Zoo and Aquarium History: Ancient Animal Collections To Zoological Gardens [Hardcover]

Vernon N. Kisling (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 084932100X | ISBN-13: 978-0849321009 | Publication Date: September 18, 2000 | Edition: 1

As one of the world's most popular cultural activities, wild animal collections have been attracting visitors for 5,000 years. Under the direction of Vernon N. Kisling, an expert in zoo history, an international team of authors has compiled the first comprehensive, global history of animal collections, menageries, zoos, and aquariums. Zoo and Aquarium History: Ancient Animal Collections to Zoological Gardens documents the continuum of efforts in maintaining wild animal collections from ancient civilizations through today.

Although historical research on zoos and aquariums is still at a rudimentary stage, this book pulls together regional information along with the cultural aspects of each region to provide a foundation upon which further research can be based. It presents a chronological listing of the world's zoos and aquariums and features many never-before published photographs. Sidebars present supplementary information on pertinent personalities, events, and wildlife conservation issues. As an overview of the current state of our knowledge, Zoo and Aquarium History: Ancient Animal Collections to Zoological Gardens provides an extensive, chronological introduction to the subject and highlights the published and archival resources for those who want to know more.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 440 pages
• Publisher: CRC Press; 1 edition (September 18, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 084932100X
• ISBN-13: 978-0849321009
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 7.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #985,419 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ultimate Guide to Zoo and Aquarium History, October 16, 2000

By 

Michael Kreger (Laurel, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Zoo and Aquarium History: Ancient Animal Collections To Zoological Gardens (Hardcover)

As a zoo and aquarium history enthusiast, I have yet to find a book that covers the broad history of zoos and aquariums worldwide. This book fills that niche. Many U.S. zoos are issuing history books celebrating their centennials and Hoage's book covers the transition from menagerie to zoo in the 19th century. Neither the centennial books nor Hoage's book cover zoos and aquariums from ancient times to the present continent by continent. The chapters cover ancient Chinese "Intelligence Gardens" and early zoos as places where rulers could showcase animals captured from newly conquored lands. We learn about the development of the travelling menageries, 18th and 19th century zoos as living museums for scholars, and the political and social climates that transformed them into institutions of public education, recreation, research, and, mostly in the late 1900s, as centers for conservation. This is the first time I have seen anything in print about the history of African zoos and many of the Asian ones. The chapters are well-researched and well-referenced. Many of the references are hard to find or in foreign languages. Mixed in with brief histories of the individual institutions are little-known stories such as the arrival of the first Giant panda to the U.S., the first female zoo director, and how war affected zoos and aquariums all over the world. The photos selected by the authors clearly illustrate points made in the text.

The authors are well-qualified to tell these tales. Vernon Kisling, the editor and an author, spearheaded the History Task Force for the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums and represents North America to the Bartlett Society (an international zoo history group).

In summary, zoos and aquariums have played and continue to play a vital role in how man interacts with other species. They can foster an attitude of empathy or domination. Their histories are rich and varied. This book is a valuable resource to anyone interested in zoos and aquariums, the history of the natural sciences, or anthrozoology (human-animal relationship studies).

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A gap well filled, October 16, 2000

By 

Herman Reichenbach (Hamburg Deutschland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Zoo and Aquarium History: Ancient Animal Collections To Zoological Gardens (Hardcover)

"Zoo and aquarium history" is the most comprehensive book in probably any language on the history of wild animals in captivity since publication of Gustave Loisel's three-volume "Histoire des ménageries" back in 1912. In this one volume, zoo historians from five continents and eight countries offer a region-by-region account of the development of menageries, zoological gardens and (to a lesser extent) aquaria since the Renaissance. Ancient and mediaeval collections worldwide are covered well by the book's editor Vernon Kisling in the first chapter. The various authors approach their task along different paths, for the most part more narrative than reflective, and not all chapters, unfortunately, are equally good.

Zoos in Europe have been best chronicled in the past, although obviously not always in English, and the three European chapters may not offer anything really new to the well-read zoo nerd. The book's division of Europe into Great Britain (including Ireland, which may not be well appreciated by proud Irishmen and -women), Western Europe, and East-central and eastern Europe appears to be somewhat arbitrary, although it may have made sense from an American viewpoint looking at Europe during the Cold War. Nevertheless, as an introduction to European zoo history for the uninitiated, all three chapters carry their weight.

The excellent chapters by Ken Kawata on the history of zoos in Japan and Sally Walker on that of India offer genuinely new literature (at least in English); together they're worth the price of the book alone. Australia too is well covered. The chapter on South America has a decidedly Brazilian bias to it, and the one on Africa concentrates on Egypt and South Africa (Cape and Cairo, so to speak), so although neither is really comprehensive, interesting material certainly is in there. The development of zoos and aquaria in the United States is nicely reviewed by Kisling. The book has left only one space completely white on the map: Canada. The reason is not obvious; Canadian zoos have a history too. The editor, of course, could only include chapters for which he was able to find competent writers, and as the book, as good as it is, hardly promises to be a best-seller, their reward will be more likely be idealistic than mammonish.

"Zoo and aquarium history" is a must in any zoo and natural history library, but it is also highly recommended to anyone interested in reading a history of what remains one of the most popular institutions of recreation and public education, science and conservation in the world. On the subject, there's no better book in print.

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Zoo can get Hot! "Archives of Natural History", October 17, 2000

By 

Herman Reichenbach - See all my reviews

This review is from: Zoo and Aquarium History: Ancient Animal Collections To Zoological Gardens (Hardcover)

Congratulations on a fine book that really does fill a long-standing gap in the historical literature! Needless to say, I hope it sells well, and gets rave reviews! It deserves them.