Driftless
Member
My small collection.
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My small collection.
Wolf6
Member
When I was an 80s kid and got my first tank early 90s, I also got an aquarium book with it that I loved. I recently found it again and thought id share some pages of nostalgia. Its in dutch, but I still love the drawings. Its by Hans Frey published in 1960, title 'aquariumhouden blahblahblahblah u ook' (roughly translates into 'you too can keep aquariums'). A few pictures of some of my favorite pages. Its fun to see how despite being ancient much still applies. Using nature as example above all.
Wolf6
Member
Oh and the (well worn) cover:
noodlesuk
Member
Looks like a lovely book, the illustrations are gorgeous. It looks to be ahead of it's time, almost, guess it's showing you how to collect hardscape?
It's funny how things like this just take you back. I remember a Tropical fish encyclopaedia I had as a child, been trying to find a copy, but the front cover of that just takes me back to the wonder of fish keeping.
It's funny how things like this just take you back. I remember a Tropical fish encyclopaedia I had as a child, been trying to find a copy, but the front cover of that just takes me back to the wonder of fish keeping.
Wolf6
Member
Yeah these pages detail collecting hardscape and what to avoid, planning the lay-out and plants etc. The encyclopaedia wouldn't happen to be this one? Also found again recently 🙂 amazing drawings...
noodlesuk
Member
It was a large A4 sized book, think it was a UK publication, one day I'll find one!
G
Guest
Guest
Nice book @Wolf6, I might try and get hold of a copy. This was my bible growing up, and still is my favourite aquarist book of all time. Similarly edited by a Dutchman. Way before it’s time and still very much relevant, even though it was first published in the 1970s. It lives up to its title more than any book I've come across before and since with, amongst other things, sections on plants, fish disease, aquascaping, and a comprehensive section on fish that’d be the envy of Seriously Fish.
Luciën
Member
Mooi hoor die boeken!
The first one looks familiar I might have seen it as I started keeping fish in the 80's at you age and my mom worked in the library.
The first one looks familiar I might have seen it as I started keeping fish in the 80's at you age and my mom worked in the library.
zozo
Member
What I like the most about that picture is the algae in the background... It was the most common welcome and decorative thing to see, there was no aquarium complete without it. Moss? I don't know if anybody knew about moss, decorative hardscape was all about aufwuchs and algae back then. That's all we knew.
PARAGUAY
Member
When I got first house in 80s there was aquarium shop locally very good In those times the shop was packed to the rafters on Saturday suppose not much flexible working then and the owner had quite a lot fascinated as he tied java moss to bogwood and one of the displays a little more than bogstandard plants and fish. It was full of crypts with a eye catching group of Congo Tetras . All pretty much not unusual now but then
G
Guest
Guest
Found this book in a local charity shop, The Oxford Book of Flowerless Plants. I spotted the title on the spine and thought it was intriguing. It was published in 1966 which perhaps explains it. It has the most amazing full colour plates.
PARAGUAY
Member
Those Oxford books are really good . I have the Insects one the colour page pictures showing a pond and everything there from the Dragonfly to the underwater caddis larva. Great resource. Nice find Tim
jasonjleach
Member
, I have an axelrod book somewhere in the attic. I must go and find it!
whats the best current book for plants?
whats the best current book for plants?
zozo
Member
That's amazing! I bet those colour plates were also published as Classroom/School posters... 🙂 These are even harder to find from that era, at least the original ones, some printshops offer replicas which are actually too brand new and on the wrong paper.
The originals obviously always end up in some retired scholars' study at home picked from the dusty attic of old school buildings.
Actually worth a pretty penny if you would find one from this era in good condition...
The originals obviously always end up in some retired scholars' study at home picked from the dusty attic of old school buildings.
Actually worth a pretty penny if you would find one from this era in good condition...
G
Guest
Guest
New Plant Expert
I know you'll join me in welcoming Christel Kasselmann (@Christel) to UKAPS. Christel is a recognised authority on aquatic plants and an enthusiastic aquarist. Many of you will already know her as author of the superb book Aquarium Plants, a must for any plant enthusiast. There's now a revised...
www.ukaps.org
The Miniaturist
Member
I use dozens of books for my work, both with artwork & photographic images. You can't beat some of the older books for quality. Even the aquatics books have some nuggets of information which are still true today though a plant book from the 60s wouldn't have plants like buce or the modern hybrids of echinodorus etc. I shall definitely be putting The Oxford Book of Flowerless Plants on my 'wanted' list!
G
Guest
Guest
Took delivery of this today. It’s a bit battered but it’s 50 years old. Despite that though it has some nice colour plates both photos and drawings.
It also has sections on classification, identification and propagation. It’s relatively straightforward and uncomplicated. Perhaps a reminder of simpler times.
It also has sections on classification, identification and propagation. It’s relatively straightforward and uncomplicated. Perhaps a reminder of simpler times.
I got this book when I was in my early twenties and before that I didn't know aquascaping was a thing. I'd never seen an aquarium like it. I was obssessed. Now in my mid forties I'm finally making my own.
The photos are on glossy paper so it's hard to photograph but these were the two tanks that I loved the most.
zozo
Member
Now that's a nice international book!! 🙂 Japanese authors, translated into English and Dutch art painter Pieter Mondriaan on the cover...
How did they come up with that idea? I never saw the connection... Aquarium - Cubism probably?
I suspect they were trying to make it feel "modern" and make it stand out from the normal aquarium books you got at the time. It must have worked because I was drawn to it in the fish shop and bought it 😄Now that's a nice international book!! 🙂 Japanese authors, translated into English and Dutch art painter Pieter Mondriaan on the cover...
How did they come up with that idea? I never saw the connection... Aquarium - Cubism probably?
