Captain Pfeiffer.

Vintage Photograph – Captain Pfeiffer Feeding a Giraffe, London Zoo (c. 1933) Step back into interwar London with this delightful sepia‑toned image of Captain Pfeiffer leaning forward to feed a towering giraffe at the Zoological Society’s gardens in Regent’s Park. Surrounded by onlookers in cloche hats and bowler caps, Pfeiffer appears utterly unflustered as the giraffe extends its long prehensile tongue to grasp a treat from his lips—an early example of the daily animal‑feeding demonstrations that enchanted London’s public.

Historical Context By 1933, London Zoo was already nearly a century old, having opened its gates in 1828 as the world’s first scientific zoo. The interwar years saw soaring visitor numbers as families, schoolchildren and tourists flocked to see exotic species brought from across the Empire. Keepers like Captain Pfeiffer (a retired army officer turned zookeeper) became minor celebrities themselves, offering personal encounters that helped spark a generation’s fascination with wildlife and conservation.

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