The art collections of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) are looked after by its Library. The Library contains a unique collection of journals and books on zoology and animal conservation. It is also one of the UK’s largest repositories of animal images. There are approximately 6,000 original artworks (mainly watercolours) which were produced in the nineteenth century, but the collection dates back to the early seventeenth century and also holds a number of sculptures of the Zoo’s famous animals. 

 

Among the oils are portraits of Sir Peter Chalmers Mitchell, creator of Whipsnade, by William Nicholson and Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, one of the founders of the Zoo, by James Lonsdale, but the majority are of famous animals which have resided at the Zoo, including the pandas Chi Chi and An An. The photograph shows me improvising a pole from bubble wrap to hold up a label for the painting of Guy the Gorilla by William Timym displayed on the library balcony.

 

However, perhaps the highlight of the day was the coffee break taken chatting to the meerkats!