William Goebel’s Wonderful Water-Folk

William Goebel’s Wonderful Water-Folk Printable Version of Article In my November 3, 2023, article for this website entitled “Who Made These Mermaids,” I discussed the fact that although aquarium catalogs around the turn of the last century swarmed with schools of...

The Heikomobile: No Compromise

The Heikomobile: No Compromise Printable Version of Article Born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, in 1944, Heiko Bleher is a living legend and a true icon of the aquarium industry. I have always thought of him as the natural heir of Auguste Rabaut and Percy Fawcett, but...

Who Made these Mermaids?

Who Made these Mermaids? Printable Version of Article Aquarium catalogs around the turn of the last century are swimming with schools of mermaids for ornamenting aquariums. Unfortunately, other than typically describing these undulating ondines as “imported,” the...

DIY – Building your own Aquarium in 1862

DIY – Building your own Aquarium in 1862 Printable Version of Article As I believe I’ve noted before in this forum my main interest in the history of aquariums is firmly rooted in the 19th century. In the early stages of aquarium use in the United States there...

The William T. Innes Photo Tank

The William T. Innes Photo Tank Printable Version of Article William T. Innes is a legend in the aquarium hobby. Innes was a publisher of one of the longest-running aquarium magazines, called “The Aquarium”, plus a printer, publisher, photographer, and aquarist. MOAPH...

Our Story – FM Brown

Our Story – FM Brown Printable Version of Article It’s seldom (maybe never) that you find a pet company that has been privately held and run for six generations! Here is the history of the F.M. Brown’s Company, which sells products for pet birds, small animals,...

Look What I Found Tucked Away in a Cupboard

Look What I Found Tucked Away in a Cupboard For those who are incredibly new to the pet industry, and for some who might not even been born when this was a thing, the image above is the Pets.com sock puppet. A friend bought me this as a piece of pet industry...

Bob Mailloux Memorial

Bob Mailloux Memorial We are deeply saddened by the news of Bob Mailloux’s passing on August 26, 2023. Gary Bagnall reflected on their longtime friendship: “The one constant as you get older is that you lose your older friends. This past week, we lost a true icon and...

The Segrest Story (aka As the Fishes Swim)

The Segrest Story (aka As the Fishes Swim) Printable Version of Article Elwyn Segrest at Segrest Farms ~1986 It all started on a hot summer day in 1940 in the tiny community of Red Lick, Mississippi when, Elwyn Segrest was born to a lay preacher, Elwyn Sr., and his...

Gone Fishing

Gone Fishing Printable Version of Article The urge to whimsically adorn aquariums appears to have reached its peak in the early decades of the 1900s, with German manufacturers producing a wide and creative range of fish tank fancies, from schools of mermaids and sea...

Historical Aquarium and Terrarium Books

Historical Aquarium and Terrarium Books Printable Version of Article Translated from German and reprinted courtesy of Aquaristik Fachmagazin. Who knows Heinrich Walther Schulte-Heuthaus? 1st chapter Most collectors should not associate the above name with aquarium...