[London Zoo, Regent's Park.] Two volumes of papers of the civil engineers Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners, regarding their work on the New Aquarium at London Zoo, including specifications, tenders, plans, correspondence, accounts, press cuttings.

A substantial collection of original documents in various formats (from fold-out folio pages to 12mo, but mainly foolscap 8vo) bound into two large 8vo volumes, with the material in the first volume foliated 1-435 (with an extra nine-page index at the front and additional material at the end), and that in the second volume foliated 436-626 (preceded by seven-page index).The two volumes in matching blue cloth half-bindings, with boards in lighter blue cloth. Stamped in gilt on the front of the first volume: 'Zoological Society of London | New Aquarium | Vol. 1. | 1922-25. | Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners, Queen Anne's Lodge, Westminster.' The second volume has a similar title, but with 'VOL. 2. | Water Supply | 1922-27.' The two volumes in good condition, on lightly-aged paper in worn bindings. The first volume has slight damp damage to around fifty pages (75-125), possibly dating from before it was bound up. After a distinguished career in both the commercial and public spheres, Sir Alexander Gibb (1872-1958) struck out on his own as a consultant engineer in 1921, founding his own firm in the following year. Great success followed, but although the present project resulted in the 'World's Finest Aquarium' (see cutting from the Evening Standard, 18 January 1924), it dates from a period when, according to Gibbs's entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, '[t]he going was hard [...], and not very rewarding financially'. The first of these two volumes begins with a 'Short description of the new aquarium and relative works', at the start of which the brief given as follows: 'The Council of the Zoological Society of London decided at the beginning of 1922 to take up the long deferred proposal to construct an adequate and up-to-date aquarium at Regent's Park, comparable with the best known aquariums in the world - notably those at New York, Honolulu and Naples. They decided to make use of the large area under the Mappin Terraces which had been completed in 1911, and which they had long in mind for the purpose. | In March 1928 Dr. Chalmers Mitchell, Secretary of the Zoological Society, requested Sir Alexander Gibb to undertake the duties of Consulting Engineer for the construction of this new aquarium, particularly as regards the heating, lighting, ventilation, water supply and aeration of water, and all vital questions, including many unusual problems on the correct solution of which depended the success of the scheme. At the same time there was to be taken up the question of the provision of a new water supply, supplementary to, and possibly supersessor of, the existing supply from the Metropolitan Water Board. It was also found necessary to instal [sic] a refrigerating system.' A 'Short Description of the Refrigerating Machinery' follows, and then 23 appendices, amounting to more than 300 pages, including the firm's 'report and scheme - June 1922'; specifications; priced schedules; tenders; quotations; schemes; plans; 'Analysis of cost of work'; 'Report by Mr. van Grutten on his visit to Blackpool Aquarium'; 'Notes taken from Mr. Boulenger's notes re aquariums abroad which Mr. Boulenger had visited or had obtained information about [with diagrams and calculations on tracing paper]'. The following firms are involved: Ashwell & Nesbit Ltd, Braithwaite; Mann, Egerton & Co; Aerograph Co. Ltd; Belcher & Joass; Peter Brotherhood Ltd; J & E. Hall Ltd. The appendices are followed by around 180 pages of correspondence, including abstracts of tenders, memoranda (one on 'refrigeration' and another 'describing the plant proposed'). The first letter in the collection is 'from the Director of the New York Aquarium to Dr. Chalmers Mitchell re aeration'. Correspondents and recipients include: Sir Alexander Gibbs; Dr Chalmers Mitchell; Belcher & Joass; 'the London County Council regarding deviation from plans previously approved'; 'the Zoological Society [...] requesting further details regarding the scheme for refrigeration'. The volume also contains a coloured 'Diagrammatic Section through Aquarium - Blackpool'. The second volume, devoted to the 'Water Supply', begins with a 'Short description of well boring and supply and installation of well pumping machinery'. Appendices 24-39 follow, with reports, tenders, specifications, coloured 'Diagram of a well boring', and then the 'Correspondence', with letters from Dr Chalmers Mitchell; R. Richards & Co.; May Construction Co. Ltd; Laurence Scott & Co. Ltd; Riley, Harbord and Law. The volume ends with two pages of 'Pictures of the aquarium - from newspapers', ten pages of 'Newspaper cuttings' and 'Picture showing plant used for boring the well' (a black and white photograph by R. Richards & Co, Artesian Well Engineers, London, of 'Water Supply for the New Aquarium at the Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park, NW').