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.
Share Your Own Vintage Finds!
Do you have sepia‑toned postcards, family snapshots of zoo visits or other interwar leisure scenes? Upload your photographs to OldPik.com and help us preserve Britain’s rich cultural heritage—one image at a time.
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vintage photo, 1930s London Zoo, Captain Pfeiffer giraffe, interwar Britain zoo, Regent’s Park Zoo history, antique UK postcard, giraffe feeding demonstration, sepia zoo photograph, OldPik uploads, City of London nostalgia
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.
Share Your Own Vintage Finds!
Do you have sepia‑toned postcards, family snapshots of zoo visits or other interwar leisure scenes? Upload your photographs to OldPik.com and help us preserve Britain’s rich cultural heritage—one image at a time.
SEO Tags
vintage photo, 1930s London Zoo, Captain Pfeiffer giraffe, interwar Britain zoo, Regent’s Park Zoo history, antique UK postcard, giraffe feeding demonstration, sepia zoo photograph, OldPik uploads, City of London nostalgia
Accessories
Adult
Animal
Clothing
Face
Female
Formal Wear
Giraffe
Hat
Head
Male
Mammal
Man
Person
Photography
Portrait
Tie
Wildlife
Woman
Zoo
Contributed by JOSE M LOPEZ on April 24, 2025
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