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Carles Curto

Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 160
Location: Barcelona



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Posted: May 24, 2015 06:59 Post subject: Donation by Jordi Fabre of part of the Folch Collection duplicates to the MCNA |
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¡Eppur si muove!
Yes, sometimes, something important changes in the mineral world, in Spanish Natural History Museums, and in our natural heritage.
On the 21 of May the people of Vitoria-Gasteiz welcomed us as only they know how. I had the chance, and the honor, to be invited to the Alava Natural History Museum – in the person of Dr. Jesús Alonso – and the Diputación Foral, to attend the presentation of a donation, by Mr. Jordi Fabre i Fornaguera, of 4.385 mineral samples that come from the Joaquím Folch’s Duplicates collection.
This presentation was in the presence of the technically responsible and mineral curator of the Museum, Dr. Jesús Alonso, the generous donor, Jordi Fabre and, as institutional representatives, the Foral Deputy of Culture, Icíar Lamarain Cenitagoya, the Culture Director, Maria Carmen Gutiérrez Fraile, the Chief of Museums Services, Félix López López de Ullibarri, and a lot of other technicians from the Department and the Museo de Ciencias Naturales, host of this emotive act of kindness.
This important mineralogical donation embraces a wide historical period of mineral collecting in Spain and it includes not only a very important heritage increase (the Museum, itself, considers it to be the most significant private input in its twenty-nine year history), but, furthermore, it substantially improves the content for important historical localities (and a lot of others, that are no so well known) in the Iberian Peninsula, extending the chronological coverage of mineralogical history. Thanks to this donation, the Museum of Alava becomes, in a better way, an essential reference for Spanish mineralogy and, in general, for the Iberian Peninsula.
Commenting on (and celebrating) this donation with Jesús Alonso and Jordi Fabre, and also with Ms. Icíar Lamarain, we emphasized, and agreed, that it is not only the history of an institution that moves individuals to give their collections to them. They also need a reputation as guarantor of assets that is achieved with continuity, perseverance and rigor in scientific and documentary investigation, in the dissemination of the results of this work and the enthusiasm of the museum itself and of its workers and collaborators. Waiting for a long term solution – a new building and installations that meet this public institutional requirements and adequate staff to do the work, if it’s possible, more efficiently and assuring the current and future perspectives – the Museum has demonstrated once more its capacity to generate not only science but also the necessary empathy to connect both with the greater public and the amateur and the whole scientist community.
I finish by repeating my personal and professional satisfaction and my deep acknowledgement to be honored to participate in this so significant act. I encourage all, especially those that are attracted by the natural heritage and the territorial richness, and not only them, to, open minded and without reservations, visit the exhibitions and get to know the collections contents and the deepness of the tasks that this Museum is undertaking.
Thanks to James Catmur for the revision of this text to the English language
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Vitoria-Gasteiz, capital of the Álava Province located in the Basque Country |
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Central square (Plaza de la Virgen Blanca) in Vitoria-Gasteiz |
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Jesús Alonso, curator of the Museum. |
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Here I am with a member of the Museum staff |
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Chatting with some authorities |
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Chatting inside the main hall of the Museum |
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One of the display cases with part of the donation |
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Another view of the same display case |
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And finally here you have the poster built for the celebration.
Photos: Carles Curto, Jordi Fabre and Rafael López del Valle |
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Don Lum

Joined: 03 Sep 2012
Posts: 2898
Location: Arkansas



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Posted: May 24, 2015 13:00 Post subject: Re: Donation from Jordi Fabre of part of the Folch Collection duplicates to the MCNA |
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Jordi,
Your generosity will be appreciated by future generations for many years to come.
Thank you.
Don
_________________ hogwild |
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Pete Modreski
Site Admin

Joined: 30 Jul 2007
Posts: 710
Location: Denver, Colorado



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Posted: May 24, 2015 16:07 Post subject: Re: Donation from Jordi Fabre of part of the Folch Collection duplicates to the MCNA |
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How nice - what a wonderful and generous thing to do. Congratulations to the Museum, and to Jordi!
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Peter Van Hout
Joined: 13 Feb 2013
Posts: 39
Location: Flanders


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Posted: May 24, 2015 17:13 Post subject: Re: Donation from Jordi Fabre of part of the Folch Collection duplicates to the MCNA |
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Such a big donation is really very generous Jordi ! And I believe that a donation of that many pieces must have a decent value too.
Again, very generous!
Peter
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Pierre Joubert
Joined: 09 Mar 2012
Posts: 1605
Location: Western Cape



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Posted: May 25, 2015 02:38 Post subject: Re: Donation from Jordi Fabre of part of the Folch Collection duplicates to the MCNA |
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What a wonderful gesture Jordi! I am sure that Mr Folch would have been very happy with your decision.
_________________ Pierre Joubert
'The tree of silence bears the fruit of peace. ' |
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Jordi Fabre
Overall coordinator of the Forum

Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 4950
Location: Barcelona



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Posted: May 26, 2015 02:51 Post subject: Re: Donation by Jordi Fabre of part of the Folch Collection duplicates to the MCNA |
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Thanks Don, Pete, Peter and Pierre!
Just to clarify a little bit the process, these 4385 specimens were mine but coming from the Folch collection.
Although at the start of the process of the sale of the Folch duplicates collection we dealt in a kind of consignment, as explained in several different places like in the article published in the Rocks&Minerals magazine: https://www.rocksandminerals.org/Back%20Issues/2009/November-December%202009/Folch-Mineral-full.html , during the process the Folch family needed release all the duplicates and finally we arrived to an agreement and currently I own all duplicates.
That's why I decided, with the authorization of the Folch family, donate to the MCNA a part of this large amount of material.
_________________ Audaces fortuna iuvat |
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Roger Warin

Joined: 23 Jan 2013
Posts: 1217



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Posted: May 26, 2015 03:53 Post subject: Re: Donation by Jordi Fabre of part of the Folch Collection duplicates to the MCNA |
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Generous initiative.
Roger.
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James Catmur
Site Admin

Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 1432
Location: Cambridge



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Posted: May 26, 2015 04:45 Post subject: Re: Donation by Jordi Fabre of part of the Folch Collection duplicates to the MCNA |
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Wonderful news - I really must find time to visit the museum, as I love the Basque Country, having spent a lot of time working in Bilbao.
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