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Mineral
Collectors |
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 William W. Jefferis |
The
William W. Jefferis (1812-1906) Mineral Collection of over 14,000
specimens was purchased by Andrew Carnegie in 1904 for $20,000.
It formed the foundation of the museum’s mineral collection.
Calcite from England
Photo: Harold and Erica Van Pelt
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Among Jefferis’ collection were excellent specimens from Eastern Pennsylvania, Northern New York and the British Isles. The collection contained many specimens of fluorite, calcite, and barite. Every specimen in the Tin Isles locality suite on display in Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems is from the Jefferis Mineral Collection.
Jefferis began collecting minerals in 1837 and expanded his collection for 60 years. He worked as a very successful banker for most of his life, and after retiring he served as curator of the William S. Vaux
Collection for fifteen
years. He was also a Professor of Mineralogy at the West Chester Normal
School for one year. Throughout his life, he published only one book:
Minerals of Chester County (1864). However, his collection was very
well-known and he often lent out specimens for study and illustration.
Original Jefferis specimen label |
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Norman
Spang (1843-1922) was one of the few 19th century businessmen
from Western Pennsylvania who became prominent mineral collectors.
Financial gain was not the main motivation for Spang’s interest
in mineralogy; rather, he possessed a genuine curiosity
 Natrolite crystals from the Bergen Hill railroad tunnel,
New Jersey
Photo: Debra Wilson
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about the aesthetic and scientific properties of his collection.
He was unusual among his breed due to the fact that he actually sought
out specimens in the field if he could not purchase them. His collection
was admired by scientists and collectors of all backgrounds. Spang
was born in Etna, Pennsylvania in 1843. After completing an education
in engineering, he joined the family iron smelting and manufacturing
business. He inherited a large portion
Original Spang specimen labels
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of his collection
from his father, Charles Spang, and continued to build upon that base
for most of his life. At one point he had over 8,000 specimens in his
possession, and his collection was among the most valuable in the nation.
Norman Spang was an associate of Andrew Carnegie, and in 1906 he donated
over 100 specimens to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Additional
donations included a hematite geode and a large quartz crystal from
Switzerland.
Wulfenite crystals from the Albion mine in Eureka, Nevada
Photo: Debra Wilson
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The sulfate mineral
spangolite was named in recognition of Norman Spang, who supplied the
first known specimen for study. It was found near Tombstone, Arizona
and is often associated with copper-containing minerals such as azurite,
malachite and cuprite. |
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 Dr. Frederick H. Pough
Photo: Wendell Wilson
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Dr. Frederick
H. Pough (1906-2006) assembled an impressive collection of over
800 gem specimens. A large portion of the collection was purchased by the
Carnegie Museum of Natural History and the rest was donated by Dr. Pough
to the museum. The Pough Gem Collection was the product of over thirty years
of acquisition. Over the course of his life, Pough was a student, professor,
curator, author and consultant of mineralogy. Dr. Pough was awarded a Doctorate
from Harvard and taught mineralogy there for a short time. He worked as Assistant
Curator at the American Museum of Natural History, and later became chairman
of their Department of Geology and Mineralogy. During WWII he worked for
the Manhattan Project in Brazil. After serving as Director of the Santa Barbara
Museum of Natural History, he worked as a consulting mineralogist and eventually
established his own consulting firm, Mineralogy, Inc.
8.51 ct green quartz gem from Brazil
Photo: Debra Wilson
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During the 1970s,
Pough served as a consultant to the Section of Minerals at the Carnegie
Museum of Natural History to assist with the expansion of the collection
and the development of Hillman Hall. He was chosen as the recipient for the
Carnegie Mineralogical Award in 1989. The award is given each year to an
individual,
group or organization who works to advance the ideals of mineralogical preservation,
conservation, and education.
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13.79 ct quartz variety citrine gem
Photo: Debra Wilson
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John L. Lewis (1880-1969), better known as a labor leader than as a mineral
collector, donated approximately 2,600 gems and gem mineral specimens to the
Carnegie Museum of Natural History in 1902. These minerals helped build the
foundation of the museum’s growing collection.
As a young man, Lewis worked as a miner in parts of the Western United States. He joined the United Mine Workers of America and served as their president from 1920-1960. He was a controversial public figure known for his oratorical skills, dictatorial style and persuasive nature.
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Fluorite, galena and calcite crystals from Cumbria, England
Photo: Debra Wilson
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Professor Gustave Guttenberg (1843-1896)
provided some of the first specimens from the region of the former
Soviet Union that were acquired by the Carnegie Museum of Natural
History. Three of these specimens were added to the museum’s
permanent collection of minerals from that region. These included lazurite
from Siberia, malachite from the Ural Mountains and Siberian heliotrope
(also known
as bloodstone, a variety of quartz).
Professor Guttenberg was
a curator at the Academy of Science and Art of Pittsburgh (the former name
for the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh) and in 1895 he loaned his
collection of
550 minerals and fossils to the museum for display. His collection was purchased
by the museum in 1896, shortly after his death.
Original Guttenberg specimen label |
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James E. Moresby White
Photo: Mindy McNaugher
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James E. Moresby White (1925-2007) was an avid amateur mineralogist
with a genuine passion for collecting. He specialized in English minerals, particularly
fluorite, calcite and hematite as well as gem mineral crystals including topaz,
beryl (varieties: aquamarine, morganite, emerald, and heliodor) and quartz (varieties:
rock crystal, amethyst, smoky, citrine, and rose).
Naturally "healed" crystal
of aquamarine from Pakistan
Photo: Debra Wilson
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Mr. White began collecting
minerals in the late 1930’s, through both acquisition and field collection.
He generously donated approximately 3,500 rocks, minerals and gems to the Carnegie
Museum of Natural History for exhibit, reference, research and educational purposes.
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Sources:
"Charles and Norman Spang: All-American Mineral Collectors." Matrix Volume
1, Issue 4 July-August 1988: 49-56.
Dana, J.D, et
al. Dana's System of Mineralogy, Volume II, Seventh Edition. New
York, London: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1960.
Van Pelt, Harold
and Erica.
Wilson, Debra.
Wilson, Marc
L. "Minerals of the Former Soviet Union in the Collections of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania." Rocks
and Minerals (1/1/2001).
Wilson, Wendell
E. Mineralogical Record: Biographical Archive. 2008. |
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