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Belle Vue Zoological Gardens postcards


 
Belle Vue Zoological Gardens started in June 1836 when John Jennison first took a lease for land known as Belle Vue on the Hyde Road, Manchester, England. Over the next few decades, the pleasure gardens grew and grew becoming a great attraction. The gardens remained in the control of the Jennison family until 1925.

In the early 1900s, there were published two similar sets of postcards which featured scenes from the gardens. There were twelve cards published by Horrocks & Co. of Ashton under Lyne, and a set of six cards published by G. D. & D. (originally Gottschalk, Dreyfus & Davis) of London. The G. D. & D. cards were signed by the postcard artist H. Fleury junior who was my great uncle, Hermann Conrad Fleury. I do not know which cards came out first, nor whether the Horrocks cards were published as a set of twelve or as two sets of six cards, which was the usual number in a set.


Zoological Gardens, Belle Vue, Manchester - Horrocks & Co - 12 postcards

The Monkey House Sea Lion House & Aquatic Birds Pheasantry and Penguin House
     
The Italian Garden The Ocean Wave Indian Temple & Grotto
     
The Ballroom The Bear Pits Open Air Dancing Platform
     
The Chinese Café Clock Tower and Lake An Elephant Ride


Belle Vue, Manchester - Star Series - G. D.& D., London - printed in Bavaria
artist H. Fleury junior - 6 postcards

The Ballroom The Bear Pits Open Air Dancing
     
The Chinese Café The Lake & Island with Clock Tower The Children's Delight


For a full catalogue of postcards by H. Fleury junior click here.

For information about Hermann Conrad Fleury's life click here.

The six Fleury cards are very similar to six of the Horrocks ones.
For easy comparison I have set out below larger images of the cards side by side.
 

Horrocks cards G. D.& D. cards by Fleury
   
The Ballroom The Ballroom
  
The Bear Pits The Bear Pits
   
Open Air Dancing Platform Open Air Dancing
   
The Chinese Café The Chinese Café
   
Clock Tower and Lake The Lake & Island with Clock Tower
   
An Elephant Ride The Children's Delight
   
 
The Monkey House  
   
 
Sea Lion House & Aquatic Birds  
   
 
Pheasantry and Penguin House  
   
 
The Italian Garden  
   
 
The Ocean Wave  
   
 
Indian Temple & Grotto