Philadelphia Aquarium at Fairmount Water Works Collection
Scope and Contents
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.
Dates
- 1904-1989
- Majority of material found within 1911-1962
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright restrictions may apply. Please contact the Archives with requests for copying and for authorization to publish, quote or reproduce the material.
Biographical / Historical
The Philadelphia Aquarium at the Fairmount Water Works opened in 1911 following a city ordinance requiring that an aquarium be built in the Water Works for the “pleasure of people and instruction in the life history of aquatic animals.” When the Philadelphia Aquarium opened on Thanksgiving Day 1911, maintaining a collection of fish in glass tanks for public observation was a relatively recent concept. William E. Meehan, former Pennsylvania Commissioner of Fisheries, was the first superintendent of the aquarium. By 1929, it was one of the largest aquariums in the world. In later years, lack of funding lead to poor maintenance, and, by 1962, the Philadelphia Aquarium closed.
https://blog.phillyhistory.org/index.php/2010/06/the-philadelphia-aquarium-at-the-fairmount-water-works/
Extent
1 Cubic Feet : One standard file box containing thirteen folders. A metal edge 12.25x5x10 box containing photographs is located within the standard file box. One VHS cassette is kept in the file standard file box.
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
Collection donated by the Philadelphia Water Department Historical Collection Archives and maintains the arrangement of the previous institution.
The collection consists of fifteen series; series 12 and 14 are divided into sub-series by subject.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by the Philadelphia Water Department Historical Collection Archives.
- Title
- Finding aid of the Philadelphia Aquarium at Fairmount Water Works collection
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Kevin J. Davey (2014 Philadelphia Water Department Historic Collection finding aid author); Matthew Lipovac (2023 revision)
- Date
- 2023 October 18
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Fairmount Park Historic Resources Archive Repository
1515 Arch Street, 10th Floor
Philadelphia Pennsylvania 19102 United States
215-683-0211
theresa.stuhlman@phila.gov