Why write about animals? Organization and the Daily Occurrences of London Zoo

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article analyses as series of archival documents called the Daily Occurrences of the Zoological Gardens of London. These pro formas were the institutional working texts that allowed authorial statements to appear concerning the organization of London Zoo, including: animal arrivals, departures, births, deaths, work, visitor figures and finance. The Daily Occurrences classified, described, and curated the frames which were constructed around the display animals at the zoo. By contextualizing and paying critical attention to these managerial pro formas, this article undertakes an interdisciplinary reading of overlooked texts that organized how animals and humans entered into and exited out from a system of living exhibition. This article addresses the research question: how were animals and humans organized at the zoo? By looking to how animals were organized at the zoo this article contributes to wider discussions found in organization studies regarding the visibility and status of what constitutes animal labour.