The mysterious world beneath the ocean's surface has captivated man for centuriesthe Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and ancient Chinese all kept fish in their homes for purposes other than the culinary. But it was not until the nineteenth-century invention of the aquarium that the deep was trulydomesticated, offering the curiously inclined a chance to invent their very own exotic sea world within their own walls.In this fascinating history of the aquarium, Bernd Brunner traces the development of this most wonderful invention, giving insight into the cultural and social circumstances that accompanied its swift rise in popularity. Brunner tells a compelling story of obsession, beauty, discovery, and delight, from the aquarium's humble origins as a tool for scientific observation to the Victorian era's elaborately decorated containers of oceanic curiosity, to the great public aquaria of the twentieth century.
- ISBN10 1280493720
- ISBN13 9781280493720
- Publish Date 1 January 2012 (first published 12 May 2005)
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 12 May 2015
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Reaktion Books
- Edition Revised ed.
- Format eBook
- Pages 170
- Language English