William Alford Lloyd

Lore & Background

Lloyd, inspired by Philip Henry Gosse's 1854 book *The Aquarium*, began keeping marine animals in glass tanks while working as a bookseller. On 14 July 1855 he opened a shop at 164 St John Street Road, Clerkenwell, London, advertised in *Notes & Queries* as 'selling everything relating to aquaria'. In 1856 he opened a new shop, 'The Aquarium Warehouse', at 20, Portland Road, Regent's Park. In 1860 he supervised the installation of an aquarium at The Gardens of the Society of Acclimatation in Bois de Boulogne, Paris. By the 1860s the aquarium craze was over in England, and Lloyd went bankrupt. In 1862, supported by Richard Owen, he moved to Grindel Dammthor, Hamburg, to supervise the installation of the circulating system and tanks at the Hamburg Aquarium. Success in Germany led to his appointment as Superintendent of the Crystal Palace Aquarium two years before it opened in 1871. Anton Dohrn, who had made Lloyd's acquaintance in 1866 at the Hamburg aquarium, invited him to install the aquaria at Stazione Zoologica at Naples in the spring of 1873. Some of Lloyd's circulating system there was still operating well into the 20th century. The Swedish Professor Loven, who planned a research establishment, sent a representative to London to consult with Lloyd. In England, Lloyd's last post was as superintendent at the Aston Aquarium, Birmingham.

Reader's Guide

Lloyd's significance lies in his role as the first professional aquarist, a self-taught zoologist who translated the popular aquarium craze into a commercial and technical enterprise. His shops in London supplied the equipment and animals that fueled the mid-19th-century aquarium fad, which peaked in the 1850s and declined by the 1860s, leading to his bankruptcy. However, his expertise in circulating systems and tank installation proved durable. His work at the Hamburg Aquarium, supported by Richard Owen, revived his career and led to his appointment as Superintendent of the Crystal Palace Aquarium. Most notably, his installation at the Stazione Zoologica in Naples, commissioned by Anton Dohrn, was so robust that parts of his circulating system remained operational well into the 20th century, demonstrating the lasting quality of his engineering. His consultation with a representative of Professor Loven of Sweden indicates his reputation extended to scientific research establishments. Lloyd's legacy is that of a practical pioneer who bridged the gap between amateur aquarium keeping and professional public aquaria, with his technical contributions outlasting the initial craze.

Did You Know?

• Lloyd opened his first aquarium shop on 14 July 1855, advertising in Notes & Queries.
• He went bankrupt in the 1860s after the aquarium craze ended in England.
• His circulating system at the Stazione Zoologica in Naples was still operating well into the 20th century.