Here’s your chance to adopt Ocean Gardens: The History of the Marine Aquarium (London, 1857) by Henry Noel Humphreys! Humphreys, an illustrator, entomologist, and scholar of medieval manuscripts, wrote this little volume on the history of the marine aquarium, which includes advice on creating and maintaining one, and detailed information on which varieties of plants and animals to choose. When this book was written, modern in-home aquariums were still a very recent development. In the early 1850’s, the first major public aquarium opened at the London Zoological Society.
The Victorians already had a fascination with the sea; having a miniaturized version of the ocean floor at home became a mid-19th century fad.
Help support Smithsonian Libraries’ Exhibitions! This work will be displayed in our forthcoming exhibition, Fantastic Worlds, Science and Fiction, 1780-1910, opening at the National Museum of American History in July 2015. To adopt Ocean Gardens, visit our website or call 202.633.2241. To peruse other books waiting for adoption, click here
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