Number 3 - Geological Curators Group

TA Geological Curator, Vo1.4, No.3, 1985 (for 19841, pp.172-1.73NEW DEVELOPMENTS AT BATH GEOLOGY MUSEUMBY MlCHAEL A. TAYLORThe Geology Museum, Bath, houses thescientifically and historically importantcollections of the Royal Literary andScientific Institution and of Charles Moore,as well as natural history and ethnographicmaterial.The vicissitudes of thecollections have been related in variousarticles in The Geological Curator but RonPickford, the Curatorial Assistant, has beenable to restore considerable order to thecollections and their documentation.Although much work remains to be done, itmust be stressed that the present conditionof the collections is now much better thanone might expect from reading the variousarticles. Their comments, while valid whenpublished, are now somewhat out of datethanks to Mr Pickford's work.A matter of fundamental importance is theorganisation and status of the museum. Thecollections are presently in the care of AvonCounty Libraries, who have continued toemploy Mr Pickford as Curatorial Assistant -Curator de facto. During the three financialyears 1983-1986 Avon Libraries have been amajor contributor towards the cost of settingup and running the post of GeologicalConservator-Preparator, Area Museum Councilfor the South West, presently held by theauthor. In return Bath receives assistanceand, as a first instalment, the authorprepared several reports on the importance.cnration, conservation, storage, and presentand potential use of the collections, whileBryan Cooper (Torquay Natural History SocietyMuseum) is reporting on the minerals.In the longer term the collections may betransferred to Bath City Museum Service.Bath City Council has decided in principle todeVel0~ a new museum in the town centre.using ihe premises presently occupied bytheVictoria Art Gallery and City LendingLibrary. The new museum would take overresponsibility for the collections of theGeology Museum but such a transfer will notin any case take place for the next twoyears. The A.M.C.S.W. has meanwhile providedthe Bath Museum Service with detailed adviceon the storage environment and furniturerequired by geological material. Thistransfer is still under discussion but inthese circumstances no decision has been madeto make extensive improvements to the storagearrangements at Queen Square, nor has theA.M.C .S .W. provided detailed advice; thelarge ichthyosaurs at the National Museum ofWales will also remain in Cardiff for thetime being. This important scheme has beendiscussed and agreed in principle betweenAvon County Council and Bath City Council butcomplex property and financial arrangementsare involved and it is likely to be at leasttwo years before any formal transfer of thegeology collections occurs.Meanwhile, the Director of Community Leisurefor the County of Avon, Mr D. Liddle, isanxious that Avon Library Services care forand promote the use of the collections asmuoh as oossible and has discussed articularA~ ~~~~measures-with Stephen Locke, the ExecutiveDirector of the A.M.C.S.W., as describedbelow.A Select Catalogue of the Bath Collections isto be produced, and probably financed as ajoint publication between Avon CountyLibraries Service and the Area Museum Councilfor the South West. It has provisionallybeen decided to publish the catalogue as aseries of separate sections in the South WestNatural Science Collections ResearchNewsletter, which is already funded by theA.M.C.S.W., as this will help avoid thebibliographic problems of specialpublications. The Catalogue will be basedvery largely on the pre-existing butunpublished work of Charles Copp(invertebrates) and Christopher Duffin(vertebrates), and produced and edited by theauthor as part of the A.M.C.S.W. service toBath. It will include a catalogue of type,figured, and cited specimens. However, thecollection contains many unpublishedspecimens of undescribed species or whichshow important new features of previouslyknown species, and the Catalogue willtherefore include a listing of theseimportant specimens. It will also includerelevant historical notes and perhapssections devoted entirely to the history ofthe collection as a whole. Eventuallv theCatalogue will become a powerful tooi inmaking the collections better known toresearchers.Avon Libraries have also allocated £1,000towards the cost of materials to conserve thetwenty-eight or so cased ichthyosaurspresently stored in excellent facilities atthe National Museum of Wales, Cardiff. Thiswork will be done in late 1985 or early1986. The most important specimens in Bathwhich urgently need treatment will soon beconserved at the A. M. C. S. W. geologyconservation laboratory at Bristol CityMuseum. The superb foss% fish and reptilesfrom the Upper Lias at Ilminster will also besampled for trial acetic acid preparation,although there will only be time to do a fewdemonstration specimens.The storage of the collection has beenstudied but, in view of its potentialtransfer, no substantialimprovements are being recommended for theexisting arrangements which are in anv casereasonably adequate. A detailed report onthe requirements of the collection wasprepared for Bath Museum Service to help themconsider the implications of a' transfer, andthe A.M.C.S W. is ready to offer furtheradvice in the light of a final decision onthe location of the collection. It is alsoanticipated that a curatorial appointmentwill be made upon the retirement of Mr