The Ocean at Home: An Illustrated History of the Aquarium

Price: $29.00 - $24.44
(as of Oct 09, 2025 05:07:03 UTC – Details)

The mysterious world beneath the ocean’s surface and its inhabitants have captivated humanity for centuries—the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and ancient Chinese all kept fish in their homes to observe and admire. But it was not until the nineteenth-century invention of the aquarium that the deep was truly domesticated, offering the curious a chance to create an indoor exotic sea world, in miniature.

In The Ocean at Home, Bernd Brunner traces the development of the aquarium from the Victorian era to the present day. Along the way, in this fascinating history, Brunner provides insight into the cultural and social circumstances that accompanied the aquarium’s swift rise in popularity. Brunner tells a compelling story of obsession, discovery, and delight—from the aquarium’s origin as a tool for scientific observation to the Victorian era’s elaborately decorated containers of curiosity, to the great public aquariums that are popular in cities around the world today.

Featuring more than 100 illustrations, this updated edition of The Ocean at Home offers a colorful and captivating look at how a Victorian obsession still enchants many today. Both the owner of a humble goldfish bowl and the dazzled spectator at major public aquariums will find The Ocean at Home an appealing and knowledgable guide to the aquatic worlds we create.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Reaktion Books
Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 15, 2011
Edition ‏ : ‎ Enlarged
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 160 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1861898169
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1861898166
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.5 x 9 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #2,564,922 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #536 in Fish & Aquarium Care (Books) #936 in Marine Life #955 in Biology of Fishes & Sharks
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