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curation of geological materials. m.b. geol. Soc. 17, approx. 200pp.Doughty, P.S. 1981. The state and statusof geology in U.K. museums. Ibid. 13,118pp.Museum Documentation Association. 1980.Geoloav specimen card instructions.Museum Documentation Association,Duxford, 51pp.David PriceSedgwick MuseumUniversitv of CambrideeDowning StreetCambridge CB2 3EQTypescript received 2 October 1986OLD LABELS ARE OLD HAT!?BY RON J. CLEEVELYWith the resurrection of the InformationSeries in this issue of Geol. Curator, it isprobably worth examining the original objectof providing such reference sheets, asoutlined in my introductorv article (Cleevely1981). Judging from the lack of any realresponse, this would seem to have beenmistaken, or at the least illusory.Variousopinions as to the value and significance ofspecimen labels were given as a basis forintroducing the series and several of thesehave been repeated by Brunton & A. (1985).Having been unable to accommodateillustrations of collectors' labels in myinitial revision of Sherborn's (1940)-- is the Collection? (Cleevely 19831,I hadhoped to Drovide a series of reference sheetsthat mighi be of assistance in identifyingmaterial. The intention was to feature'examples of the distinctive andcharacteristic labels used by collectors,dealers and curators of the past'. It wasalso felt that others should be asked tocontribute rather than simply featuringlabels found in BMCNH) collections. However,for various reasons, largely the practicalones of producing suitable examples for thereference sheets, the idea has never caughton. The quality of reproduction veryprobably limits the value of the examples ofhandwritten labels, and very few museums canexpect to have specimens from the morewell-known collections - even by mischance!Consequently, the labels featured to date areprobably considered to be irrelevant to theneeds of the general curator.It may be that the most valuable referencesthat can be provided are examples of thelabels used by various dealers over theyears, e.g. Louis Saemann adopted differentdesigns to accompany the specimens he sold.Alternatively, if each of the museums holdingfossil or mineral collections was asked inturn to provide examples of the labels usedbv six collectors reuresented in itshAldings, it might de possible to achieve theoriainal obiective of producina a worthwhileand extensive reference serie'i. Perhaps yourviews on these and other ideas can be givento the members of GCG Committee, or else sentto me?As a probable 'swan song' I intend to adopt athematic approach for the next issues in theseries and produce examples of labels in theBMCNH) belonging to collectors of Chalkfossils.A list of the collectors dealt with in theseries to date is given below, together withanother of those featured in my introduction(Cleevely 1981).REFERENCESBrunton, C.H.C., Besterman, T.P. andCooper. J.A. 1985. Guidelines for thecuration of geological materials. -c.m. geol. Soc. 17, approx. 200pp.Cleevely, R.J. 1981. An introduction tothe new information series on oldgeological collection labels. m.a. Curators m, 3, 77-87.1983. palaeontoloeicalcollections. British Museum (NaturalHistory) and Mansell. London, 365pp.Sherborn, C.D. 1940. Where is the **collection? An account of the variousnatural historv collections which have----come under the notice of com~iler.Cambridge University Press, Cambridge,149pp.Ron J. CleevelyDepartment of PalaeonotologyBritish Museum (Natural History)Cromwell RoadLondon SW7 5BDTypescript received 6 November 1986
Pig.1.An assortment of Collection and Dealer labels.A, printed label of dealer N. Boube'e, Paris. B, one of the labels used by J. Ward (see InformationSeries, No.9; Geol. Curator, 4, 38). C, an adhesive ticket label. D, decorative distinctive dealerticket label thought to be that of the Swiss dealers Greber, Wendler & Co. (similarly titled laterexamples exist in the .BMNH). E, printed specimen label used by United States Geological Survey for theirduplicate material. F, hand-written pillbox-top label from J.F. Walker collection (see InformationSeries, No.1). G, a cut-down printed locality label used by the dealer Louis Saemann, c.1867. H, allpurpose label used by the dealer B. Sturtz, Bonn, c.1867. I, printed specimen label used by the earlierVienna Museum accompanying material acquired by the BMNH in 1861, J, an example of the various labelsused by C.O. Groom, who adopted several grandiose titles (see Cleevely 1983, p.138; and -1. m.Curators m, 2, p.465). K, an early label of the well-known international German geological dealers (see- Der PrBparator, 30, pp.221-226). L, printed label used by the Belgium collectorldealer A.S. Piret (seeCleevely 1983, p.233). M, hand-written label from collection of H.A. Nicholson (see Information Series,No.4).
Page 3 and 4: EDITORIALAt last! After almost a ye
Page 5 and 6: designed in cooperation with Derbys
Page 7 and 8: Anon. 1975b. Workshop on geological
Page 12 and 13: GCG INFORMATION SERIES: COLLECTORID
Page 14 and 15: Geological Curator, Vo1.4, No.8, 19
Page 16 and 17: L. floriformis (Martin)'Michelinia
Page 18 and 19: Goldring, R. 1967. Cvclus martinens
Page 20 and 21: Geological Curator, Vo1.4, No.8, 19
Page 22 and 23: purchases in Monmouthshire. He borr
Page 24 and 25: Other insights into Daniel's geolog
Page 26 and 27: Fig.3. Architect's final design for
Page 28 and 29: -----Desmond, R. 1977. Dictionary o
Page 30 and 31: LETTERS TO THE EDITORDear Editor,TH
Page 32 and 33: LOST AND FOUNDCOMPILED BY DONALD I.
Page 34 and 35: Coal Fossils in the Denstone Colleg
Page 36 and 37: Fig. 4. 'Missing' crinoids, figured
Page 38 and 39: Fig.5. tlolotype of Goliathiceras r
Page 40 and 41: Fia.6.Specimen figured bv Murchison
Page 42 and 43: Fig.9. Specimens figured by Murchis
Page 44 and 45: Fig.14.Specimens figured by Murchis
Page 46 and 47: (see Burke 1891, p.1315) whobequeat
Page 48 and 49: written request and appoint~nent on
Page 50 and 51: Fig.2. The elongate skull and jaw o
Page 52 and 53: Collecting on this scale and for co
Page 54 and 55: also provided many of the photograp
Page 56 and 57: Price Institute, Johannesburg, and
Page 58 and 59: The illustrations are of high quali
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early North American artifacts in S
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Peninsula, North Wales; Pentelikon
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