Brighton Aquarium Part 1

Visit the weird and wonderful sea life displays at Brighton's famous aquarium

From languid sea anemones to spiny crustaceans and a fully-fledged alligator, the delights and curiosities of the ocean are on display for viewers of this early film of Brighton aquarium. Nothing of the aquarium's elaborate architecture or its visitors appears on screen - the sea creatures themselves take centre stage, allowing cinema audiences far away in Germany to vicariously experience a fascinating aquatic world.

Desire to explore the secrets of the deep blue stretches back centuries, with marble tanks for viewing fish thought of as early as the Roman period. The aquarium as we know it really took off in the mid-19th century, with the first - London Zoo's 'Fish House' - opened in 1853. The manhandling of the alligator in this film is discomfiting to modern eyes - while modern aquariums still offer entertaining spectacles, the emphasis has moved significantly to preservation and education.