3-034-882 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

The Crystal Palace Aquarium, [Sydenham], 1871. View of '...the largest public aquarium yet made...There are 100,000 gallons of sea-water...All the public tanks are fitted with plate glass,...and through these, and in some tanks also through the surface of the water, the contents are seen. The sea-water is being constantly pumped by steam power from the great reservoir below...day and night, at the rate of from 5000 to 10,000 gallons an hour...all parts of the machinery in motion or liable to get out of order are in duplicate. Thus there are two steam-engines, two pumps, and two boilers;...all the pipes, strainers, stopcocks, and jets are of vulcanite and stoneware...The building is very solidly constructed, to bear the great weight it sustains...in winter it is kept warm by hot-water pipes...It is capable of containing a large and varied collection of living marine animals, from very small ones to those of considerable size, and these may be watched under circumstances very advantageous to the naturalist and the ordinary sightseer. In particular the operation of feeding the creatures is going on by day continually, except on Sundays. The entire general arrangements have been planned by the superintendent, Mr. W. A. Lloyd'. From "Illustrated London News", 1871.