Number 5 - Geological Curators Group

in August 1985) the particular strengths of theformer Cheltenham College Museum in bothornithology and ethnography. This onecase-history shows that we must insist upon thebest possible standards of documentation forcollections. We also need to use our skills ascommunicators to highlight the importance ofgeology and of the curation of geologicalcollections, both in a recreational and culturalsense.But we can also now be optimistic. The case ofCheltenham Art Gallery and Museum shows thatnon-geological curators can play a part in therescue and maintenance of a geologicalcollection - despite the bitter experience ofthe last forty years which suggested that mostBritish ~rovincial museum curators, faced with ageological collection, either clear it awaywithout more ado, or simply abdicate theirresponsibilities to ill-trained volunteers orMSC schemes. The undoubted competence of manyvolunteers and MSC staff has more to do withluck than the judgement of the curator - theperson who is actually res~onsihle for thecollection. It has become a truism everywherethat almost the only undamaged collections arethose that have heen undisturbed since the1930s! This was certainly so in the case of therelatively small amount of material which hassurvived in Cheltenham. Gaynor Andrews' carefultransfer of the CHLGM collection, despite otherdistractions, was in a way no more than plaincuratorial cornonsense; yet it is quiteexceptional amongst non-geological curators.Perhaps, with advice such as now available fromKnell and Taylor (1989; itself written usingCheltenham as one exemplar and source ofinspiration), more non-geological curators willhe able to follow suit.Nevertheless, the curator alone cannot beexpected to make sensible decisions, let alonespend scarce money, without specialist advice.There is thus an onus on larger bodies such asArea Museum Councils to provide at least somesort of advisory service. Yet once this adviceis given it is still up to the museum to providethe finance and facilities required to implementit. This was done at Cheltenham and is surelythe way to save more such collections.Acknowledeements. During HST's trail afterCheltenham geological material, lasting morethan twenty years, innumerable debts have heenincurred to librarians, curators and recordofficers: in particular, at Cheltenham, toGaynor Andrews, Roger Beacham and Steven andMaggie Blake. The complex history of CheltenhamCollege collections was unravelled with the helpof D. A. Athertan (bursar), Martin Jones(archivist), J. C. Ralphs (librarian),Chris Rouan and Hugh Wright in Cheltenham;Philip Phillips and Peter Morgan in Liverpool;and Mike Barker in Portsmouth. Reminiscencesfrom Philip Peberdy and the late F. B. A. Welchare gratefully acknowledged. David Dartnall(Gloucester Museum) and Dennis Phillips (NaturalHistory Museum, London) also assisted. Vitalsource material was provided by David Allen(Winchester), Miss M. E. Arnold (Northampton),Peter Buckman (Oxford), Clive Hughes(Haverfordwest), Dr W. F. T. Tatlow (Montreal,Canada), Tom Sharpe (Cardiff), John Thackray(London), Malcolm Thomas (London), Tom Vallance(Sydney, Australia), Miss R. Watson(Northampton) and Francis Witts (UpperSlaughter).MAT'S contribution is based on work carried outwhile working as Geological Officer for the AreaMuseum Council for the South West (1983-1987).Sam Hunt (Executive Director, AMCSW) andGeorge Breeze (Director, Cheltenham Art Galleryand Museums) kindly gave their permission topublish, but any opinions expressed by theauthors are not necessarily the policy of eitherinstitution. MAT is also grateful toJoe Angseesing, Roger Clark, Michael Crane,Peter Crowther, Micky Curtis, Stephen Locke, andMichael Sims. Finally we wish to pay tributeto Gaynor Andrews and Sylvia Humphrey for theirhard work and enthusiasm.REFERENCESAllen, D. E. 1976. The naturalist in Britain.Penguin Books, Harmondsworth.1987. botanists. St Paul'sBibliographies, Winchester.Annand, A. M. 1971. Cavalry sureeon. Therecollections of De~uty Suraean-General JohnSvlvester FGS Bombay Army. Macmillan,London.Anon. 1837. The Cheltenham Literary andPhilosophical Institution. The ~i;ror ofLiterature, Amusement& Instruction, 29,185-186.-1839. List of Members, February 1839.W C . hot. Ss. Ld. 1, 99-103.----1857. Reoorts of the local committees on- the meetina of the British Association iaCheltenham in Aueust 1856. Davies, Cheltenham.-----1874. Excursion to Cheltenham. m.W., Dec. 2, 1, 523-528.-1888. [Obituary of Sir W. V. Guise.]--Trans. Bristol Glos. arch. Soc. 12, 172-175.-1908. Rev. Thomas Wilkinson Norwood,M.A., F.G.S. Geol. Mag., Dec. 5, 5, 191-192.-1930. Ordinary winter meeting, November19 1929. h. Cotteswold N&. Fld Cluh, 23,203.----1940. Obituary, Charles Irving Gardiner.Ibid, 27, 114-115, p1.3.Argyll, Duke of. 1873. Obituary of ThomasBlaxam. Q. a geol. Soc. W. 29, xl.Arkell, W. J. 1951-1959. A monograph ofEnglish Bathonian Ammonites. Palaeontoer.Soc. (Manaar.) viii + 264pp., 33pls.~shton, 0. 1983. Clerical control and radicalresponses in Cheltenham Spa 1838-1848.--Midland Hist. 8, 121-147.Austin, R. 1928. Cataloeue of theGloucestershire Collection. Osborne,Gloucester.Averlev. G. 1986. The 'Social Chemists'.English Chemical Societies in the eighteenthand early nineteenth century. Ambix, 33,99-128.Baker, T. B. L. 1853. Address read to theCotteswold Naturalists' Cluh Feb. 10 1852.- Prac. Cotteswold Nat. Fld Cluh, 1, 101-114.1860. Address read to the CNFC. January1856. Ibid. 2, i-v.Bathurst, C. and Kinch, E. (eds.).1898.Reeister ef the staff and students of theM Anricultural Colleee 1844-1897. Harmer,Cirencester.