Article Archives

In this article, David Alderton traces the fascinating history of England's Brighton Aquarium, exploring the technological ingenuity, commercial risks, and changing cultural attitudes that shaped its development. More than 150 ...

In this article, Jessica explores how dog collars evolved from practical accessories into fashionable symbols of identity and style. From Victorian luxury to mid-century advertisements encouraging women to match with ...

This article examines "The Balanced Aquarium and Its Inhabitants," a pamphlet published by the Boston Aquarium Society in 1931 and reissued in 1932 to support its annual exhibitions. Lee Finley ...

In this chapter of Wild Animals, Free Delivery, Hermann abandons his plans for Abyssinia following the death of the Duke of Harrar, while celebrating the successful opening of Hannover’s new ...

In this article, Jessica tells the story of Palmer's Pet Shop and explores its place in the evolving history of pet ownership. From neighborhood storefronts to the growing pet industry, ...

The subject of this review is a niche book published in 2023. According to the official website of DOM Publishers in Berlin, the main goal of this lavishly illustrated volume ...

The 1960s and early 1970s reflected the birth of the bird gardens open to the public, established and run by private individuals. Increasing interest in the natural world fueled by ...

In this article, Dr. Hajo Herrmann reflects on a number of lesser-known details and characteristics of this extraordinary scientist and icon in the aquarium field, Günther Sterba ...

In this chapter of Wild Animals, Free Delivery, Hermann faced both professional and personal challenges, including the death of a key zoo director and the demanding transport of white rhinoceroses ...

In his final article about aquarium keeping in Gotha, Hajo shares inventive ways fish keeping stayed alive during socialist regimes ...

Recently, Emiliano Spada got his hands on two rare devices – a late 1800s-early 1900s water pump, and a mid-1920s air pump. See photos of these beautiful artifacts and read ...

In celebration of Gary’s June birthday month (turning 69), we have decided to re-release his article “Vintage Aquariums, Antique Tanks, and Prehistoric Fishes: A Love Affair.” Originally published in the ...

Few things in this world can collectively bring a smile to most anyone’s face, but chocolate and animals are likely at the top of that list. That combination is precisely ...

In this chapter of Wild Animals, Free Delivery, Hermann shares several incredible stories, including catching a herd of rhinos when it was 120°F outside, a request from a burlesque dancer ...

Keston Foreign Bird Farm was one of the most influential institutions in the history of bird keeping. They mastered captive breeding at a time when wild-caught imports had low survival ...

When introducing his article for this month, Lee Finley shared that “quite often I find the performing of research akin to going to my local grocery store to pick up ...

This month, Hajo continues to share about aquarium keeping in post-World War II Germany, and highlights how would-be rivals (Kurt Koch and Charly Fuchs) worked together to reignite the world’s ...

In this chapter of Wild Animals, Free Delivery, Hermann shares how the tragedy of his brother's death and his marriage ending prompted several memorable trips, including one to East Africa ...

During the war, Gotha’s three open-air aquariums, along with their club buildings, had been destroyed by bombing. In Hajo’s article this month, he shares how several club activists volunteered thousands ...

An article written by Dr. Martin Brittan before his passing was published by the Sacramento Aquarium Society. Dr. Martin Brittan was a well-respected ichthyologist and did great work with Danios ...

An article by our good friend Frank Fritzlen on one of the rarest aquarium books published in English (2 versions!) - The Aquavivarium Fresh & Marine by E. Lankester, M.D ...

Chapter 19 of Wild Animals, Free Delivery (Adventures in Bangkok) describes the continued chaos that arose after the war in the animal export business. In desperation, Ruhe made a deal ...

In the aquarium hobby, there is a fine balance between form and function. In this month’s article, Emiliano highlights the SACEM Junior aquarium, a nano tank that any hobbyist collector ...

Article by Lee Finley, which talks about Alfred W. Roberts and some of his work, such as selling plants to Barnum’s American Museum, becoming Director of Fisheries at Coup and ...

Royalty have maintained exotic collections almost from the dawn of time. In David Alderton’s article this month, he shares the history of royal menageries in Europe from Henry III’s animals ...

In the sixth part of Hajo’s article series on aquarium keeping in Gotha, he talks about how Hitler’s reign affected the hobby from 1933-1945. In the attempt to control all ...

In Chapter 18 of Wild Animals/Free Delivery, Hermann shares the struggles of caring for zoo animals during wartime, evacuating animals at a moment’s notice during bombings, and the status of ...

Can you imagine being a new pet store owner buying a great American made tropical fish food and with every dozen receiving “Wardley Dollar Coupons”, that you can redeem on ...

Birdkeepers today take clean bird seed and an expanding range of carefully formulated bird foods for granted, but this was not always the case. The trend towards improved nutrition started ...

Many hobbyists today may find it difficult to imagine the immense importance that open-air facilities once held for early aquarists and terrarists. At that time, long-distance travel to tropical regions ...

In Chapter 17 of Wilde Tiere Frei Haus (wild Animals/Free Delivery), Ruhe shares the difficulties of raising orphan gorilla twins and challenges with starting a zoo in Germany right before ...

They wanted a society of their own—the workers and the less well-funded former members of the association “Nymphaea.” It is always problematic when affluent, and no doubt better educated, individuals ...

Like other collectors in my field, I am particularly drawn to aquariums and fishbowls with unusual designs, especially those crafted from alternative materials that make them appear more like sculptures ...

These animal actors attracted huge global audiences of many millions, and made fortunes for their movie studios, but they have since become largely forgotten today, except amongst film buffs. However, ...

In Chapter 16 of Wilde Tiere Frei Haus (Wild Animals/Free Delivery), Ruhe shares tales of transporting sloths, manatees, and zebras, and the crazy events surrounding training circus animals like a ...

The jubilant celebrations around the turn of the century, 1899–1900, were prepared and held with great enthusiasm in Gotha as well. The new era had brought with it many novelties, ...

If you ask an American collector of antique aquariums to show you his want list, you will notice that almost certainly one of the top spots will be reserved for ...

The German Birdcage Museum (Voss Vogelbauer Museum) was the world’s first and only institution dedicated exclusively to the history of bird keeping. The original museum was owned by Joseph Voss ...

In Chapter 15 of Wilde Tiere Frei Haus, Ruhe shares of an ibex which had to be recaptured after jumping an 8-foot fence, and the shanigans it got up to ...

For lovers of nature, May is the most beautiful month in Central Europe. Fresh greenery is everywhere; a lavish splendor of blossoms adorns the countryside, gardens, and parks. Everyone basks ...

Something of a tradition of having a resident cat has developed in various hotels around the world. Although initially, these may have helped with rodent control, the presence of a ...

Mesco Salts were an additive in aquariums that helped duplicate the high pH and trace elements found in Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika. This product was instrumental in keeping African ...

In Chapter 14 of Wild Animals, Free Delivery, Ruhe shares more stories from his family’s business, along with an extensive price list for animals they sold in 1930 ...

When I was born, the city of Gotha was already 1,183 years old. That means it will celebrate its 1,250th anniversary in 2025. What does the name Gotha actually mean? ...

It is no coincidence that dogs have become our closest animal companions. From the earliest days of their domestication, they have adapted to working alongside us in a wide variety ...

In Chapter 13 of Wilde Tiere Frei Haus, Ruhe talks about a how his team was able to catch an escaped zoo tiger, which had found refuge in a bathroom ...

Today we cannot walk into a pet store almost anywhere in the U.S. and not find a few colorful, playful budgerigars. Where did they come from and how did they ...

The British Isles are home to some of the world's most popular breeds, and there are certainly enough variations to appeal to everyone today, from the tall, rangy Irish wolfhound ...

The vestibule (“foyer”) of the Aquarium de Paris was designed to resemble the caves and cliffs found along the Breton coastline in northwestern France, where mica-rich shale rocks are abundant ...

The title of “The Daphnian” has long been attached to some publications of The Boston Aquarium Society [hereafter BAS]. Pictured above are copies of the covers of two such early ...