British School Scarborough, Interior of the Aquarium 19th century, Oil on Canvas
The United Nations believes that around 20 million fish are caught every year for the aquarium trade, causing great harm to underwater ecosystems. Scarborough Aquarium opened in 1877, designed by Euginus Birch who had previously designed Brighton’s Aquarium. (interior drawing of Aquarium, SMT) Located underground, it featured colonial architectural designs inspired by Hindu Temples and, as well as fish, included a flea circus, monkey house, an aviary, lions, tigers, seal/alligator ponds and an elephant. Such spaces were never about conservation, but spectacle and entertainment. It eventually closed in 1966 and now functions as a car park.