bookofchange
Active member
Proposal for Republishing Rare Aquarium Related Book by Philip Henry Gosse
In 1854, the controversial and popularized naturalist Philip Henry Grosse published The Aquarium: An Unveiling of the Wonders of the Deep Sea. Having coined the term 'aquarium' he has ensured himself a place in the Aquarist's Hall of Fame for all time. Unfortunately, this book is so rare that few (if any) reprints exist, and volumes in decent condition are near impossible to find. One would have to ford into the closed stacks of their local university, or beg a peek from a serious collector in order to gain a personal view of the numerous and gorgeous prints contained within.
I believe this information deserves to be made free, and available to all interested in understanding the origins of our shared hobby. The work of Gosse should not be lost to a shelf far from the eye of the public, it is an international treasure and belongs in the hands of amateur naturalists and students everywhere.
Funded by donations, I would like to acquire a copy of Gosse's The Aquarium and have it professionally scanned in order to create an ebook that can be distributed for free. The ebook will be donated to Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org/) to be included in their electronic ebook collection. This will ensure that the book remains free to all. Also, once the ebook project is complete, I would like to submit the book for republishing through Hacker Friendly Publishing as part of our Hacker Friendly Classics offerings. A hardbound (and possibly annotated) book with color images would be made available for purchase through us directly, or through traditional distribution routes such as popular booksellers. We are in independent publishing company which focuses on technical how-to publications, and also have an interest in reprinting important historical literature concerned with Do It Yourself and inventive movements (hacking).
Because we are the "little guy" we can not afford the free ebook portion of this undertaking on our own. So, I am turning to the Aquarium Hobbyist Community for support, contributions, and collaboration. Once I am finished studying the book, I intend to donate it to a club like the Puget Sound Aquarium Society on behalf of those who donated money, time, and resources to the project. That way a secured copy will be available for viewing and research for future enthusiasts and writers in the PNW wishing to discover the secrets and origins of the aquarium hobby.
A quality book specimen of The Aquarium can cost as much as $800USD. And professional scanning services offered by companies such as Acadia Imaging Service Bureau (in Seattle) can cost as much as .20-.50 per page depending on the care needed, resolutions desired, and perhaps the inclusion of an OCR service.
Contributors and collaboration are desired.
The project needs a website for promotion in order to collect funds for purchasing the book and for professional scanning. A blog should be created to update supporters regarding the progress of the project, and to inspire more interest in preservation and distribution. Therefore, I am soliciting for a professional web designer who would like to contribute to this project and design an attractive portal for those interested in both contributing to and donating funds to the project.
Also, I would like to solicit donations for 'swag' to be offered to contributors. This could be lapel buttons, a t-shirt, coffee cup, or perhaps a reserved copy of the first hardcopy books to be reprinted. For example, we could have a limited edition run of the first books to come off the press, and have donated autographs by current famous contributors to the DIY and Aquaria communities.
I have a server secured for a wiki, website, and a blog. There will be no overhead costs associated with this (as it will be donated by the publisher). All those who contribute will be allowed access to secure areas of the wiki to discuss the project and to facilitate project management as a whole. If you become a primary contributor to the hardcopy portion of project you will receive credits and there are opportunities for additional compensation. For more information regarding this project in its entirety please email [email protected].
In addition, those contributing significant resources to the free ebook portion of the project will have an opportunity for promotion at the end via a generous credit. You will be allowed to include contact information and a small blurb about any commercial interest you are associated with, or a quick personal bio. Major and Senior Contributors will also be invited to include a photo of themselves or a business logo within the document.
Thank you for your consideration and interest on behalf of The Friends of Philip Henry Gosse.
(For information about becoming a contributing Friend of Philip Henry Gosse please email Lisa Chan [email protected].)
---------
Excerpts from The Ocean at Home: An Illustrated History of the Aquarium by Bernd Brunner
"In his many long-winded reports about his coastal excursions Gosse told his readers that the aquarium was the objective, but that many obstacles still had to be overcome. One's relationship with nature required a cautious and respectful approach, for its exploration was, Gosse's mind, a spiritual exercise. For Gosse, religion and natural science went hand in hand: "It brings us, in some sense, into the presence of God," he said. "Or rather it gives us cognizance of Him, and reveals to us some of his essential attributes." (pg.41)
"Upon returning from his seaside excursion, Gosse would begin the process of transferring his findings from the temporary tanks into his marine aquarium. The exterior of Gosse's aquarium already resembled the familiar rectangular glass tank with birchwood beading. It was two feet long, one foot wide, one foot deep, with the sides and ends consisting of glass panes and the bottom of slate. The panes of glass were puttied between the birchwood, which was a tremendous improvement over earlier prototypical aquariums, as the even glass surfaces did not cause the optical distortions related to round glass when observing the tank's contents. Gosse covered the bottom of the aquarium with an insulating layer of clay, pebbles, sand, and finally, with small pieces of rock, which formed mini-bridges and overhangs that gave the swimming creatures shelter. During the first night, Gosse would observe the tank by candlelight and see that numerous tiny shells and micro-organisms where already bustling around inside." (pg. 43)
To learn more about Philip Henry Gosse see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Henry_Gosse
And also his son's biography concerning their controversial relationship
Father and Son
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/2540
In 1854, the controversial and popularized naturalist Philip Henry Grosse published The Aquarium: An Unveiling of the Wonders of the Deep Sea. Having coined the term 'aquarium' he has ensured himself a place in the Aquarist's Hall of Fame for all time. Unfortunately, this book is so rare that few (if any) reprints exist, and volumes in decent condition are near impossible to find. One would have to ford into the closed stacks of their local university, or beg a peek from a serious collector in order to gain a personal view of the numerous and gorgeous prints contained within.
I believe this information deserves to be made free, and available to all interested in understanding the origins of our shared hobby. The work of Gosse should not be lost to a shelf far from the eye of the public, it is an international treasure and belongs in the hands of amateur naturalists and students everywhere.
Funded by donations, I would like to acquire a copy of Gosse's The Aquarium and have it professionally scanned in order to create an ebook that can be distributed for free. The ebook will be donated to Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org/) to be included in their electronic ebook collection. This will ensure that the book remains free to all. Also, once the ebook project is complete, I would like to submit the book for republishing through Hacker Friendly Publishing as part of our Hacker Friendly Classics offerings. A hardbound (and possibly annotated) book with color images would be made available for purchase through us directly, or through traditional distribution routes such as popular booksellers. We are in independent publishing company which focuses on technical how-to publications, and also have an interest in reprinting important historical literature concerned with Do It Yourself and inventive movements (hacking).
Because we are the "little guy" we can not afford the free ebook portion of this undertaking on our own. So, I am turning to the Aquarium Hobbyist Community for support, contributions, and collaboration. Once I am finished studying the book, I intend to donate it to a club like the Puget Sound Aquarium Society on behalf of those who donated money, time, and resources to the project. That way a secured copy will be available for viewing and research for future enthusiasts and writers in the PNW wishing to discover the secrets and origins of the aquarium hobby.
A quality book specimen of The Aquarium can cost as much as $800USD. And professional scanning services offered by companies such as Acadia Imaging Service Bureau (in Seattle) can cost as much as .20-.50 per page depending on the care needed, resolutions desired, and perhaps the inclusion of an OCR service.
Contributors and collaboration are desired.
The project needs a website for promotion in order to collect funds for purchasing the book and for professional scanning. A blog should be created to update supporters regarding the progress of the project, and to inspire more interest in preservation and distribution. Therefore, I am soliciting for a professional web designer who would like to contribute to this project and design an attractive portal for those interested in both contributing to and donating funds to the project.
Also, I would like to solicit donations for 'swag' to be offered to contributors. This could be lapel buttons, a t-shirt, coffee cup, or perhaps a reserved copy of the first hardcopy books to be reprinted. For example, we could have a limited edition run of the first books to come off the press, and have donated autographs by current famous contributors to the DIY and Aquaria communities.
I have a server secured for a wiki, website, and a blog. There will be no overhead costs associated with this (as it will be donated by the publisher). All those who contribute will be allowed access to secure areas of the wiki to discuss the project and to facilitate project management as a whole. If you become a primary contributor to the hardcopy portion of project you will receive credits and there are opportunities for additional compensation. For more information regarding this project in its entirety please email [email protected].
In addition, those contributing significant resources to the free ebook portion of the project will have an opportunity for promotion at the end via a generous credit. You will be allowed to include contact information and a small blurb about any commercial interest you are associated with, or a quick personal bio. Major and Senior Contributors will also be invited to include a photo of themselves or a business logo within the document.
Thank you for your consideration and interest on behalf of The Friends of Philip Henry Gosse.
(For information about becoming a contributing Friend of Philip Henry Gosse please email Lisa Chan [email protected].)
---------
Excerpts from The Ocean at Home: An Illustrated History of the Aquarium by Bernd Brunner
"In his many long-winded reports about his coastal excursions Gosse told his readers that the aquarium was the objective, but that many obstacles still had to be overcome. One's relationship with nature required a cautious and respectful approach, for its exploration was, Gosse's mind, a spiritual exercise. For Gosse, religion and natural science went hand in hand: "It brings us, in some sense, into the presence of God," he said. "Or rather it gives us cognizance of Him, and reveals to us some of his essential attributes." (pg.41)
"Upon returning from his seaside excursion, Gosse would begin the process of transferring his findings from the temporary tanks into his marine aquarium. The exterior of Gosse's aquarium already resembled the familiar rectangular glass tank with birchwood beading. It was two feet long, one foot wide, one foot deep, with the sides and ends consisting of glass panes and the bottom of slate. The panes of glass were puttied between the birchwood, which was a tremendous improvement over earlier prototypical aquariums, as the even glass surfaces did not cause the optical distortions related to round glass when observing the tank's contents. Gosse covered the bottom of the aquarium with an insulating layer of clay, pebbles, sand, and finally, with small pieces of rock, which formed mini-bridges and overhangs that gave the swimming creatures shelter. During the first night, Gosse would observe the tank by candlelight and see that numerous tiny shells and micro-organisms where already bustling around inside." (pg. 43)
To learn more about Philip Henry Gosse see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Henry_Gosse
And also his son's biography concerning their controversial relationship
Father and Son
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/2540
Last edited:
