FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Roy Starkey]

Wednesday 21 September, 8.00pm (BST) online. “Philip Rashleigh’s Mineral Collection at the Royal Cornwall Museum and Why It Is Important” Roy Starkey, The Russell Society.

The Rashleigh Gallery, together with the collections held in the museum store behind the scenes are a National Treasure, internationally important and a vital resource for Cornish mineralogy.

Please join us on Wednesday evening when I'll be arguing that the collection is too important to lose.

Please go to http://www.geologycornwall.com/ and navigate to the 2022 LECTURES AND EVENTS tab to access the Zoom link. I cannot find a way of posting the direct link that is acceptable to the spam filter.

http://www.geologycornwall.com/2021-lectures-and-events
(links normalized by FMF)

For some background on the collection and the challenges facing the museum see:

http://www.mindat.org/mesg-598380.html

http://www.mindat.org/article.php/2532/Royal+Cornwall+Museum+-+your+help+required%21

http://www.geocollnews.wordpress.com/2020/01/13/the-mineral-collection-of-the-royal-institution-of-cornwall/
(links normalized by FMF)

[James Catmur]

Roy

I hope to join you but seem to have lots of meetings that evening (it is the first of my three birthdays - long story but my mum had forgotten my day of birth when she went to register it!)

[James Catmur]

Roy

Could you post (or send to me and I will post it) the link to the recording of the talk?

Thanks

[Robert Seitz]

I really enjoyed this museum, with mineral specimens and mineral-related exhibits, a few years ago. This posting triggered me to look through the photos again.

Thanks,

[James Catmur]

Herewith the link to the recording of the Rashleigh talk

https://universityofexeter.zoom.us/rec/share/LjZZ9CpkFxf4Q7V02Dm9wQWLU1erTJCRzWiKgYw8i2Pyu65QpwG9S3Rq-_iyPFiI.cUxiYzvfisF2uaDG?startTime=1663786988000
(link normalized by FMF)

We think this will only work for thirty days because the RGSC then take down links off their website. So please note that.

[Roy Starkey]

Thanks very much for posting the link James.

I wanted to add just a few comments whilst the talk is still topical.

Anyone accessing the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall website will find the following brief notes of the extensive discussion which followed the talk.

110 people joined the online talk and discussion, including from Australia (3), the USA (3), Sweden (1), Italy (1), and Scotland, Wales and England, demonstrating that the RCM collections and the Rashleigh Collection and archive in particular are truly special with an international reach and reputation.

There is tremendous goodwill to help with the collection/museum. If RCM were to hold a workshop to engage with enthusiasts about interests and ideas for future development, it would be well-received and well-attended.

The adult museum audience including ‘enthusiasts’ is an important group to engage with, as well as school groups, general tourists.

There is an opportunity to link the enthusiast community better to expand activities such as schools outreach – using expertise gained over years of presenting minerals in schools.

There was lively conversation about how much information should be presented with mineral specimens – people like labels!

Ideas were discussed for a new storage and interactive facility, – equivalent to Kresen Kernow for ‘things’ such as archaeology and natural history or even a new larger exhibition of a World Heritage Site geocentre.

There was concern for safeguarding the geological collections including the Rashleigh Collection because of the lack of a specialist curator, a role key in making the most of the collections – for research as well as public interaction – and in ensuring that the minerals are kept in good condition, and safe from potential interaction with unscrupulous parties. Achieving a formal designation for the collection is an important step in safeguarding and future fundraising.

There was concern, especially given financial position of the Museum, about what would happen to the collection in the event the museum were to close and discussion of the good practice of having a contingency plan.

Some members may be aware that the long awaited UK Government ‘Town Deal’ funding for Truro was formally released on 26 September. This contains some funding for the development of the Royal Cornwall Museum exhibitions and you can find a link and watch the promotional video via the RGSC website.

However, as with all such development plans the information available is rich in buzzwords and fashionable concepts and gives almost no useful detail.

We, the mineralogical community, will have to keep a close eye on developments over the next few months. There is little in the glossy PDF brochure to provide any reassurance about the future of the Rashleigh Gallery, and nothing to suggest that there is any realistic likelihood of a competent and experienced mineralogical curator (or even an earth scientist) being appointed to care for and manage the collections.

In particular the passage below gives cause for concern.
"Transforming the Royal Cornwall Museum into a contemporary heritage asset and a carbon neutral museum in the heart of the city. Improved access, new exhibition space and a digital learning lab."

We certainly do not want another 'contemporary heritage asset' like the disaster that is 'The Box' in Plymouth.

However, it is important that we wait and see the details of any proposed redevelopment, and try to influence the decision makers, before mounting any form of campaign in relation to the mineral collection and Rashleigh Gallery in particular.

Best wishes

Roy