Fishing for information: Enthusiasts have been excavating the aquarium tanks beneath Crystal Palace
Everyone knows about the Crystal Palace erected on Sydenham Hill in the 1850s, but very few people know that it was home to the largest and most impressive aquarium in the world.
Underneath where Crystal Palace's North Tower once stood, a group of enthusiasts has been excavating the aquarium tanks.
In its day, the aquarium was a technological miracle and was built to attract the crowds to the north end of the park, which had been devastated by the first major fire at Crystal Palace in December 1866, along with many natural history exhibits.
The fire left a charred and desolate area and as there were insufficient funds available to rebuild the North Transept, the directors decided to construct a marine aquarium in 1870.
Melvyn Harrison, chairman of the Crystal Palace Foundation, said not much was known about the day-to-day workings of the aquarium.
He said: "It was somewhat similar in design and style to the Brighton Aquarium but that was not as technically well-advanced as the Crystal Palace one.
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"It was built as a way of attracting customers to the north end of the building, which was not as popular as the south and central ends.
"One of the main reasons was because you could not get a bus to that area."
The building contained 38 individual aquariums, supported by 22 stock tanks which were hidden from the public's view.
The whole system was served by a 100,000 gallon (380,000l) reservoir. Sea water, to support the marine life, was brought all the way from Brighton by train.
The aquarium was opened to the viewing public on August 22, 1871, and soon gained
international recognition.
However, its fame was not to last. By 1878, the crowds seemed to have lost interest and the Crystal Palace Aquarium Company was hit by a financial crisis.
The fish in the tanks were replaced by a menagerie of monkeys in an effort to boost the visitors and a restaurant was built above it.
As a structure, the aquarium survived the huge fire which destroyed the Palace in November 1936 but finally met its end when the North Tower fell across it after being blown up at the beginning of the Second World War.
Mr Harrison said: "The North Tower was meant to become a radio station during the war but residents thought it would attract bombing.
"Churchill decided that it should be demolished in 1941."
It was dynamited in April and the north wing, along with a large section of the aquarium, was destroyed.
Mr Harrison said he hoped the London Development Agency's (LDA) planned redevelopment of the park did not leave this forgotten corner alone.
Every Sunday, a group of volunteers gathers at the site to continue its excavation.
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