A visit to certain parts of Griffith Park are like a visit to ancient ruins, but where “ancient” refers to the middle part of the 20th century. When LA was in its most optimistic phase of growth. The television and movie industry was centered here. That LA charm and magic still remains.
Visiting the Old Zoo is kind of like that. These old structures are covered in some of the most interesting graffiti. Even random roots and rocks are decorated in a way that doesn’t even seem to violate anything.
But some of the remaining cages a bit more stark, and grounding. This whole area is essentially a museum to one of humanities most casual cruelties.
I enjoy visiting sites like this, to take them in contemplatively. One could say this zoo is a reminder of how far we have come forward in our humanity. This is the old style of zoo, where animals were exploited. Cities showed off their success by exhibiting hard-to-acquire exotic animals. There was little difference between the exploitation of the zoo and of the circus. Animals in cages for everyday entertainment.
That was the past. Today we still have zoos. And I’m sure the debates are endless about whether they continue to represent what they always did, or whether they truly are a necessary way of conserving what we have left of Earth’s wondrous diversity.
After we left here, my family and I went to Highland Park for lunch, where the cool kids hang out these days. As we searched for parking there were three of these hip twenty-somethings smoking cigarettes. A reminder, I thought, that no matter how far forward we decide to move, we will always move backward.