3-043-766 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Entrance Court of the Brighton Aquarium, [Brighton, Sussex], 1872. 'This establishment...promises to be a great help to the popular study of an interesting branch of zoology, as well as to supply the seaside loungers with constant means of rational entertainment...The engineer was Mr. Eugenius Birch...the architect was Mr. [J. S.] Nightingale...three broad flights of granite steps...[lead to] the entrance-court...The style of architecture is Composite...The front of the building consists of five circular-headed arches, connected and supported by coupled ornamented terra-cotta columns...On the left, some of the arches are open in order to afford entrance to the Aquarium restaurant...The architectural structure thus inclosing three sides of the entrance court has a cornice in red and light buff colour and a mosaic frieze which carries this scriptural quotation, "And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creatures that hath life." From the keystone of each arch springs a Nereid, or Mermaid, in high relief; and the capitals of the columns are elaborated into tritons, sea foliage, and shells. Zones which relieve the columns are varied with escallop shells and seaweed... the whole work is now finished, at a cost of £50,000'. From "Illustrated London News", 1872.