Royal Aquarium, Revolving Tower and entrance to Britannia Pier

Great Yarmouth Museums

Photograph of Royal Aquarium

By Paul Douch

By the time this photo was taken, circa 1906-1910, the Aquarium had become "Royal" due to the patronage of the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and a theatre rather than an aquarium - although some of the fish tanks remained.

The theatre - owned by the Nightingale family - seated about 2000 and the stage was the largest in East Anglia.

Can anyone date this photo precisely? One of the main clues is the presence of the electric tram. Yarmouth Corporation electrified the horse-drawn tramway in 1905-6.

[Source: TOOKE, Colin , 1994.  Southtown & Gorleston at the mouth of the Yare. North Walsham: Poppyland Publishing]