Volume 6 Number 5 GEOLOGICAL CURATORS' GROUP
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D A Volume 6 Number 5 GEOLOGICAL CURATORS' GROUP Registered Charity No. 296050 The Group is affiliated to the Geological Society ofLondon. It wasfounded in 1974 to improve the status ofgeology in museums and similar institutions, and to improve the standard of geological curation in general by: - holding meetings to promote the exchange of information - providing information and advice on all matters relating to geology in museums - the surveillance of collections of geological specimens and information with a view to ensuring their well being - the maintenance of a code of practice for the curation and deployment of collections - the advancement of the documentation and conservation of geological sites - initiating and conducting surveys relating to the aims of the Group. 1996 COMMITTEE Chairman John R. Nudds, The Manchester Museum, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL (tel. 161 275 2660; fax. 161 275 2676; e-mail: [email protected]) Secretary Mandy Edwards, Department of Geology, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL (tel. 161 2753825; fax. 161 2753947; e-mail: [email protected]) Treasurer/Membership Andrew Newman,Department of Archaeology, University of Newcastle, Secretary Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE2 4PT (tel./fax. 191 222 7426) Editor Patrick N. Wyse Jackson, Department of Geology, Trinity College, Dublin 2,Ireland (tel. 01 6081477; fax. 01 6711199; e-mail: [email protected]) Recorder John Faithfull, Hunterian Museum, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ (tel. 141 3398855; fax. 141 3078059) Public Relations Officer Minutes Secretary John Crossling, Warwickshire Museum, Market Place, Warwick CV34 4SA, U.K. (tel. 1926412500/412481). Committee Bob Symes, Department of Mineralogy, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD,U.K. Colin Reid, Dudley Museum and Art Gallery, St James' Road, Dudley, West Midlands DYl, U.K. (tel. 141 3398855; fax. 141 3078059) Steve McLean,(Membership), The Hancock Museum,The University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE24PT,U.K.(tel. 191 2227418) Wendy Simkiss,Department of Geology,National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside,Liverpool, U.K. Co-opted Tom Sharpe,(CoproUte), Department of Geology, National Museum of Wales, Cathays Park, Cardiff CFl 3NP, Wales, U.K.(tel. 1222 397951) Steve Thompson,(BCG), Keeper of Natural History, Scunthorpe Museum and Art Gallery, Oswald Road, Scunthorpe, South Humberside DN15 7BD (tel. 1724 843533; fax. 1724 270474) Nick Goff,(MDA/Documentation), 32 Palmer Street, Weston-super-Mare, Avon BS23 IRT, U.K. The views expressed by authors in The Geological Curator are entirely their own and do not represent those of either the Geological Curators' Group or the Geological Society of London unless otherwise stated. © The Geological Curators' Group. ISSN 0144 - 5294 Cover: Amos Henry Worthen (1813-1888). See article by Richard L. Leary and Susan Turner, p. 195-205. THE GEOLOGICAL CURATOR VOLUME 6, No.5 CONTENTS PAPERS TYPE,FIGURED AND CITED SPECIMENS IN THE MUSEUM OF ISLE OF WIGHT GEOLOGY (ISLE OF WIGHT,ENGLAND). by J.D. Radley THE WORTHEN COLLECTION OF PALAEOZOIC VERTEBRATES AT THE ILLINOIS STATE MUSEUM by R.L. Leary and S. Turner LOST AND FOUND 207 BOOK REVIEWS 209 GEOLOGICAL CURATORS' GROUP - 21ST ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 213 GEOLOGICAL CURATORS' GROUP - April 1996 TYPE,FIGURED AND CITED SPECIMENS IN THE MUSEUM OF ISLE OF WIGHT GEOLOGY (ISLE OF WIGHT,ENGLAND) by Jonathan D. Radley Radley, J.D. 1996. Type, Figured and Cited Specimens in the Museum of Isle of Wight Geology (Isle of Wight, England). The Geological Curator 6(5): 187-193. GEOLOGICAL i CURATORS Type, figured and cited specimens in the Museum of Isle of Wight Geology are listed, as GROUP a consequence of a recent collection survey and subsequent documentation work. Strengths currently lie in Palaeogene gastropods, and Lower Cretaceous invertebrates and vertebrates in general. It is anticipated that further specmens belonging to these categories will be established as status material in the near future, given prevailing research interests in the collection. Jonathan D. Radley. Geology Department, Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery, Queen's Road, Bristol, BS8IRL, U.K. Received 3rd November 1995; revised version received 13th January 1996. Introduction From the late 1940s until 1974, the Sandown and Shanklin Urban District Council employed honorary The Museum of Isle of Wight Geology originated through the activities ofthe Isle of Wight Philosophical custodians to care for the collections. Since 1974, the Society,which was established in 1810 and held meetings collections have been the responsibility of geological in the county town of Newport. Society members curators,employed by the Isle of Wight County Council and now reorganised as the Isle of Wight Council accumulated items of archaeological and natural (Radley 1993a). historical interest, and these collections formed the basis of the first Isle of Wight Museum, founded at The collections almost whoUy comprise locally collected Newport Guildhall in 1852 (Norman 1887, p.224). Cretaceous and Tertiary fossils and sedimentary rock Through the efforts of the honorary curator, Mr Ernest samples. J.F. Jackson, in particular, amassed a large Wilkins, public awareness resulted in further growth of number of Cretaceous and Palaeogene invertebrates. the collection and the Museum was relocated twice The collections of G.T. Woods and H.F. Poole were before public interest started to fade after the death of presented in 1938, and include Wealden reptile remains Mr Wilkins in 1881. and otherLower Cretaceous fossils. The W.J.P. Burton Soon after, the Newport Literary Society took custody bequest was accessioned in 1940 and largely comprises of the collections which were ultimately housed in a Palaeogene fossils, especially molluscs. Important new Newport Museum at Quay Street, Newport(Norman collections of fossil vertebrates accessioned since the 1887, p. 224). Some time prior to 1887, the geology 1970s include those of Steve Hutt and Keith Simmonds display was arranged by Mr Henry Keeping, who was in (Wealden reptiles), and Andy Yule (Palaeogene the employment of Adam Sedgwick at the Woodwardian reptiles). Museum, Cambridge (Rickards 1979). The only existing published catalogues are those of J.F. Levels of public interest in the new museum were low Jackson(1925,1928,1929,1930a,19306,1933,1938). and by about 1905 most of the collection had been put These works comprise strati graphically-ordered faunal into storage (Anon. 1910). In 1913, Mr Frank Morey lists, and are extremely useful in the context of arranged the removal of the geological collections to a stratigraphic palaeontology. Jackson omitted room above the Free Library in Sandown (Jackson corresponding accession numbers in these and other 1943). This was opened as a public museum in 1914, papers (listed by Howe 1994), but the tabulated taxa although work on the displays was not completed until can nevertheless sometimes be matched to specimens in the present collection. Such accessions are not 1923. Mr James Frederick Jackson came to the Island as Morey's assistant in 1924 and was curator of the included in the present list, but certainly deserve future Sandown Museum from 1925 to 1943(Howe 1994). documentation and publication. due for publication in 1996 and are recorded where appropriate. Type, Figured and Cited Specimens Lower Cretaceous Bivalves Prohinnitesfawinus (Pictet and Roux), MIWG 145 (collector: J.F. Jackson), cited. Lower Gryphaea Beds, Ferruginous Sands Formation, Lower Greensand Group, Isle of Wight. Harper, Radley and Palmer 1996 (in press). Prohinnitesfavrinus (Pictet and Roux), MIWG 7176 Figure 1. Chironomid midge (preserved in amber). (collector: J.D. Radley), cited. IWCMS:1994.100. Wessex Formation, Wealden Group, Perna Beds Member, Atherfield Clay Formation, Lower Cretaceous. Brightstone Bay, Isle of Wight. Lower Greensand Group, Redcliff, Isle of Wight. Wingspan; 2.9 mm.(Photograph by Peter Austen). Harper, Radley and Palmer 1996 (in press). This catalogue provides a list of the type, figured and Prohinnitesfavrinus (Pictet and Roux), IWCMS: 1994. 20 cited specimens that I encountered during a collection (collector: J.D. Radley), cited. Perna Beds Member, Atherfield Clay Formation, survey in 1993-94, and in subsequent documentation Lower Greensand Group, Redcliff, Isle of Wight. work. Given the importance of status specimens Harper, Radley and Palmer 1996 (in press). (Crowther 1990) and my impending move to a new post, I considered it judicious to publish at the present Prohinnitesfavrinus (Pictet and Roux), IWCMS: 1994. 137 (collector: J.D. Radley), cited. time. Perna Beds Member, Atherfield Clay Formation, Some of the listed specimens probably correspond to Lower Greensand Group, Redcliff, Isle of Wight. undetected citations of illustrations in the scientific Harper, Radley and Palmer 1996 (in press). literature. Specifically, recently published "popular" Prohinnitesfavrinus (Pictet and Roux), IWCMS: 1995. dinosaur texts may provide some records and I would 222 (collector: J.D. Radley), cited. urge current and future curatorial staff and volunteers Perna Beds Member, Atherfield Clay Formation, of the Museum to make note of such records, as and Lower Greensand Group, Redcliff, Isle of Wight. when they are encountered. In addition,like Jackson's Harper, Radley and Palmer 1996 (in press). specimens(see above)numerous unnumbered citations Upper Cretaceous Bivalves exist in recent literature, which could be linked to museum holdings with a little work.