BELLE VUE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS

1. JENNISON COLLECTION

Material relating to Belle Vue and to the Jennison family presented between 1929 and 1939 by George Jennison of Barwicke Lodge, Disley, (the last few items after his death). The collection includes Jennison's own unpublished history of Belle Vue which was not allowed to be made public until 1963.

F.4.1 Papers concerning the acquisition of Belle Vue. Plans of the gardens, accounts etc. 26 files.

F.4.2 Miscellaneous accounts of Belle Vue and the Jennison family. 11 files.

F.4.3 Publicity: Newspaper cuttings, photographs, programmes etc. 25 files.

F.4.4 Miscellaneous photographs, letters, booklets, accounts. 7 files.

F.4.5 Jennison family memorabilia. 22 files.

F.4.6 Printed books.

F.4.7-8 National Rifle Association Camps at Wimbledon in the 1870s.

F.4.9-10 Reports, handbooks, etc. of other zoos and zoological societies.

F.4.11 George Jennison, A Century of Lancashire open-air amusements, 1929. Original drafts, typescripts, folders of correspondence etc. 7 files.

F.5.1-2 Ledgers: Acquisition of animals, stock lists etc. 1897-1900, 1901-04.

F.5.3 Account books c. 1870-74.

F.5.4 Ledger: Notes of animals, condition, habits etc. c. 1908-14.

F.5.5 Ledger: Daily accounts, diary entries, remarks on weather, notes on excursions, analysis, c. 1856-76 (includes some notes, letters etc).

F.5.6 Sheets of accounts 1857-64 (mainly 1860-64).

F.5.7 Account book, Belle Vue and Wimbledon, 1865-68.

F.5.8-44 Account books for the years 1869-1894, 1906-1915, 1917.

2. NICHOLLS COLLECTION

Documents donated by Robert Nicholls, June 1990.

F.6.1.

(Folder 1) Publicity Material.

(Folder 2) First Leisure Corporation reports and accounts etc.

(Folder 3) Extracts from miscellaneous publications.

(Folder 4) Papers re. City Council and Belle Vue.

(Folder 5) Abstracts of titles.

(Folder 6) Sales and Council reports.

(Folder 7) Zoological Society of Greater Manchester Journals.

(Folder 8) Miscellaneous extracts re. railways and brass bands.

(Folder 9) Plans.

(Folder 10) Extracts and photocopies.

(Folder 11) Newspaper cuttings.

F.6.2-4 3 large scrapbooks containing Press cuttings 1934-36, 1937-42, 1942-45.

F.6.2-1934-36

F.6.3-1937-42

F.6.4-1942-45

F.6.5 Large scrapbooks containing Press cuttings and photographs 1920s-40s.

F.6.6 Slides of Belle Vue circus by Peter Slade (loaned by Robert Nicholls May 1992) 65 items

3. TALBOT COLLECTION

Material given by R.T. Talbot, Deputy General Manager of Belle Vue 1954-. Donated by Robert Nicholls, October, 1992.

F.6.7

(i) Administrative and financial papers 1925 - 56.

(ii) Maps and plans.

(iii) Publicity.

F.6.8-9

(iv) Photographs

Circus

Speedway

Wall of fame

Events

Sport

People

Miscellaneous

(v) Non BelleVue material

The Belle Vue archive has been assembled by the Library over a period of over 70 years. The group includes papers given by George Jennison, the grandson of the founder and the last of the family to own the zoo, material given by Robert Nicholls, author of Looking back at Belle Vue (1990) and The Belle Vue Story (1992), and material given by R.T. Talbot, a former Deputy General Manager at Belle Vue.

Until its closure in the 1970s and subsequent sale and redevelopment of the site, Belle Vue was Manchester's principal centre of entertainment. Founded in 1836 by John Jennison (1793-1869), on a site between Hyde Road and Kirkmanshulme Lane, Belle Vue was the third oldest zoological gardens in the United Kingdom and the country's premier provincial zoo. In addition, Belle Vue was famous for a host of other activities including fire-work displays, brass band contests, ballroom dancing, pop concerts, political meetings, an amusement park, circus, and speedway.