British Museum (Natural History): Department of Mineralogy: Departmental Correspondence

This series consists of departmental correspondence of the British Museum (Natural History) Department of Mineralogy.

It contains carbon-copy replies to incoming letters, invoices, lists of specimens and dealers' catalogues, bound volumes and loose letters. The earliest letters in the series are addressed to Charles Konig and George Waterhouse and predate the foundation of the Department in 1857. From this date the series is truly departmental, and contains letters addressed to all members of the scientific staff of the Department of Mineralogy.

The letters deal principally with the acquisition, exchange and identification of specimens, the development of equipment, and with the research projects of individual staff members.

Each of the bound volumes, pieces 1 - 35, has a name index, while the files, pieces 36 - 52, have contents lists.

The series is arranged in three alphabetical series (pieces 1-35), and loose letters in a further two alphabetical series, (pieces 36-99 and pieces 100-152). Letters in the early series are always arranged alphabetically by writer, while pieces 36-99 are more often arranged by the employing institution. The final series (pieces 100-152) is arranged by country of origin and separated into universities, museums and other institutes, with a small number of letters arranged alphabetically by personal name.

Letters from John Ruskin to L Fletcher are in the Library of the University of Hull.

Access conditions: Subject to 30 year closure