William T. Innes
Founder of The Aquarium magazine and author of Exotic Aquarium Fishes.
William T. Innes (1874–1969) was an American aquarist, author, photographer, printer and publisher who played a formative role in the aquarium hobby in America. He founded, published and edited The Aquarium, the first successful national magazine for aquarists, which ran monthly from May 1932 through January 1967. Innes is best remembered as author and publisher of the influential book Exotic Aquarium Fishes, first issued in 1935 and going through nineteen editions.
- Birth
- February 2, 1874
- Death
- February 27, 1969
- Birthplace
- Philadelphia
- Notable work
- Exotic Aquarium Fishes (first edition 1935, nineteen editions)
- Magazine
- The Aquarium (monthly, May 1932 – January 1967)
- Honorary degree
- Doctor of Humanities from Temple University (1951)
- Fish named after
- Paracheirodon innesi (neon tetra, originally Hyphessobrycon innesi)
Lore & Background
Innes became involved with fishkeeping in 1906 when a friend from the Columbia Photographic Society introduced him to the Philadelphia Aquarium Society. He soon became active, eventually serving as the society's secretary and president. From the 1920s he organized aquarium shows in Philadelphia's Horticultural Hall. Innes invented a coloring process for black-and-white photographs, called an Innes Plate, because he felt Kodachrome film required too much light and did not accurately show fish colors. These hand-painted, test-printed plates were used in Exotic Aquarium Fishes and were considered works of art by many. The color photos became the object of a lawsuit when Dr. Herbert Axelrod used them in a book by TFH Publications; Innes won the case in 1955 but was awarded only $1 plus court costs.
Reader's Guide
Exotic Aquarium Fishes was considered essential among the aquarist community, binding the hobbyist community together and giving them shared history, basic definitions, and rhetoric upon which to converse, as well as a shared historical narrative in the field, according to historian Samantha Muka in 2022. Innes hoped the book would be updated regularly after his death and collaborated with Dr. George S. Myers to that end. After Innes Publishing ended production, other entities published more economical editions; when Innes failed to renew the copyright of the first edition, Axelrod published new versions. The original nineteen editions are identified by their dark green 'leatherette' covers with a 14k gold-stamped image of three harlequin rasboras. Innes also supported eugenics, writing in 1923 about applying selective breeding to humans. Dr. Myers, who first described the neon tetra, named it Hyphessobrycon innesi in Innes's honor (later moved to Paracheirodon innesi). Temple University conferred an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree on Innes in 1951. On his 80th birthday in 1954, Dr. Myers called him 'the best known and most respected aquarist and authority on aquariums in the world.'
Did You Know?
- Innes invented a hand-painted coloring process for black-and-white fish photographs, called an Innes Plate.
- He won a 1955 lawsuit against Dr. Herbert Axelrod for using his photos, but was awarded only $1 plus court costs.
- The neon tetra was originally named Hyphessobrycon innesi in his honor by Dr. George S. Myers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is William T. Innes?
He was a Philadelphia-born American aquarist, photographer, and publisher widely regarded as the father of the aquarium hobby in the United States. He lived from 1874 to 1969 and shaped how Americans kept, photographed, and wrote about ornamental fish.
What is Exotic Aquarium Fishes?
It is Innes's landmark reference book on ornamental fish, first published in 1935 and reprinted through nineteen editions over the following decades. The volume became the go-to guide for hobbyists wanting to identify and care for non-native aquarium species.
What magazine did William T. Innes create?
He founded and edited The Aquarium, a monthly publication that ran from May 1932 until January 1967. It was the first nationally distributed magazine devoted specifically to the aquarium hobby in America.
Why is William T. Innes considered important to fishkeeping?
Before Innes, the American aquarium community lacked both a central publication and a comprehensive species reference. His magazine and book together gave hobbyists a shared voice and a practical knowledge base, essentially professionalizing the pastime.
Did William T. Innes receive any formal recognition?
Yes—Temple University awarded him an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree in 1951 in acknowledgment of his decades-long contributions to the field.
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