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Polar Bears at the Highland Park Zoo

1948/1955

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Polar Bears at the Highland Park Zoo
  • Title
  • Polar Bears at the Highland Park Zoo
  • Creator
  • Elton L. Schnellbacher
  • Identifier
  • MSP285.B018.F23.I02
  • Source Identifier
  • MSP285.B018.F23.I02
  • Description
  • Caption on the back of the photograph reads, “Polar bears and other members of the animal kingdom hold open house daily at Highland Park Zoo – One of the nation’s finest.” When the Pittsburgh Zoo opened in June, 1898, the people of Pittsburgh were able, for the first time, to see many animals and plants they had never seen before. They marveled as they watched animals through the then-popular Victorian-style iron bars and ivy and concrete barriers. The caged animals were very close to the visitors, but could not harm them. Like most zoos of that time, it was more of an animal menagerie. Gradually over the years, the zoo has been transformed into a collection of more natural animal habitats. The addition of the outdoor bear exhibits in 1937, like those seen in this photograph, was the beginning of this evolution. This WPA project enabled the construction of “barless” bear dens. Now the Zoo is home to more than 4,000 wild animals, including numerous threatened and endangered species, in areas such as the Asian Forest, African Savanna, or an indoor Tropical Forest.
  • Genre
  • photographs
  • Subject
  • Highland Park Zoo (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
    Zoos--Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh.
    Parks--Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh.
    Polar bear--Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh.
  • Source
  • Allegheny Conference on Community Development Photographs, 1892-1981, MSP 285, Library and Archives Division, Senator John Heinz History Center
  • Contributor
  • Detre Library & Archives, Heinz History Center
  • Collection
  • Allegheny Conference on Community Development Photographs
  • Rights Information
  • Copyright Not Evaluated. The copyright and related rights status of this Item has not been evaluated. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use.
    http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/