This three-day international meeting, held in SHNH’s 90^th year, will mark the bicentenary of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and delve into its history and impact on our knowledge of the natural world. Founded in the age of empire and Enlightenment science, ZSL has shaped – and been shaped by – transformations in zoological knowledge, conservation practice, and human-animal relations. The bicentenary offers a timely opportunity to explore ZSL’s history and to reflect on its legacy in Britain and beyond.

Founded in 1826 by Sir Stamford Raffles, the ZSL became a cornerstone of British scientific life. Within just a few years it had opened the London Zoo (1828), received a Royal Charter (1829), and absorbed the collections of the royal menagerie, once housed at the Tower of London (1831). Throughout the nineteenth century, ZSL pioneered public zoological attractions, including the world’s first Reptile House (1849) and Aquarium (1850). Iconic animals such as Obaysch the hippopotamus and Jumbo the elephant became cultural phenomena, while figures like Charles Darwin and Evelyn Cheesman shaped its scientific reputation. The founding of Whipsnade Zoo in 1931 marked a shift toward open zoological parks, and the establishment of the Institute of Zoology in the 1960s positioned ZSL as a leader in conservation research.

Programme

Day One

09:30   Arrival and Registration

10:15   Welcome, introductions and housekeeping
               Jack Ashby, President of the Society for the History of Natural History and
               Johan du Toit, Director of Science, Zoological Society of London.

10:30   Panel 1

The tumultuous years of the Zoological Club of the Linnean Society of London
Isabelle Charmantier, The Linnean Society of London

An abject reptile or how Timothy the Tortoise nearly ended up at ZSL
Stephanie Holt, University of Oxford

11:30   Break

12:00   Panel 2

Institutional identity, research, and record: the founding of the Proceedings and the Transactions of the Zoological Society of London
Beth Gaskell, The British Library

Broadcasting beasts: radio, early television and the Zoo c.1923-1939
Max Long, Lincoln College, University of Oxford

13:00   Lunch

14:00   Keynote Lecture

‘Down pythons’ throats we thrust live goats’: snakes, zoos and animal welfare in nineteenth-century Britain
Professor Helen Cowie, University of York

15:00   Break

15:30   Panel 3

Obaysch and Tanja: zoological stardom and animal identities in the 19^th, 20^th and 21^st centuries
Wessel Broekhuis, ARTIS Amsterdam Royal Zoo (NL)

Life in death: a living perspective of animals through London Zoo’s death books 1870–1900
Daniel Phillips, Independent scholar

16:30   Break

17:00   Panel 4

From specimen to encounter: butterflies, affect, and immersive insect exhibition at the Zoological Society of London.
Marlowe McCaffrey, University of Oxford

Deep time encounters at the Zoo, 1880 to the present
Chris Manias, King’s College London

18:00   All attendees to have left the lecture theatre

19:00   Conference Dinner
Cote, 26-27 Devonshire St, London W1G 6PL

Day Two

09:15   Arrival

09:40   Introductions and housekeeping

09:45   Panel 5

Carl Hagenbeck in London: animals and architecture, trade and inspiration, 1864–1913.
Herman Reichenbach, Tierpark Hagenbeck

The London Zoo and the transnational circulation of zoological culture in the Spanish press (19^th-early 20th Centuries)
Nuria Benítez Prián, Independent Scholar

Learning from other zoos. The ZSL and its zoo travellers (1863–1938)
Oliver Hochadel, IMF-CSIC (Barcelona)

11:00   Break

11:30   Panel 6

Women in zoology and ZSL: moving on through the 20^th century
Ann Sylph, Independent scholar

Public gardens, private ambitions: Walter Rothschild and the use of ‘depositing’ within the gardens of the Zoological Society of London.
Elle Larsson, University of Westminster

12:30   SHNH AGM and Prize Giving

13:15   Lunch

14:15   Travel time to tours

15:00   Collections Tours

18:00   Informal Dinner/Drinks

               The Star of Kings, 126 York Wy, London N1 0AX.

Day Three

09:30   Arrival

09:55   Introductions and housekeeping

10:00   Panel 7

The Zoological Society of London: its 200 year history in artworks and artefacts in the Society’s Library.
Ann Datta, Independent Scholar

Captive subjects: art and photography at the London Zoo, 1828–1914
Daniel Kennedy, Independent Scholar

11:00   Break

11:30   Panel 8

Julian Huxley at the Zoo, 1935–1942
Joe Cain, UCL Department of Science and Technology Studies

The last Prosector at the Zoological Society of London: William Charles Osman Hill
Carina Phillips, Royal College of Surgeons of England / University College London / Natural History Museum, London

An ‘enviable record of “basic research”’: institutionalising science at the Zoological Society
Miles Kempton, Christ’s College, University of Cambridge

12:45   Lunch

13:45   Panel 9

Stars and stripes: What ZSL’s long history with giraffids reveals about the many dimensions of its scientific and conservation endeavours
Simon Pooley, Birkbeck University of London

Whipsnade Zoo, a ZSL story. How has the UK’s first open zoo influenced conservation breeding and veterinary care.
Buffy Beck and Maddie Humfryes, Whipsnade Zoo

The role of ZSL in originating and growing the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Michael Hoffmann, Zoological Society of London, Craig Hilton-Taylor, IUCN, Simon N. Stuart, Synchronicity Earth, H. Resit Akçakaya, Stony Brook University, Rajan Amin, Zoological Society of London, Jonathan E.M. Baillie, Natural State, Monika Böhm, Global Centre for Species Survival, Indianapolis Zoo, and Sophie E.H. Ledger, Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London.

15:00   Closing remarks

15:15   Conference close

Hotel recommendations

There is no an official conference hotel for this conference. However, local recommendations include:

The Hub by Premier Inn London Camden – https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/england/greater-london/london/hub-london-camden.html

The Holiday Inn, Camden – https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/gb/en/london/loncl/hoteldetail

The Wesley Camden Town – https://www.thewesley.co.uk/the-wesley-camden-town/

Getting here

Nearest underground: Camden Town Station, served by Northern Line; Nearest bus: no. 274. You can view the Huxley Lecture Theatre on a map. Please note that access to the Huxley Lecture Theatre is from the Outer Circle, and there is no need to enter London Zoo itself. View more options for getting to the site by train, car and bike.

Call for Posters

As part of the conference, we are offering the opportunity to display academic posters and invite scholars, researchers and practitioners to submit posters that delve into the history of the ZSL, its members and animals, together with its role and importance in shaping our understanding of the natural world over time.

We welcome posters that explore (but are not restricted to) the following topics:

• The zoo as a site of science and experimentation, education, spectacle and entertainment
• ZSL’s role in collecting, classifying, and displaying animals from across the world
• ‘Star’ animals and their legacy
• ZSL and its role in institutional and global networks
• Zoo design and the aesthetics of zoological display, including botanical planting
• The role of ZSL in conservation science and breeding programmes
• Animal care and control including veterinary science and feeding regimes
• The work of artists inspired by ZSL’s collections

Posters should be size A0 or A1 and portrait, however we can accommodate a small number of landscape posters if required. All poster fixings will be provided, and it is the responsibility of the poster presenter to arrange poster printing. Poster presenters are expected to attend the meeting, and stand alongside their poster during the relevant parts of the programme. Presenters should bring their poster with them on the day.

Abstracts for posters should be submitted to Dr Elle Larsson, Meetings Secretary at: meetings@shnh.org.uk. Please include a title, an abstract (up to 250 words) and an author biography (up to 100 words). These should be submitted as a single word document with your name in the file name.

The deadline for submission is 8 May 2026.

Summer Meeting ECR Bursary

Bursaries are available to current doctoral researchers and post-doctoral researchers within 2 years of completion, who do not have support from their institution, a research grant, or other funding awards, to attend the conference. Applicants should be SHNH members by the time of the conference for which the bursary is awarded. PhD applicants and Masters’ students are not eligible for this award.Bursary applicants must be prepared to assist with the on the day organisation of the meeting. Working alongside the SHNH Meetings Secretary, potential responsibilities include: chairing a panel, social media coverage, manning registration, photography etc. The successful recipient will also be required to submit a reflective report following the meeting for publication on the SHNH website.

The bursary award is up to £300 per ECR applicant for those registered at UK or Ireland institutions, or up to £400 per applicant for those registered at non-UK institutions. Your conference fee will also be waived. The bursaries can be used towards travel and accommodation.

Please apply by 10 April 2026

More information and application form

SHNH Meetings

The Society for the History of Natural History is a diverse community of people united by an active interest in the study of natural history through time, believing that a greater awareness of how nature has been considered, documented, valued and exploited by societies and individuals worldwide leads to a deeper understanding and celebration of nature. The Society is known for its friendliness and its meetings combine intellectual excellence with opportunities for an informal exchange of ideas. It is a focal point for the history of all aspects of natural history. This includes art, literature, biography and bibliography as well as investigative historical studies.

For more information on the Society please see www.shnh.org.uk.

Archives of Natural History is the journal of the Society for the History of Natural History, publishing papers on the history and bibliography of all branches of natural history. For more information see https://www.euppublishing.com/loi/anh.

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