Guides to Belle Vue Zoological Gardens 1891-1917 by Various

Guides to Belle Vue Zoological Gardens 1891-1917 by Various – Audiobook

Guides to the

Belle

Vue

Zoological Gardens from the Chetham's Library Virtual

Belle

Vue

Collection. The

Belle

Vue

gardens opened in 1836 as a place of genteel entertainment for the

middle classes of industrial Manchester, but soon became one the most

popular attractions in the north of England. The 1891 guide details the

animals on view and the features of the amusement park. The 1917 guide

notes the addition of new snake and ape houses, attractions such as

Laughterland and a Figure of 8 Toboggan, and the Kings Hall, which

hosted major concerts and sporting events through to the 1970s. The

addition of a car park to the stabling for visitors who arrived with

their own horse and carriage marked the passing of the years, yet the

price of a cup of tea remained the same. Evening entertainments,

featuring tableaux and firework displays against the backdrop of a

painting erected on a 60 by 100 foot frame on the Picture Lake, were a

popular feature. In the 1890s these entertainments documented military

exploits from the heyday of British imperialism. In 1917 war was closer

at hand. The evening entertainment of that year, commemorating the tank

battle of the Ancre, was evidently a sombre affair that reflected the

uncertainties of popular entertainment in the final years of the 1914-18

war. (Phil Benson)

M4B Audiobook (81MB)