British Museum (Natural History): Department of Mineralogy: Mineral Library Correspondence...

This series consists of mineral library correspondence and papers from the British Museum (Natural History) Department of Mineralogy.

It contains the few surviving archive items relating to the Mineral Library.

Separated material: Donation and purchase records have all disappeared, together with early correspondence and binding records.

Access conditions: Subject to 30 year closure

George Savigar headed the Library from 1881 until 1918 when he retired. He was then succeeded by J J Mugford, who ran the Library until 1954. Following this the Library was headed by Miss Kafka (1954-1958), then Miss J R Wood (1959-1962), then by R W T Atkins (1962-1982), who transferred to the newly created Department of Library Service in 1975.

The Library was housed in the east basement for many years and moved to the second floor of the east tower in 1962.

The Department held only a small number of books until 1879 when the first considerable purchases were made, ready for the move to South Kensington. A catalogue printed in 1881 comprised 1,297 entries, of which 39 referred to maps. By 1900 the collection was estimated to contain 6,339 volumes, 1, 770 memoirs and pamphlets and 252 sheets of maps. Thereafter the library grew steadily, acquiring monographs, serials, maps and manuscripts relating to the whole range of the work of the Department.