In 'Handsome Gifts' to a Young Society, published in the January issue of History Today, Roger Rideout explains how the London Zoological Society, founded in 1826, set about collecting specimens for its private museum and menagerie. These soon became a popular public attraction and formed the basis of the capital's zoo.

This slideshow shows the history of the society's zoo. Click on the above image to begin.