The collection contains materials related to the Philadelphia Aquarium collected from 1904 to 1989. The collection consists of paper documents, photographs, and recorded video. Items in the collection range from newspaper clippings, letters of inquiry, and press releases to correspondence, inventories, and radio program transcripts. Some publications in the collection are loosely related to the Philadelphia Aquarium, but provide insight into comparable aquarium operations during the time period. The photographs document the fish on display in the aquarium, the capture of fish for the aquarium, off-site hatcheries, and aquarium staff. The videocassette contains footage of the aquarium grounds, sea-lions during feeding time, fish in display tanks, the Schuylkill dam, and Independence Hall.