Bronx Zoo #1 (From Henry Penndorf)

Elephant House,1959.2, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. It took a bit of time, but I was able to locate a "vintage" picture showing the outdoor elephant yard at the Bronx Zoo as it was. This picture was taken after the iron bars disappeared and before the renovation to the Elephant House. The date on the photo is August, 1959. This picture shows everything that I remember. The stone wall, the dusty and bare dirt floor that sloped downward towards the wall, and what appears to be two African Elephants with trunks outstretched looking to the visitors for treats. ! The only thing missing from the picture is the small cement pond in the center of the exhibit. For the Elephant House's renovation which began in the mid 80's, William Conway the Bronx Zoo's General Director approached Landscape Architects Jonathan Coe and Gary Lee. Mr. Conway asked them to design a free-form naturalistic enclosure for elephants, a Sumatran Rhinoceros, and Malayan Tapir. The only restriction was that the design had to be in keeping with the beaux-arts buildings that line Astor Court. Using the landscape painting tradition of Claude Loraine for inspiration, the team of Coe and Lee created an asymmetrical and Arcadian setting for the Zoo's animals.