Every week Sepia Saturday challenges bloggers with a visual prompt. This week concludes a alphabetic prompt series with Z and a zoom lens.
I decided to time travel to 19th century zoos.
Johnston, Frances Benjamin, photographer. School children looking at bison at zoo, Washington, D.C. Washington D.C, 1899. [?] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2001703667/.
I remember the cement cages in old zoos. Here at least the animals are outside.
Johnston, Frances Benjamin, photographer. Washington, D.C. public schools – 6th Division class at zoo watching reindeer. Washington D.C, 1899. [?] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2001697365/.
Danhauser, Josef, Artist. Verlegenheiten. No. 7, Mein Hut! Mein Hut! so nehmen sie ihn doch Arrachez lui donc mon chapeau, je vous en prie / / Danhauser ; lith. Inst. in Wien. , 1824. [Vienna: Publisher not given] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2012649936/.
Strohmeyer & Wyman, Publisher. Hippopotamus – Central Park, New York, U.S.A. Central Park New York, 1895. New York, N.Y.: Strohmeyer & Wyman, Publishers. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2017649090/.
To see more Sepia Saturday posts, click here. There’s always a wonderful variety of interpretations.
smkelly8
No Fixed Plans 
I remember the St. Louis Zoo originally having the old hard cement. I am glad that has changed. Interesting there was not that much fencing between child and animal. I am humored by the little girl sitting in the grass who is not at all interested in the animals.
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The cement cages were awful. Animal jails. I’m glad zoos create habitats that resemble what they’d experience in the wild.
I wonder why the girl doesn’t care about the animals. Hmmm.
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Plenty of safety issues here. Wouldn’t be allowed today. At least out modern zoos have improved the conditions for their inmates. Interesting old photos.
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Thanks. I was quite surprised by the cages.
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Ah – the good ol’ days when you could trust people not to stick their hands into a wild animal’s cage!
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I guess they had more sense. I was surprised by the cages.
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Neat pix of the young children at the zoo. I love the one with the little girl more interested in the flowers than the reindeer. When I came to the stereo photos of the hippopotamus, I unconscientiously started singing “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” 🙂
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I’ve never heard “I Want a Hippocampus floor Christmas. ” I’ll have to find a recording online. I like the kids 19th century outfits.
Thanks for dropping by.
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I wondered if the girl was pouting, but maybe just interested in the flowers as someone else suggested. You would not want to provoke that bison, I think. Looks like he has bent the fencing. He might succeed next time.
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I wouldn’t mess with that bison for sure. The girl adds to the picture, for sure.
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I love the concept of the photographer capturing the children who are in turn watching the captured animals. Almost a social commentary as arranged here in your post.
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