Number 5 - Geological Curators Group

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Fig. 18. Sylvia Humphrey matching specimens to ti leir previously dissociated labels and documenting them inBristol Museum, 1986 (AMCSW).year involved further curatorial work atCheltenham by Roger Vaughan, includingdismantling of the last of the 1930s displaysand the establishment of new storage (on'Bruynzeel' roller-racking) for the curatedspecimens and sediment samples.When basic rescue curation is completed, anyfuture allocations will increasingly have to bespent on new storage and on remedial cleaningand conservation by a specialist conservator(such as that provided bv the AMCSW's:Bristol-based Geology Conservation and AdvisoryService). The present storage isunsatisfactorv: The specimens are packed inunsealed polythene bags in their trays or boxes,and are difficult to get at, although safe fromdirt and abrasion. The question ofenvironmental control for the few dozensensitive specimens will also have to be dealtwith.This steady progress is heartening. The slow,regular tempo of funding - a little at a time -is much easier to squeeze into a budget than aone-off sum, and easier to keep in next year'sbudget, although obviously vulnerable to futurecuts. It does, however, need specialistgeological advice to assess each year'spriorities, provide any supervision, and find orsupply the skilled labour needed (but which maynot be a problem if the current year's budget isspent largely on storage furniture, forexample). Moreover, if other museums in thearea develop the same habit of regular fundingfor theircollection, this would helpthe local Area Museum Council or a consortium ofmuseums to commit themselves to providing aspecialist geological service.Even when no specialists are available, thecollection and its documentation need to bemaintained in a secure manner, with due controlof loans and visitors, and refusal ofunsupervised volunteers. The Cheltenhamaeoloeical -collection has been made the s~ecificresponsibility of one particular past in theMuseum's staff, the Assistant Keeper of FineArt. Its security is thus no longer sodependent on the personal interests of staff.Another very common potential problem arisesfrom the previous close association of theMuseum and Library. A good collection of rarelocal geological books, reprints and periodicalswzs split between the Museum and the Librarywhen the latter was transferred to the CountyCouncil in the 1974 reorganisation of localgovernment. This did not present aproblem atCheltenham. However, cases have arisenelsewhere when the library has moved off withimportant reference material or has even sold itoff as surplus stock despite its value to themuseum.An important justification of the work on thegeological collections is that they therebybecome available for use. Cheltenham is plainlylimited by its lack of a permanent specialistcurator but the geological display has now beenremoved and will be replaced in 1990 with adisplay on the geology, natural history andarchaeology of the area, using advice fromBristol and Gloucester Museums. Anv furtherdisplays will depend an future funding, and anyexpansion of the collection will depend on theappointment of a curator.Nevertheless, exploiting the collection dependsvery much on resolving the problems caused bythe fragmentation of Gloucestershire's museumsinto several District museums, none with a postfor a specialist aeolaaical curator (ignoring . - -temporary posts and volunteers). The onlynatural scientist is a biologist at GloucesterCity Museum, whose interests-were until very
1800 1810 1820 1830 1840 1810 l860 1870 1880 :890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1960 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990SPOREBERG -. ?WWE AND IATLOliS. BENDALLl'. JENKINSCLPICC......CNACliNA -CLCCSSPEICAGMsome to Liverpool Museum%-
Page 2 and 3: THE GEOLOGICAL CURATORVOLUME 5. N0.
Page 4 and 5: Gcolap,rcal Curator, Vol .5, No.5.
Page 6 and 7: THE CHELTENHAM LITERARY AND PHILOSO
Page 8 and 9: The earlv vears of the CLPIDavid Wi
Page 10 and 11: Fig. 4. A lithograph (260 x 200 m.)
Page 12 and 13: on the local geology (Lycett 1857).
Page 14 and 15: The known contents of the Museum to
Page 16 and 17: 'Geological Museum - superior in it
Page 18 and 19: that is a fact' (Matheson 1964, p.2
Page 20 and 21: A published source which now throws
Page 22 and 23: Fig. 8. The interior of the College
Page 24 and 25: The Second World War and its leeace
Page 26 and 27: The Society provided a forum which
Page 28 and 29: specimens as such. Only a few speci
Page 30 and 31: BIGOT, Prof. [A. P. D. (1863-1953)l
Page 32 and 33: numbers of specimens, and have labe
Page 36 and 37: in August 1985) the particular stre
Page 38 and 39: Eliot, W. 1871. List of Field Clubs
Page 40 and 41: Tatlow, J. 1821. Memoirs of John Ta
Page 42 and 43: The BM(NH) set has a note from C. I
Page 44 and 45: comparison of his ideas on fossils

Number 5 - Geological Curators Group

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