According to Wikipedia, “The first public aquarium was opened in London Zoo in May 1853.”(Wikipedia, 2020) This public aquarium was known as the Fish House. This set the stage for other new and enthusiastic public attraction owners and up and coming attraction owners such as P.T. Barnum to follow suit with their own aquarium attractions. Barnum’s aquarium was established in 1856 as a part of his American Museum located in Broadway in New York City until unfortunately it burned to the ground. I think that people living in 1853 England would find this concept of a housing of aquatic animals to be very strange and kind of alarming with the only thing between their families and themselves and these massive sea creatures being a pane of glass. 

I take another drag of my pipe as I read the final headline that will grace my eyes in the morning's paper. "Martha, what's this I'm reading about this here ‘public aquarium’ at the London Zoo? Says here it’s the first of its kind, but I can’t seem to figure out what in tarnation the damn thing is! What say we take the kids the day after tomorrow, huh?” “Well that sounds lovely, George.” “Great, pack your things, I still don’t know what the hell this damn thing is, could be gone for a whole month, hell maybe even a year! You’d think they would advertise these things a little better don’t ya think, Martha?” “Yes, George.” “You think little Billy and Annie would like it?” “I don’t know, George.” “Gah, what the hell. They’ll love it. You’ll love it. I’ll probably hate it, but that’s what I’ve got me pipe for, ah?” “Yes, George.” I turn to the back page of today’s paper, the funnies page. “Aha, Martha come here you’ve gotta see this. You’ll never guess what this little pussycat did! He kicked his milk off the table and *wheezing* and then *more wheezing* he drank it off the floor!” “Yes, George.” 

“1853 In the United Kingdom.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 16 June 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1853_in_the_United_Kingdom.

“Public Aquarium.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Aug. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_aquarium.