The Zoological Society of London was established in 1826 and in 1828 the Zoological Gardens in Regent's Park were opened as a resource for study for the Fellows of the Society, which was granted a Royal Charter in 1829 by George IV. In 1836 visitors were allowed into sections of the Gardens for two days of the week if bearing a written 'order' from a Fellow and on payment of a shilling each. These watercolours appear to date from about 1835, the year that George Scharf published a set of six lithographs (lettered as drawn by him) of different views around the Gardens, the manner of which are very similar to that of our pictures. London Zoo, as it is known now, opened fully to the public in 1847.