The Hatching Cat of Gotham

A crowd in front of the lion cages at the menagerie in Central Park, 1895
In 1914, the New York Evening Telegram called the Central Park lion house an “ancient” frame structure that was lighted by “antiquated” gas jets. Zoo employees told the press that they were always afraid of fire in the building, especially since the indoor cages were wooden (only the bars in front were metal). Museum of the City of New York, Bryon Company.