NEVER before seen photographs, taken by the family who founded Chester Zoo, have been released to mark the beginning of the Zoo’s 75th anniversary exhibition.

George Mottershead was the head of the family, and is now seen as a pioneering figure, credited not only with founding Chester Zoo but ultimately helping to change the face of zoos worldwide.

Realising his dream of a zoo without bars, George, with the support of his family – wife Elizabeth and daughters Muriel and June – laid the foundations for what is now the UK’s most popular and successful charity zoo.

The achievements of the zoo over the past seven decades will now be recognised with the launch of a new exhibition, chronicling the history from those first few days after June 10, 1931, when it opened through to the present time.

The exhibition, which will be outside close to the aquarium, will be unveiled this Saturday by George’s daughter, June, and her husband, Fred, who both devoted a lifetime to the zoo.

June said she was pleased at the interest inŠ how the zooŠ was established.

She said: “My family and others Šworked hard to make Šour dreams become a reality. There are not many ofŠ us left to tell the tale of how the zoo was founded. Fred and I have Šbeen glad that we've been able to share some of the stories of these times, so that they will not be forgotten.