The Chimpanzee tea party was a form of public entertainment in which chimpanzees were dressed in human clothes and provided with a table of food and drink.^[1][2][3]

The first such tea party was held at the London Zoo in 1926, two years after the opening of Monkey Hill.^[4][5] They were put on almost daily during the summer until they were discontinued in 1972.^[6] Tea parties were also adopted by other institutions seeking to draw crowds.^[1][4][5][2] The chimps, adorned in hats, dresses, and other garments, would engage in activities reminiscent of a sophisticated tea party, such as sipping from cups, nibbling on snacks, and interacting with each other in playful ways.^[3][2][1] This idea was even used for marketing techniques in the 1900’s.^[3] They were the inspiration for the PG Tips television advertisements which began in 1956.^[7][3] Neil Heath notes that concerns over animal welfare and the potential for exploitation have been a result of using chimps for advertising campaigns.^[3]

The Chimpanzee Tea Party began in the London Zoo in 1926 as an attraction for displaying the Zoo's primates.^[1][6] The Wellington Zoo also displayed Chimpanzee Tea Parties around this time, ending them in 1956.^[2] The phenomenon reached numerous other zoos, spreading to New York, Moscow, and New Zealand, among other places.^[1] The act became so popular and well-known that in 1956 the Mayor of Auckland was photographed having tea with chimps from London.^[1] The Chimpanzee Tea Party also influenced the beginning of the chimp-themed PG Tips commercials.^[3] The chimps also acted out other human characters such as men moving furniture and women ironing laundry.^[8]

Once the zoo shows gained popularity in London, this event spread to the marketing world. Notably, companies like PG Tips seized upon the appeal of trained chimpanzees and monkeys to craft television advertisements.^[3][7] PG Tips used them for television ads starting in 1956, with the company even using a monkey in their advertising campaigns as late as 2010.^[3] These animals quickly became a major hit in the marketing field, and ads of chimpanzees having a tea party were aired from 1956 to 2002, with monkeys still being a major ad component much later.^[3] The practice of the Chimpanzee Tea Party generally fell out of favor around the 1970s, although in select cases, it continued into the 2000s.^[1][2][3][7]

Originating as a means to enhance the appeal of zoos and attract larger audiences, the introduction of animals into zoo shows emerged as a popular form of entertainment in the early 1900s.^[9] Spearheaded by institutions such as the London Zoo, these shows showcased the abilities of chimpanzees and other animals, drawing visitors from distant locales and establishing a trend that transcended geographical boundaries into many other countries.^[1]

As popularity rose, The London Zoo began shipping out the juvenile tea party chimps to other zoos and institutions.^[1] Allen, Park, and Watt contend that the treatment of the chimps in the Chimpanzee Tea Party reflect the attitude of Euro-Americans toward dark-skinned people as well as children or babies.^[1] This attitude expects the subject groups to act in an impolite manner which is also expected of the chimps in the Chimpanzee Tea Party.^[1] The discontinuation of this practice was a decision based on both financial consideration and changes in zoo policies based on the changing of the generalized idea of acceptable treatment of animals and entertainment standards.^[1] Allen, Parker, and Watt state the tea party chimps were linked to many important topics such as views on youth, status, morals, etc.^[1]

Chimpanzees faced some behavioral changes due to the training for Chimpanzee Tea Parties.^[3] This changed behavior hindered the socialization of the trained chimps with their untrained comrades, and it led to increased isolation and human reliance, along with occasional aggressive outbursts.^[3][7]

With the chimpanzees' rising aggression, this raised concerns about the ethics of the event. The London Zoo soon ended the show and later stopped all commercials featuring the human-like Chimpanzees.^[8] The Animal Welfare Act of 2006 in the United Kingdom added additional animal rights laws and was the first signing of pet laws since the Protection of Animals Act 1911. This act offers many sections such as:

Prevention of Harm: Knowingly inflicting unnecessary suffering to a protected animal or causing animal fighting^[10]

Promotion of Welfare: A person has a responsibility to exercise reasonable care for animals. Healthy nutrition, an appropriate habitat, housing with or without other animals, and defense against illness, pain, and suffering are examples of needs.^[10]

Enforcement Powers: If an animal is involved in an animal fighting offense, a constable may confiscate it. If another crime in this Act is suspected, a warrant allowing an inspector or constable to look for evidence of that offense may be issued.^[10]

Prosecutions: A person may be prohibited from owning or dealing with other animals by a court order if they are found guilty of a crime.^[10]

Since the 1900s, animal rights have expanded in both the United Kingdom and the United States.^[10] As stated by Collin Blackstock, one major step for the rights of chimpanzees in the United Kingdom was the ending of PG Tips advertisements using the chimpanzees' tea parties.^[2]The Guardian article provides insight into this as Jim Cronin, director of the Monkey World ape sanctuary near Wareham, Dorset, states: "The advertisements have been damaging to chimpanzees. It is great if they are going. They made it acceptable to use chimps for entertainment." The ending of these tea parties and advertisements featuring this event was a major step in the animal rights movement in the U.S., and it led to more pressure toward the Animal Rights Act.^[8]

• Anthropomorphism
• Pongidae/pongid
• The animal rights movement in the 1900's

• Cognitive Science and Animal Intelligence
• Animal Welfare Act 2006