Note: Below is a copy Alan Goldstein’s excellent article on Curating Your Fossil and Mineral Collection. In 2015 Mr. Goldstein was kind enough to give MRGS permission to publish his article in our club newsletter and to link to his original work at the Falls of the Ohio State Park website. As the original web page is no longer available, I am re-posting it in it’s entire original, unaltered (including acknowledgements, references and typos) state here. All work remains the property of Mr. Goldstein.

Curating Your Fossil and Mineral Collection 

by Alan Goldstein
Interpretive Naturalist
Falls of the Ohio State Park 

Introduction

Nothing that makes a curator or collections manager bite down on his or her lower lip more than seeing a potential valuable scientific collection with little or no documentation. With a little effort, it is possible for a collection to become a resource with real scientific importance.

Unlike most sciences, the amateur in the fields of mineralogy and paleontology can make important contributions. (An amateur is one who cultivates some activity as a pastime and for the love of the subject of study.) Personal collections form the backbone of many great museum collections. A little diligence is all that is needed to keep a collection from becoming a useless mass of colorful or patterned stones otherwise destined for the landfill.

What does it take to make a collection important?

The reader might wonder, "How can I obtain an important collection? I can't afford to spend $500 or $5,000 for a museum-quality piece mineral or a rare fossil!" As a former curator of the Museum of History and Science (now Louisville Science Center) and as a park interpretive naturalist with curatorial duties, I can assure you that a self-collected specimen or those with detailed and accurate locality data can be far more valuable scientifically (and historically) than a more costly version of the same specimen without data. This is especially true when the fossil or mineral cannot be readily identifiable as coming from a specific mine, quarry, creek bed or road cut.

Across the globe, amateurs are often much more familiar with their local collecting sites. They also have more free time to spend in the field. As a Consequence, amateurs frequently have the best collections from "local" sites.

Most museums will not place into permanent collections (this is called accessioning) geological specimens with poor documentation. They may be accepted as a donation and be put to good use by the education department. Hands-on use leads to a productive, but shortened, life for a specimen. (If a museum does not want your collection, a local school will be happy to take the collection off your hands for use in the science lab!)

Let me use an example from my own experience. The Louisville Science Center has an assortment of well-documented collections dating back some 200 years. These can be rated as a "good" or "bad" collections based on the amount of data that is available. Two "good" collections include those of Gerard Troost (ca. 1810 -1850) and William A. Tharp-William Greenaway (ca. 1890 - 1950). Both collections suffered damage and loss of documentation during the great Ohio River flood of 1937. The Troost collection was purchased in 1874 for the brand-new library museum and was accessioned in 1880. The Tharp collection was still in the hands on the original collector at the time. (It was donated in 1987.) What makes these collections historically and scientifically significant is that they have collections catalogs (Troost in two, Tharp in seven volumes) as well as the specimen labels.

Documenting your collection

A catalog is important to document your collection. Labels, while important in their own right, can get lost or mixed over the years. A permanently affixed catalog number that matches the data in a descriptive catalog serves as a "back up" to preserve important documentation. On specimens too tiny to number, the storage container should carry the catalog number. The type of container should be indicated in the catalog when possible. (Troost used tightly fitted cylindrical wooden boxes.) Most people experience - or hear - about the nightmare of locating household goods after a move. Imagine the difficulty involved if you have to relocate a collection containing thousands of geological specimens! A label alone is simply not enough!

It is very difficult to start a catalog, especially if you already own several thousand specimens. But it is never too late! Curating your own collection is a chore. It is time consuming. For many collectors and all museums, it is essential. Can you imagine an art collector who obtains paintings or sculptures without knowing or caring who painted or sculpted the work? A geological collection is much the same. What is the significance of a beautiful cluster of interlocking stibnite crystals or a shark tooth-whorl without the documentation of where it came from? Most home computers serve quite adequately to document your collection. Database programs come with most store-bought computers, but if you do not have one there some inexpensive and useful collection database programs on the market. Remember, in the long run, you cannot have "too much" information about an individual specimen.

The locality is the most important piece of information you need - even more so than the identity of the mineral or fossil - which can be determined later. The geological formation can also be identified later, but the location (or detail such as the level within an outcrop or mine), once lost cannot be retrieved. Fossil names often get revised, so an obsolete name on label is not a cause of concern for museum curators or collectors working outside of their field of expertise.

There are some dealers who offer poorly documented specimens, or worse, labeled vaguely or inaccurately to protect a secret (or illegal) collecting locality. The scientific value of these specimens is greatly diminished or worthless. If you want to have a collection a museum would be proud to retain, try to avoid obtaining "suspect" specimens. If the market for poorly documented specimens were to dry up, collectors and dealers will be more apt to make sure their stock is accurately labeled. A current example of vague locality material widely available is from China - although it has been improving.

An Example: Though much documentation for the individual specimens in the Gerard Troost mineral collection has been lost since his death in 1850, with the two volume catalog intact, it is possible to "repatriate" many of the minerals with their original catalog numbers. I have done this a number of times. To facilitate further work in the future, I have completed a catalog database. It is now possible to do a search for using accessory minerals or crystal habit to narrow the field to one or several specimens.

Other information may be useful in the future. This includes from whom you obtained the specimen (and when) and, if self-collected, when you found it. If you have multiple specimens that are similar, differentiating specimens by their size can help preserve the details. The purchase price should be documented in the catalog. If you obtained the specimen through an exchange, be sure to list from whom the specimen was obtained and when.

One hundred years from now, these seemingly esoteric bits of information might be invaluable! The historical significance of most collections cannot be estimated now. In a century, your collection will be remembered by the information you provided. Someone might do a master’s thesis on “collecting in the late 20th and early 21st century” based on your collection, its catalog(s) and other supporting documentation.

What is "supporting documentation"? This includes correspondence relating to the specimens, catalogs, locality maps, photographs, catalog lists (for purchases), even books you used in the process of obtaining specimens. Gerard Troost refers to Parker Cleaveland's Mineralogy and Abbey Hauy's Trait de Mineralogy, 1st and 2nd editions" in volume 1 of his catalog (commenced 1811) as to the manner it was arranged and the crystallographic descriptions. In the second volume (commenced 1826), he cites C.C. von Leonardt's Handbuch der Oryktognosie, 2nd edition and J. Dana's System of Mineralogy, 2nd edition as his sources for organizing his catalog (and collection). It is unfortunate that with the exception of his mineral catalog, some Tennessee Historical Society documents, and some correspondence associated with Henry Heuland in London and Paris, little remains of his supporting documentation. He did publish articles in Silliman's Journal (American Journal of Science) and wrote reports as Tennessee's first State Geologist.

The Tharp collection contains an abundance of supporting documentation. This includes books, journals, magazines, mineral and fossil sale catalogs (dating back to 1892) and seven scrap books with newspaper clippings, letters and photographs from about 1892 to the mid 1930's. One interesting sample is a piece of cobaltite from Tennessee assayed by Thomas Edison, given by a Tennessee collector to William Greenaway (the original collector who gave Mr. Tharp his collection in the 1950's.) Much historical information can be found in this collection of "supporting documentation."

One might suppose it is possible to "go overboard" in retaining documentation. However, in a couple of centuries, these same papers may become a historical "gold mine." Organization of the documentation is obviously useful for future studies. I have many pages of correspondence (including copies of e-mail) on file.

Keeping a duplicate copy of your catalog at a separate location (i.e. safety deposit box, at work or a relative's house) will be essential in case the catalog and or the collection become lost in a disaster or stolen. I am a firm believer in maintaining a paper copy, as technology and electronic retrieval systems change faster than the average collector's ability to keep up. Consider this: most electronic data from NASA's space missions from the 1960's and 1970's is irretrievable because there is no working equipment that can read the magnetic tapes.

Specimens with considerable monetary value should be photographed, and when possible, stored securely. Theft of minerals and fossils is certainly as widespread as it is in art. There is a consortium of museums which publish lists of stolen specimens and will send them to curators on their mailing list. Some of the magazines that cater to collectors will publish photos of stolen specimens from time to time. The FBI and Interpol collaborate to document stolen art and could do the same with valuable fossils and minerals.

Additional information about maintaining your fossil collection is available from the American Museum of Natural History.

Investigate before donating

Not every museum has the ability to accept any collection that is offered. Many are mission-driven and the collections have to connect to the museum’s focus to be considered. A state museum may not want specimens found beyond its borders. Only museums that have a broad base of collections may be interested (or able) in preserving a diverse, well-documented geological collection.

Maintaining collections over time is costly. It takes money to shelve and house under climate control, specimens and artifacts. Some donors leave an endowment to cover the expenses on long-term maintenance of their collection. Although helpful, it is not essential. Museums will neither accept nor reject a collection just because you cannot give them funds to purchase cabinets or hire a person to organize it.

If you choose to leave a collection to a museum in your will, it is essential to notify them in advance. They may not have adequate storage space or the ability to care for the collection properly. In such cased, they might offer recommendations of a more suitable museum. What is their core mission? Inquire first to see if they have the staff and interest to curate your collection. They may want to peruse the collection now. Are you leaving specific items to family members? Make sure they know in advance. If the museum decides to disperse your collection, or auction a portion of it to buy other specimens, is that okay? Can they exchange specimens with other museums or individuals to improve their holdings?

A well documented collection may have the cohesiveness to cry out, "Keep me intact!" But today more than any other time in the history of museums, fewer museums are able or willing to do so. Consider prioritizing the collection list in terms of a specimen’s scientific value. Some duplicates or those with trivial scientific importance will find use as a learning tool helping the next generation learn about fossils or minerals. An ordinary specimen becomes extraordinary when handled by hundreds of kids in interactive learning. What a great way for a rock to end up!

If you are in good health and want to learn more about the museum to which you intend to donate your collection, get to know the people and the building and spend time there as a volunteer. Most museum curators or collections managers would give their eye-teeth to have a dedicated amateur working in their collections. Curating is both time consuming and educational. I learned more mineralogy through my volunteering and professional duties at the museum than from university classes. Existing knowledge is helpful, but an eagerness to learn more is more important.

If you plan to donate a collection do not expect the institution to be able or even willing to put it on display. It is physically impossible and extremely expensive to show an entire collection. Specimens of scientific importance are often "too ugly" to display. Most regional or local museums, 99 percent of the visitors have the patience or interest to view only a limited number of displays before they move on to another exhibit topic. Only a meager number of visitors have the interest or time to examine every specimen in a geology display.

If you live in a community with a museum or university, make an appointment to visit and talk to curatorial staff and university professors. Most of them will be helpful and pleased to talk to you. With funding sources scarce, a good volunteer is worth a lot (about $17 an hour in 2009). The building of professional relationships will increase your knowledge which will unquestionably increase the scientific value of your personal collection.

It is you, the amateur collector, who is most likely to make a discovery in the field. The professionals spend a fraction of their time in the field and rarely know the terrain as well as the local amateur. If you are knowledgeable, the discovery is yours. If not, the new find may never be made or it will be the next knowledgeable person that stops at your favorite, secret collecting spot. Discoveries are often accidental. Over the years, I have made a few (see for instance, Ausich, Goldstein & Yates, 2000).

To keep or not to keep, that is the question

Is there anything that an amateur collector should not keep? Collectors are, by-in-large, possessive of items they collect. (A collection is a reflection the collector’s mind.) What happens if you discover a new fossil or mineral occurrence or a species new to science? Most people are not able to determine if something is undescribed unless they consult with an expert. And experts are not lurking around every corner. Geological experts are scattered few and far between.

If you find the "first" of something (be it mineral or fossil or something else), and if it is to be described in the scientific literature, a holotype or co-type must be designated by the author(s) of the scientific paper (see Dunn and Mandinaro, 1988a, 1988b). This is the type for which all subsequent studies must be compared. Unless a site is abundant, there may only be a handful of specimens - or just one. Who should preserve a type specimen for future investigation?

Type specimens do not belong in the collection of an amateur. If that new crinoid species is sequestered in a private collection, there is a great likelihood that it will be lost over time. A new species belongs to everyone and be available for any qualified scientist for study. Even if you bequeath your collection to a museum, the importance of the type specimen may be lost to your descendants who may not obey the terms of the will for a variety of reasons (too much trouble, too expensive to ship, family discord, etc.).  Additionally, the curator may be unaware that a type specimen is within your collection.

You still have the right and privilege of entering that find in your personal catalog and noting "Type specimen placed in the U. S. National Museum, accession number 123456.” Many fossils can be replicated from latex molds. The cast can be kept in your collection while the original is museum-bound for the next generations of scientists to use. Dr. William Ausich made a latex mold and two plaster casts of the holotype of Abrotocrinus debrae, named for my wife. The original is at the Smithsonian and we have the mold and casts!

Thoughts on organizing your collection

How should you organize your collection? There are dozens (if not hundreds) of coded, numerical, alphanumeric systems that can be used. How massive do you anticipate your collection to get over time? Simple numerical order is fine for a small collection (under a thousand specimens). It may not be suitable for a large one. Professional curators can provide valuable input (see Gait, 1985). Minerals or fossils could be cataloged using common classification systems (native elements, oxides, or by phylum). Do not change the system after you start, or confusion will surely follow. I do not care for my system of recording fossil corals, but having cataloged over 2,000 specimens since 1979, I am not to toss it out and start anew!

Various techniques can be used to attach a catalog number to a specimen. Again, consulting with professionals can be useful. Whatever technique you use, be sure it will not be destroyed when the specimen is cleaned! If you cannot apply number without a deleterious effect to the specimen, consider numbering the storage container (which should securely enclose the specimen and not be opened like a fold-up box). White acrylic paint, type writer correction fluid and numbered paper glued to the back of the specimen are all in widespread use. Some people with neat handwriting use technical pens with acid-free black ink.

There are unstable minerals and fossils that will disintegrate over time (some in only one year). The number may be the last (or first) to go, depending on how you protect it. Some minerals emit vapors that might affect other specimens (i.e. giving off mercury, hydrogen sulfide or other sulfur gases) should be segregated (Waller, 1999 and Waller, et al, 2000).

Fossils composed of framboidal pyrite (micro-crystalline pyrite) should be given special consideration. Some chemical reactions from minerals can destroy paper-based boxes or wooden storage drawers over time. The sulfur-eating bacterial can migrate to other specimens of similar composition. Sulfuric acid vapors can wreck havoc in small enclosed spaces. Store them in a dry environment as possible and isolate them in sealed containers where possible. Some will survive longer stored in water or mineral oil. Research will help determine the best course of action for unstable specimens. The simplest (but not necessarily easiest) solution is not to collect them!

Conclusion

If you have, or desire to have, an important geological collection with more than aesthetic value documentation for each specimen is required. You have to make time to do the work. Free time that you might prefer to spend in the field will be required, especially if you have not established a catalog. A few evenings a week are sufficient to make headway (even in large collections; start with your most important specimens.) Use those really hot summer or freezing winter day to work on it. As long as you are an active collector, you will never catch up, but that is not essential. Ultimately your own personal collection may be enjoyed not only by yourself and friends, but also by future scientists and museum visitors from all over the world - if you take the time and curate your collection wisely today.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Robert I. Gait and Marie Huizing for reviewing this document and making numerous suggestions for improvement.

References

Ausich, W. I., Goldstein, A., and Yates, J. R., 2000. Crinoids from the Muldraugh Member of the Borden Formation in North-Central Kentucky. Journal of Paleontology, Vol. 74, no. 6, p. 1072 -1082.

Dunn, P. J.  and Mandinaro, J. A., 1988a. The preservation of type mineral specimens. Mineralogical Record, Vol. 19, 226 - 227.

Dunn, P. J.  and Mandinaro, J. A., 1988b. Formal definitions of type mineral specimens. Mineralogical Record, Vol. 19, 227 - 228.

Gait, R. I., 1985. Acquiring and cataloguing a mineral collection. Museum Quarterly, Ontario Museums Association, Vol. 14, 13 - 30.

Goldstein, A., 1989. Labeling: Transmitting information for years to come. Mineral News, Vol. 12, no. 6.

Waller, R., 1999. Internal pollutants, risk assessment and conservation priorities. International Council Of Museums, Committee for Conservation,12th Triennial Meeting, Lyon France, 113 - 118.

Waller, R., Andrew, K. and Tetreault, J., 2000. Survey of gaseous pollutant concentration distributions in mineral collections. Collection Forum, Vol. 14, 1 - 32.