Manufacturer: Ridgways, England
User: Clifton Zoological Society – Bristol Zoo Gardens
Distributor: H. Abrahams & Co. – Bristol, England
Date of examples: circa 1879 – 1903
Notes: From Wikipedia: "Opened in 1836 by the Bristol, Clifton and West of England Zoological Society, Bristol Zoo was the world's oldest provincial zoo. It was a Victorian walled zoo located between Clifton Down and Clifton College, near Brunel's Clifton Suspension Bridge; it covered a small area by modern standards, but with a considerable number of species. In the 1960s the zoo came to national prominence by appearing in the UK television series, Animal Magic, hosted by the comic animal 'communicator', Johnny Morris. Morris would play keeper and voice all the animals there.
"The zoo's official name was Bristol Zoological Gardens ('Bristol Zoo Gardens' for commercial purposes). This was not in recognition of the flower displays but recognizes the first use of that title at the Regent's Park Zoological Gardens. Bristol, like its earlier London counterpart, included several original buildings which have been praised for their architectural quirks, despite being unsuitable for the care of animals; the (former) Giraffe House joined the main entrance lodge and the south gates on Guthrie Road as a Grade II listed building. The old Monkey Temple, resembling a southern Asian temple, was home to an exhibit called "Smarty plants", an interactive exhibit which shows how plants use and manipulate animals to survive.
In 2020, BZS announced that Bristol Zoo Gardens would close in 2022, and the Wild Place Project will become the new Bristol Zoo in early 2024 and will be home to new exhibits."
Although specific dining venues at the zoo are not known, an article in the Western Gazette of Somerset, England, on Sep. 10, 1926, notes that there are "excellent luncheon and tea rooms," and a notice in the Western Daily Press of Bristol, England, on Jul. 8, 1931, states there is an "excellent restaurant" at the Zoo. In the 2024 online auction for zoo memorabilia, they referred to the "Bristol Zoo Cafe," see below for links to some of the lots sold.
From an article on the website of Bristol Zoo.org: "Closing Bristol Zoo Gardens (2023) wasn't an easy decision, but we do not believe the 12-acre Clifton site is fit for purpose as a modern, conservation focused zoo. With 136 acres at Bristol Zoo Project, we can improve animal welfare, creating larger areas that better reflect the animals' natural habitats.
"To fund the creation of a new conservation zoo at Bristol Zoo Project [Wild Place Project], Bristol Zoological Society is selling its Clifton properties. The plans for the site, which include building 196 new homes for Bristol (20% affordable), will also provide free public access to the gardens for the first time in 186 years."
In November 2024, there was an auction of various lots of zoo-related items, including benches, antique signs, vintage posters, sculptures, china, etc. Here are links to some of the items sold:
Lot 205 – Bristol Zoo serviceware
Lot 222 – David Shepard signed print of lion's head
Lot 179 – Bristol Zoo serviceware
Lot 51 – 1920's Kodak photo of lion
Lot 48 – Vintage Salter weighing scales
White body Steelite trade-named Ridgways china with a drawing of a lion's head in black and white with a ribbon underneath with the block letters C.Z.S. Additional bright yellow china with black rim line on white body was also sold in the 2024 auction, shown above, and bears the same Steelite backstamp. China was dated based on Ridgways date range of production and the last known information for H. Abrahams, the distributor, that was 1903.
Sources:
Wikipedia – history of the zoo
Bristol Zoo.org website – story about closing the Clifton site of the original zoo
November 2024 auction
Cardcow.com – postcard
Contributors:
Lawrence Broome-Young: ID and china photos
Ed Phillips: author