Welcome to the Museum of Aquarium and Pet History
Welcome to The Museum of Aquarium & Pet History: the world’s most comprehensive collection of artifacts relating to aquarium and pet keeping. This museum includes a huge depository of over 3,000 items that were historically used to keep pets. These items would be antique aquariums, fish bowls and stands, bird cages, squirrel cages, dog, cat, bird, and fish foods and medications, pet advertising signs including neon and automation, pet product shipping wood crates, metal fish shipping cans, etc., etc. The museum also has a library with over 1,000 aquarium and pet books, 5,000 aquarium and pet magazines, and hundreds of original letters from pet companies, pet publishers, aquarium & pet hobbyists, pet stores, etc.
It took four decades to build this collection and it is currently being housed in six buildings. Building number 1 (display building) houses over 200 antique aquariums and fish bowls plus over 200 bird cages along with dog & cat food items, plus antique pet advertising signs and more. Currently we are online only and have monthly articles published on pet history by the best pet historians worldwide. We also have a YouTube channel with a new major release monthly plus new 5-minute weekly videos. We hope to have a building open to the public with rotating exhibits of our collection by 2027. To stay up to date, please subscribe to our YouTube channel and newsletter.
One of the features of our museum website is to showcase the history of pet companies and aquarium hobbyists. We welcome outside contributions on company history from anyone who may have worked at a company no longer in business, or one still in business that has been in business for 25 years or more. We also would like any historical information on tropical fish farms or aquariums, birds, dogs, cats, etc., and hobbyists that have contributed significantly to pet & aquarium keeping.
How you can help the Museum of Aquarium and Pet History:
- Donate. Become a monthly donor or give as you can.
- Donate old pet products you may have such as old aquariums, pet magazines, pet catalogs, old invoices, etc.
- Write an article on your company, or do a Zoom interview!
- Write an article on a historical pet subject that you are an expert on.
- Send us samples of products from your company along with your company’s history to keep on file at the museum.
Thank you for stopping by and stay tuned for lots more aquarium & pet history in the months ahead!
MARCH 2026 Video of the month
We sat down with Rita Jensen this month to learn about her grandfather’s company, Hans Jensen Manufacturing. This iconic company created the prize-winning Jewel Aquariums. Until now, the history puzzle that is Jewel Aquarium has not been complete, but we sat down with Rita Jensen (the founder, Hans’ granddaughter!) and filled in many of the missing pieces. We want to thank Rita’s grand-nephew, Chandler, for contacting us and helping preserve this valuable information.
When will the physical museum open?
Lots of people ask us if we have a physical museum they can come and visit. The short answer is “not yet”. We hope to have the physical of the Museum of Aquarium & Pet History (MOAPH) open by the end of 2027. In the meantime, the attached video is our trial run small MOAPH museum we spent 2 years putting together during the COVID times. If you have not seen this video, please have a look and know that the new museum will be 3 times as large, with a coffee shop and gift store.
We greatly appreciate all our donors, whether it is monetary or vintage pet products you have lying around that you would like to see go to the MOAPH museum. Thank You!
MOAPH 5 Minute Video series
The Museum of Aquarium and Pet History just released a new 5-Minute Video! Tune in every Wednesday for a short video featuring a unique artifact from the museum, OR an “unboxing video” for a new treasure just arriving at the museum.
MARCH ARTICLES
The Curious Case of a Vintage Low-Profile Tank
How Much is that Doggie in the Window – 1880s Style
From Royal Menageries to Courtly Canine Companions
Survive, Rescue, Preserve – Keeping Aquariums and Terrariums in the Twelve Years of Fascism (The Aquarium Hobby during Hitler’s Reign 1933-1945 in Gotha)
Chapter 18: From the End to the Beginning – Wilde Tiere Frei Haus (Wild Animals/Free Delivery)
William Vorderwinkler Obituary
From a Deep Burrow (History of Hamsters in Captivity)
EHEIM 1975 Ad
Triton Plexaquarium 1975 Ad
Saturday Evening Post 1915 Cover
The Home Aquarium or House Pond 1920s Broadside
Pam Chin Award Collage
1930s Seahorse Aquarium
Collectors of Aquarium Literature – Number 44 August 1992
Recent Items for Sale
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Treasure Chest Aquarium
$2,000.00 -
Peerless Aquarium Reproduction with Stand and LED Outfitted Hood
$1,900.00 -
Jewel Aquarium with Stand and Light
$1,800.00 -
Verona Artistic Metal Eclipse Fishbowl Stand with Original Vaseline Bowl
$1,500.00 -
Arts & Crafts Seahorse Stand with Original Vaseline Bowl
$1,500.00 -
Beautiful Antique Art Deco Frankart Floor Fishbowl Stand VERY RARE!!!!
$1,500.00 -
Sale!
1920’s Czechoslovakian Pottery of a Boy & His Dog
Original price was: $1,800.00.$1,250.00Current price is: $1,250.00. -
Dolphin Stand with Original Modern Fishbowl (All 1920s Era)
$1,200.00
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Donate to the Museum
Help The Museum of Aquarium & Pet History expand its collection and physical footprint through a direct donation. Donations can be one-time or scheduled monthly, quarterly, or annually. We thank you for your support.
