Sunday at the Seven Seas Panorama

Brookfield Zoo, August 1961. Dad treats me to another show at the Seven Seas Panorama.

Textures and Smells

Brookfield Zoo, June 1964. We visit the Seven Seas Panorama again.

Three things come to mind here: (1) the slipperiness and texture of the exhibit's concrete benches; (2) the odor in the arena when the sun shone through the skylight and warmed the pool's water; and (3) the smell in the hallways from the heating of the Mold-A-Rama machines.

Zoo Queue

Brookfield Zoo, June 1961. These people only look like they're in a DMV line; instead, they wait for the doors of the Seven Seas Panorama to open.

It was a slow Sunday at the Seven Seas Panorama.

Brookfield Zoo, 1961. The Seven Seas Panorama is only about a year old, but the novelty seems to have worn off because there are few people in the audience.

It's a back-to-back, dolphins post.

Knossos Palace, Crete, April 20, 1976. I admire antiquities.

Mimic

 

Brookfield Zoo, Summer 1972. I imitate my Dad's style of photographing the Seven Seas Panorama.

UPDATE: Here's the 1981 commercial for the show.

Do you remember how exciting it was to ring the cow bell?

Brookfield Zoo, Spring 1965. I reach for the cow bell, the central spot of the Children's Zoo.

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Brookfield Zoo, Fall 1964. Although ringing the bell was a thrill, I had more fun feeding a sheep.

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Brookfield Zoo, Fall 1964. A guinea pig for your thoughts? Am I worried about going back to school on Monday?

When will you teach me to knit (1965)?

Suburban Chicago, 1965. Mom knits while I examine a dophin toy that my Dad bought for me at Brookfield Zoo. He didn't pick up "souvenirs" there often for me because a trip to the zoo's Dolphin Show was not an infrequent occurence. Purchasing a memento therefore wasn't really necessary.

Today felt like a Sunday, even though it was Friday.

Brookfield Zoo, November 1961. Dad's lens captures an image of the back of my head as I enjoy the Dolphin Show.

I wish I had gone to the zoo today.

Brookfield Zoo, June 1961. My Dad stands with me near the entrance to ... the Dolphin Show! (As kids, we called it "the Porpoise Show.")

Brookfield debuted the world's first indoor dolphin exhibit in 1960. 

UPDATE: The chic announcing the Dolphin Show on the YouTube clip says, "The year is 1960 … it was a time of 'flower power'." What?! Historical license.