Official Map of the Chicago Zoological Park [with guidebook]

Brookfield Zoo officially opened on June 30, 1934 on land originally donated to the Cook County Forest Preserve in 1919. The Chicago Zoological Society was formed in 1920 by a group of prominent local residents and the organization continues to operate the zoo to this day. This pictorial map of the grounds was created by Ralph Graham, an in-house artist employed by the zoo until 1965. Graham was a prolific painter and photographer for the zoo, and even traveled to India to assist in obtaining a pair of Great Indian Rhinos – some of the first ever displayed outside of the subcontinent. Numerous exotic creatures and local amenities are illustrated and labeled throughout the image. Notice how no cages are shown – Brookfield was one of the first zoos to separate exhibits using moats and ditches, making for a more natural experience for both the animals and visitors. The map is tipped into the back of a guidebook to the Brookfield Zoo, published in 1941 and printed in Chicago by the Neely Printing Company. Its 100 pages offer a detailed and informative window into the dozens of attractions available to visitors in the early 1940s. Source: Chicago Collections;