Elephant House with Elephant Walking in the Yard, NZP,1903

Summary

Photograph of the brick Elephant House designed by Hornblower and Marshall for the National Zoological Park. Construction on the building began in September of 1902 and was completed in January of 1903. According to the Annual Report, the elephants were moved into the house on March 12, 1903. A hastily erected shed called the Octagonal Barn had been used by the elephants, some of the first animals at the Zoo. In 1891 the Adams-Forepaugh Shows, a locally based circus that wintered its animals at the Zoo, gave two elephants, Dunk and Gold Dust, who were ceremoniously led up Connecticut Avenue to their quarters. The Barn was used until 1903 when the animals were afforded more permanent accommodations. Secretary Samuel P. Langley (1887-1906) had earlier solicited designs from numerous architects for an elephant house but none were satisfactory. In 1936 Works Progress Administration funds provided for the first moated exhibit, the current Pachyderm House.

Subject

• National Zoological Park (U.S.)
• Hornblower & Marshall

Category

Historic Images of the Smithsonian

Contained within

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 95, Box 47, Folder: 13

Contact information

Institutional History Division, Smithsonian Institution Archives, 600 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20024-2520, SIHistory@si.edu

Date

1903

Restrictions & Rights

No restrictions

Topic

• Animal cages
• Zoos
• Animals
• Outside enclosures
• Architecture
• National Zoological Park (U.S.)
• Elephants
• National Zoological Park (U.S.)--Elephant House

Form/Genre

• Exterior
• Photographic print
• Architecture
• Animal, candid

ID Number

15533 or MAH-15533

Physical description

Color: Black and White; Size: 10w x 8h; Type of Image: Architectural; Animal, candid; Medium: Photographic print

Full Record

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