William Alford Lloyd. The first Aquarist.

Part two. Working in Public Aquariums.

Richard Owen 1804-1892.

With his business bankrupt William Alford Lloyd, finding himself once in urgent need to earn money, wrote to the benevolent Professor Owen on the 22nd of August 1862, seeking testimonial support for his application for the position of Engineer and Curator at the Hamburg Aquarium. Professor Owen again responded to Lloyd's request, his influential letter probably securing Lloyd the office he desperately sought. Upon his appointment, in early October, Lloyd moved his family to Grindel Dammthor, Hamburg, so that he could supervise the installation of the circulating system and tanks in the unfinished building.
Using the experience gained from his first ever anemone experiments and his successful design in Paris, his plans for the Hamburg aquarium included a large underground reservoir of 5000 gallons. This, Lloyd calculated, would be of sufficient size to stabilise the temperature of the overflowing circulating water, before delivery back to the aquariums under the pressure of steam pumps. Although he estimated the force of the circulating water entering the aquariums would cause sufficient aëration, he also planned to compliment the system with Hurwood's air pressure device as a backup. Finally, in an effort to improve the purity of the overflowing circulating water, before entering the reservoir, it would pass through three filters, two large sand filters for purification, but before this, it would pass through a sack filter to remove the larger debris.
Lloyd planned to make the Hamburg aquarium the largest and most modern in Europe with 20 tanks available for pubic viewing, including a centrepiece display of two 12 feet long tanks, each being 4 feet high and 6 feet broad holding 1000 gallons of natural seawater, complementing these were eight tanks each 3 feet high, 6 feet long by 5 feet broad. To display tiny burrowing creatures he planned to install two 18 feet long narrow tanks, 20 inches broad and 8 inches deep, mounted low enough to be inspected from above, “The view of these objects therefore will be of the same kind as that which is obtained by looking-down on the contents of the drawers of a cabinet”. These tanks, along with the other marine tanks, would be fitted with a self-acting tidal action designed to assist rhodospermeæ growth. When the aquarium was up and running, it soon gained the reputation he desired, being visited by most “naturalists of influence”; including Professor Owen's son.
With over five years of management experience behind him and a glowing reputation of success, in the summer of 1868 William Alford Lloyd began to search for a post in England and again contacted Professor Owen for his support. Informing the professor that he had achieved all that he could in Hamburg and, knowing that Owen held the position of Animal Acquisition Consultant, Lloyd strongly hinted he might influence the Zoological Society Council to consider employing him as Curator of Aquariums, giving them the opportunity to modernise and re-organise their out-of-date fish house. Sadly, if Owen did react to Lloyds veiled request, it proved to be beyond the bounds of even his considerable reputation and influence (1).

In London some two years later, impressed with the reputation the Hamburg aquarium had gained throughout Europe, the newly formed Crystal Palace Aquarium Company revealed its ambitious plans to build a new marine aquarium on the site of the fire damaged north wing; grasping the opportunity Owen, who had been instrumental in setting up the dinosaur display in 1851, successfully recommended Lloyd for the post of Superintendent.
The construction of the new building began in July of 1870, and in conjunction with the architect, Mr C. H. Driver of Westminster , Lloyd announced his ambitious plans for the marine aquarium. It was to have 38 individual aquariums, supported by 22 stock tanks not available to the viewing public; all connected to a water circulating system served from a massive 100,000-gallon reservoir situated under the viewing saloon. 18 of the largest aquariums were to be sited along the back wall of the main saloon in terrace fashion, constructed of brick with machined slate mullions holding a one inch thick viewing glass; the largest aquariums being number 9 and 10, each three times the length of the smallest in the terrace. Accessed from the main saloon were to two smaller wing galleries each holding 9 or 10 table aquariums, also supplied with water from the circulating system; based upon the best aspects of the Hamburg aquarium. The large underground reservoir at Hamburg had not only been very effective in refreshing the circulating water, more importantly, it had successfully proved Lloyd's theory on its measure to stabilise the temperature of the circulating water, protecting it from the vagaries of seasonal variation. Although it was due to open to the public on the Easter Holiday weekend in April of 1871, not being ready, a small temporary freshwater display was set up for three days to satisfy the curiosity of the holiday crowds; finally opening on 22 August 1871.
To compliment the success of the new aquarium, in 1872 Lloyd produced an extraordinary detailed handbook comprising of 65 pages, explaining not only how the Crystal Palace aquarium and its systems worked, but also identified the creatures being displayed in each of the tanks. By then the Crystal Palace had taken over the mantle of “the biggest and best” marine aquarium in Europe , and the handbook reflected this esteemed position. Such was Lloyd's success at Crystal Palace, he very soon gained the reputation of the most knowledgeable marine aquarium superintendent in Europe, and many sought his specialist advice and opinion. The first published record of his extra consultancy work can be found in the February issue of Hardwicke's Science Gossip of 1870, which, in a notice concerning the formation of the Brighton Aquarium Company, proudly announced the, “services of Mr William Alford Lloyd have been secured”. In the spring of 1873, Anton Dohrn also requested his assistance, having first made Lloyd's acquaintance in 1866 at the Hamburg aquarium. Such was Dohrn's admiration of Lloyd's expertise, he invited him to design and supervise the installation of the aquariums in the world's first marine biological research station, the Stazione Zoologica at Naples where some of Lloyd's circulating system was still operational well into the 20 century. In the same year, Lloyd was also pleased to meet up with his old friend Philip Henry Gosse, who, taking time out from what was to be his last visit to London , visited Lloyd at the Crystal Palace aquariums. Whilst showing him around, I often wonder if he told him the story of Bowerbank's earlier visit to view the live sponges on display, something Bowerbank believed would never be possible (2).

The first challenge to Lloyd's aquarium management methods came from Mr. Saville-Kent, when, reading his paper before the Society of Arts in March 1876, he doubted the cost and efficiency of Lloyd's dark-chamber circulating system. At the time both Lloyd and Saville-Kent were in the employ of Yarmouth aquarium, Saville-Kent full time with Lloyd as paid advisor, they had also briefly worked together in the same capacity in 1875 at the Royal Aquarium, Westminster , where Lloyd had supervised the installation of three huge underground reservoirs under the promenade. When calculating the size of these reservoirs, Lloyd had taken into account not only the volume of water in the 13 aquariums positioned around the side of the main hall, but also the nature of the construction of the building. The huge hall at Westminster, although outwardly appearing robust and traditional with its tall brick walls and stone columns, the material used for the construction of the roof was iron and glass, once again allowing direct sunlight upon the aquariums. Under these conditions, if they were to maintain a constant temperature, Lloyd deemed the huge reservoirs essential. The disagreement between them soon became public when Lloyd, holding the position of Society Naturalist, voluntarily resigned soon after the Royal Aquarium opened on the 22nd January 1876.
Saville-Kent claimed his aquarium designs, used at Manchester , were cheaper to build and operate because he favoured having as small a reservoir as possible for the circulating water, whilst stimulating each individual tank with compressed air. Although today we may view their disagreement as “splitting hairs”, the advantage of the large reservoir was, as Lloyd pointed out, in stabilising the temperature of the circulating water, and in consequence the aquarium; a topic Saville-Kent failed to mention. Although invited to answer Saville-Kent's observations in the discussion period after the reading, Lloyd declined, explaining he preferred to answer by letter; published in the same journal. A much larger problem that neither admitted nor addressed, was the rapidly diminishing interest of the paying public, confirmed by the falling revenues of most town and city aquariums (3).

Three years after Goose's visit to the Crystal Palace aquarium, Lloyd was pleased to receive an invitation from him to visit his home at St Marychuch. Gosse, with his interest in the seashore renewed, Gosse wanted Lloyd's advice about installing a new aquarium in his home, based upon his Crystal Palace system. Glad to be of service, Lloyd not only advised Gosse of the most up to date management methods, but immediately arranged for a complete system to be installed free of charge; in return Gosse took Lloyd out dredging for the day from Oddicombe Beach.
From the remnants of a glass fronted slate aquarium recently excavated at the Crystal Palace , I suspect the 55-gallon aquarium Lloyd installed would have been built along the same lines; slate sides upon a slate base with long bolts holding the glass front in place. Interestingly, whilst at the Crystal Palace , Lloyd kept his own pet pike in the workroom, providing a description and illustration of the tank in Cassell's, which is again the same as the remnants excavated at the Crystal Palace aquarium dig.
The diminishing interest of the paying public hit Lloyd hard in the autumn of 1878, when a financial crisis overtook the Crystal Palace Aquarium Company and it was unable to pay his salary of £400 per year; forcing him to look for other work. Again, he wrote to the ever-benevolent Professor Owen, but not to seek his help, but instead, to share his good fortune in finding another superintendent post at the Aston Aquarium, Birmingham . Taking great pains to make it his best work, he planned to use the most approved engineering appliances of his own devising, which included two steam powered pumps to circulate the water and a steam generator to provide electric light. To save on running costs, the marine aquariums would for the first time use artificial seawater mixed on the spot, and electric lights would be placed above each aquarium to stimulate weed growth. Further savings were to be made by only dimly illuminating the viewing gallery, anticipating the electric lights above the tanks would also flood out from the front of the aquariums.
On the continent, Anton Dohrn's professional biological station was flourishing to such an extent, Professor Loven of Sweden , sent a representative to London to consult with Lloyd about the possibility of a similar establishment being built in Sweden . In Britain the public interest continued to wane and Lloyd, worried about the future of his new post called on Professor Owen to see if he could give assurance to those in Birmingham of his management (designing) abilities. Sadly this had no effect and by the autumn of 1879, he was again seeking permanent work. Returning to London and taking residence in Lower Norwood , he undertook consultancy work at the Crystal Palace and with Cassell & Company. With ever more time on his hands, he decided to write his own aquarium book, truthfully relating his experiences in the public aquarium world; dedicated to his ever-benevolent Professor Owen. Sadly, Lloyd died on the 13th of July 1880 , and the book was never published (4).

The remnants of Lloyd's most important design, the Crystal Palace Aquarium, has been excavated by a group of enthusiastic volunteers, revealing the almost complete remains of aquariums No.'s 17 & 18 and the floor of the workroom, including the underground reservoir. For those wishing to view the site, please contact the Crystal Palace for more information.
During his life as an aquarist, Lloyd had discovered, although not understanding the biology behind it, the gravel filter bed, sand filter, charcoal filter, and the effect of light upon microscopic suspended water-life. He designed public viewing galleries illuminated from light emitted from the display tanks and a circulating system that in the years since has changed very little.

Bob Alexander. Nov. 2005.

1. All letters cited from Lloyd too Owen are from - Coll. Sherborn. Ex. Litt. Ricardi Owen, at the Natural History Museum , (N.H.M.) London .
“I applied for a situation as engineer and curator of some extensive Public Aquaria about to be erected at Hamburg , and I believe that I have an excellent chance of obtaining the post. I am therefore endeavouring to obtain as many testimonials as I can, and I venture on asking you if you will be so kind as to say what you can for me in the accompanying papers”. N.H.M. Ref; 418. 22 Aug. 1862 .
“A most important mechanical contrivance for aerating aquaria was invented by the late Mr. G. Hurwood, of Ipswich , in 1859. It was afterwards partly applied by Mr. Lloyd to the Hamburg Aquarium, of which he then had charge.” The Aquarium; Taylor 1876, p 163-164.
Details of Harwood's pump with plan are in the paper supporting his exhibit in the International Exhibition of 1862.
“I had occasion to examine the state of our two marine filters, which are a pair of slate tanks, seven feet long, and three feet broad and deep, closely covered over with wooden flaps, so that the insides of the vessels are always in total darkness. They are filled to within about six inches of their tops with fine sand, through which constantly flow strong currants of sea water”. Hardwicke's Science Gossip. Aug. 1866, p178/181.
Details of aquariums; Statistics of the Aquarium Establishment of the Zoological Society of Hamburg . S.A. Ref: M.D.2188-18-2, 9 Jan 1863 .
“Every marine tank has a self-acting tidal action”. Ibid.
“You will see by the enclosed written statement of particulars, what a fine establishment ours will be – finer and better, indeed, in all respects, than any other which now exists or which is contemplated anywhere”. S.A. Ref; M.D. 2138-18. 9 Jan. 1863 .
“But I feel I could now do something infinitely better and larger, for not much more money. All I have been doing here is merely experimenting, and now I am ready to place my experience at the service of anyone wishing for it, here or elsewhere but not merely seeking “fresh fields and pastures new” only for the sake of change. How very earnestly do I wish that the Zoological Society of London would let me erect and manage for it such an Aquarium establishment as I feel I could now do!” NHM. Ref; 428. 9 July 1868 .
Lloyd gives a list of the openings of many European aquariums on page 20 of the Official Handbook to the Marine Aquarium of the Crystal Palace Aquarium Company (CP. Handbook).

2. “I have arrived having secured the post of Superintendent of the great Aquarium now being erected here under my care, to be opened next Easter, and, mainly through the note you were so good as to send Mr Grove on my behalf last June.” NHM. Ref; 430. 8 Oct. 1870.
Easter and August opening. CP. Handbook p26. Also, the Illustrated London News. 30 Dec. 1871.
“He [Saville-Kent] is not only ungenerous in thus omitting my name in reference to the Yarmouth, Paris, Crystal Palace, Naples, Frankfort, Rhyl, Teignmouth, Rothesay, and other Aquaria, but he does not even mention the one at Hamburg, I being more or less intimately connected with all of these”. Journal of the Society of Arts. 24 March 1876 , p431.
“After 1866, he [Gosse] came but once to London , in 1873, when he spent a day or two in town on business. On this occasion he visited Lloyd's great aquaria in the Crystal Palace ”. Life of P. H. Gosse. Gosse E. 1890, p306.
“Bowerbank, in 1854, here set-up dead sponges, still existing, believing they could never be kept alive. Twenty rears later, he came here, and on the same spot beheld them born, and living and growing vigorously”. N.H.M. Ref; 438. 19 Oct. 1877 .
“After 1866, he [Gosse] came but once to London , in 1873, when he spent a day or two in town on business. On this occasion he visited Lloyd's great aquaria in the Crystal Palace . Life of P.H. Gosse. E. Gosse, 1890, p306.

3. “Mr Lloyd's method of employing large storage reservoirs has lately been attacked by Mr. Saville-Kent, in a paper read before the Society of Arts in March, 1876, chiefly on the ground of its great expense. Mr Lloyd, in two contributions, Journal of the Society of Arts , March 24, 1876 , and Popular Science Review , July 1, 1876 , has sought to demonstrate by figures that the money capital of public aquaria cannot be more profitably spent”. J. E. Taylor. The Aquarium. 1876, p165.
“Poor Saville-Kent, you will be sorry to know, is still in the same state as that which you [Owen] describe him to me two years ago, namely “tossing about in troubled seas”. He made a dreadful mess of the Westminster Aquarium after I voluntarily left it”. N.H.M. Ref; PS 440. 20 Oct. 1877 .

4. On June 23 rd [1876] Mr. W. A. Lloyd and Mr. J. T. Carrington, whom he had summoned to his aid, came down to St, Marychurch to make suggestions and plans for the tank, the main characteristic of which was to be that it should have a constant current, like those in the Crystal Palace. As it was spring tide, my father took his old friend from Oddicombe beach in a boat to the Bell rock and to Maidencombe; but, though they were out three hours, there was a tiresome swell, and they worked in the lovely gardens of red seaweed, but little success”. Life of Philip Henry Gosse. 1890. Page 308.
“This tank measures internally thirty-six inches long, thirty-six inches broad, and twenty-four inches high, and at the bottom is a layer of mixed sand and shingle, one inch thick. Popular Recreator, 1874 p115.
“The tank was mounted on two brick piers in the Crystal Palace aquarium work-room, and the rock-work was so built with stone and Portland cement as to afford space enough to accommodate a small jack (Esox lucius ), and give him room enough to swim in comfortably, yet with spaces behind, into which he would not readily go, but into which the small fish forming his food would retire, and come out to be gradually eaten”. Ibid.
“I have got another and a great appointment in an aquarium now being erected on a large scale, under my superintendence, at Aston, near Birmingham, to be opened, I hope, next June, and I am already looking-forward to your being there, on that occasion” N.H.M. Ref; 442. 19 Nov 1878 .
"So I thought that a few words of assurance from you, as the chiefest name in British biology, would give confidence to them, and comfort to me, as you know that Birmingham is not the region where one finds the greatest amount of culture and knowledge of the refinements of natural science." N.H.M. Letters - Dec 9th 1879 . Ref. 449.
Cassell's Household Guide, New and Revised Edition (4 Vol.) c.1880s [no date]. Could these un-attributed aquarium articles be the work of Lloyd?  "So I am now, in a measure, unemployed, though Cassell & Co:, and others, give me occasional work, besides my coming book, which I shall try to make good and original, as my subject has been so much ill used by mere compilers". N.H.M. Ref: 444. 16 June 1879 .