Number 5 - Geological Curators Group

More documents

Recommendations

Info

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 <strong>Geological</strong> 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.
Beaver, S. 1951. The development of theNorthamptonshire iron industry 1851-1930, pp.33-58. In Stamp, L. D. and Wooldridge, S. W.(eds.).essavs in geooravhy.Longmans, Green and Co., London.Bell, A. 1981. Pleasure Town Cheltenham1830-1860. Sadler, Chalfont St Giles.Binfield, W. R. and Binfield, H. 1854. On theoccurrence of fossil insects in the Wealdenstrata of the Sussex Coast. Q. a a. Soc.W. 10, 171-176.Bishop, M. J. 1984. New biographical data onHenry Cliftan Sorby (1826-1908). Earth Sci.- Hist. 3, 69-81.Blake, S. 1982. Georee Rowe, artist andlithoara~her. 1796-1864. The catalogue of Qexhibition. Sutton, Cheltenham.1984a. Views of Cheltenham1786-1860. Cheltenham Art Gallery andMuseums, Cheltenham.1984b. The building of theMontpellier Shops: an outline chronology.- 3. Cheltenham Loc. W. &. 2, 15-20.-andBeacham, R. 1982. The Book ofChcltenhiln.. Barracuda, Bu~kingham.Boisragon, I!. C. 1833. im~ortancc a dadvantages L_r philosophical anouiry. Davies,Cheltenham.Boyle, A. 1967. An index to the Annuals1820-1850. Boyle, Worcester.Brears, P. C. D.1984. Temples of the Muses:the Yorkshire Philosophical Museums 1820-50.Museums J1. 84, 3-20.Brock, W. H. and Macleod, R. 1976. Thescientists declaration: reflexions on scienceand belief in the wake of Essavs and Reviews1864-5. Br. 3. h t .&. 9, 39-66.Brodie, P. B. 1850. On certain beds in theInferior Oolite near Cheltenham. Q. J1 a.Soc. Lond. 6, 239-249.1858. Contributions to thegeology of Gloucestershire. Geologist, 20,81-88.[Buckman, 3.1 1842. triangle: thearchaeoloey. botanv if the mostpicturesaue & interesting s~ots ofCheltenham a& neiehbourbood. Rawlingsand Lake, Cheltenham.Buckman, J. 1843a. A aoloeical chart ofOolitic strata of the Cotswold Hills and Liask the Vale of Gloucester. Davies, Cheltenham.---1843b.List of the fossils foundin the neighbourhood of Cheltenham.Geoloeist, 2, 104-111.1850. On some fossil plants of theLower Lias. p. 51 Gd. Soc. Land. 6, 413-418.Buckman, S. S. 1898. Some recent excavationsnear Cheltenham. Cheltenham Examiner, 4 May1RQR~1899. Report of the collectionof Jurassic fossils in Cheltenham CollegeMuseum. &Q. Cheltenham Coll. nat. Hist. Soc.for 1898, [IO], 45-55.1903. Two Toarcian ammonites.Q. 31 zeol. Soc. Lond. 59, 459-464, pls. 27,28.1906. Bibliographical notes onMurchison's Geologv of Cheltenham. Norman,Sawyer and Co., Cheltenham.Burke, B. (ed.) 1921. Landed Gentrv of GreatBritain (13th edition). Burke, London.Butt, W. 1909. Obituary of Mrs Hutton. m.Cotteswold Nat. Fld Club, 16, 198.Cardew, G. A. 1920. and reminiscencesof medical p~actitioners Cheltenham.Burrow, Cheltenham.Chalmers-Hunt, J. M. 1976. Natural historyauctions 1700-1972: reeister of sales in theBritish Isles. Sotheby Parke Bernet, London.Channan, P. 3. 1950. Mainly geological. U.Nat. Fld Club, 30, 62-69.Clarke, A. K. 1953. A historv of &Cheltenham U' College. Faher and Faber,Cleevely, R. J. 1983. World palaeonrolaei~alrollectians. British %useurn (Natural History)and Mansell, London.Clinker, C. R. 1964. Historv of the GreatWestern Railway. Volume 1. 1833-1863 (2ndedition). Allan, London.Cocks, L. R. M. 1978. A review of BritishLower Palaeozoic brachiopods, including asynoptic revision of Davidson's monograph.Palaeontoer. &. (Monogr.), ii + 256 pp.Colchester-Wemyss, M. W. 1898. Annual addressto the Cotteswold Naturalists' Field Club ...- Proc. C- Nat. Fld Club, 12, 197-208.Coles, H. 1853. On the skin of the9,Ichthvosaurus. Q. 2 geol. Soc. a.79-81, p1.5.Cornfield, R. 1826. Observations on theoccultation of Jupiter on 5 April 1824. m.-. Soc. 2, 89.and Wallis. 3. 1826. Observations~ - -on the occultation of Saturn on 30 October1825. Ibid. 457-458.Cope, J. C. W., Getty, T. A., Howarth, M. K.,Morton, N. and Torrens, H. S. 1980. Acorrelation of Jurassic rocks in the BritishIsles. Part One: Introduction and LowerJurassic. Sue=. Reg. geol. Sac. L a . 14,1-73.Copeland, G. F. 1837. On the fossil zoology ofCheltenham. Cheltenham Annuaire, 1837, 33-41.Cox, L. R.1942. New light on William Smithh. 25,and his work. m. Y-. d.1-99.and Arkell, W. 3. 1950. A survey ofthe Mollusca of the British Great OoliteSeries, primarily a nomenclatorial revision ofthe monographs by Morris and Lycett (1851-55),Lycett (1863) and Blake (1905-1907). Part 2.Palaeontoer. m. W.), xiv-xxiv, 49-105.Crane, M. D. 1985. A biosra~hical dictionaryof the curatorial staff Q£ the [Bristol]Institution. City of Bristol Museum and ArtGallery [unpublished typescript].Crick, G. C. 1902. Note an Nautilus robustusFoord and Crick. Geol. Mag., Dec. 4, 9,342-346.1920. On some dihranchiateCephalopoda from the Upper Lias ofGloucestershire. U. Cotteswold m.U, 20, 249-256, pls. A, B.Davidson, T. 1878. A monograph of the Britishfossil Brachiopoda. Supplement. Vo1.4. Part2, number 2. Palaeontoer. Soc. (Monogr.),pp.145-242, pls. xvii-xxix.1883-1884. A monograph of theBritish fossil Brachiopoda. Supplement.Vol. V. Parts 11, 111. Silurian Supplement.Ibid. pp.135-476, pls. viii-xxi.Davies, H. 1834. Stranger's guide throuehCheltenham (2nd edition). Davies, Cheltenham.1837. The Cheltenham Literary andPhilosophical Institution with notices ofseveral previous attempts to establish similarsocieties in Cheltenham. Cheltenham Annuaire,1837.~17-32.~1843. Straneer'sguide throunhCheltenham (3rd edition). Davies, Cheltenham.
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 34 and 35: Fig. 18. Sylvia Humphrey matching s
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

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?