The Ocean at Home
An Illustrated History of the Aquarium

Distributed for Reaktion Books
Translated by Ashley Marc Slapp
160 pages
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30 color plates, 80 halftones
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5 1/2 x 9
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© 2011
- Contents
- Review Quotes
Table of Contents

Contents
Prologue: Dive In
1. The First Seed: The Secret of the Ocean
2. The Second Seed: Chambers, Cabinets, Cases
3. The Third Seed: Pet Fish
4. ‘Passion and Diligence’: Pioneers
5. ‘A Strong, Intensive Desire’: The Propagandist
6. From Salt- to Freshwater Aquarium: The Lake in a Glass
7. Arriving in the United States: Aquarist Societies and Museums
8. Exotic Species and Transport: Diverging Beliefs
9. Fashion Show: The Typology of Parlour Aquariums
10. ‘A New Kind of Theatre’: The Large Aquariums
11. From Aquarium to Oceanarium and Beyond
12. The Dark Underside of the Aquarium
Epilogue: Are Fish Really Meant to Be in a Box?
Appendix: An Overview of Present-day Aquaria and Oceanaria
Select Bibliography
Acknowledgements
1. The First Seed: The Secret of the Ocean
2. The Second Seed: Chambers, Cabinets, Cases
3. The Third Seed: Pet Fish
4. ‘Passion and Diligence’: Pioneers
5. ‘A Strong, Intensive Desire’: The Propagandist
6. From Salt- to Freshwater Aquarium: The Lake in a Glass
7. Arriving in the United States: Aquarist Societies and Museums
8. Exotic Species and Transport: Diverging Beliefs
9. Fashion Show: The Typology of Parlour Aquariums
10. ‘A New Kind of Theatre’: The Large Aquariums
11. From Aquarium to Oceanarium and Beyond
12. The Dark Underside of the Aquarium
Epilogue: Are Fish Really Meant to Be in a Box?
Appendix: An Overview of Present-day Aquaria and Oceanaria
Select Bibliography
Acknowledgements
Review Quotes
Los Angeles Times Jacket Copy
“Who knew that the 1970s staple began as Victorian England exotica?”
Telegraph
“The aquarium is a microcosm of the sea, a bit of the ocean scooped up into our living rooms. Bernd Brunner’s slim but fascinating and beautifully illustrated book sets out to explore the history of this phenomenon, which he memorably describes as ‘Noah’s ark in reverse.’ In the process, Brunner, a German writer of measured, slyly humorous tones, reveals much about how we relate to our greater environment.”
James Hamilton-Paterson, author of Rancid Pansies
“The Ocean at Home beautifully fills an important gap in social as well as in natural history.”
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