FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Jordi Fabre]

[John Jaszczak]

Mineralogy of Michigan. The cover specimen is from the Donald Gabriel collection. It was from the Central Mine, Keweenaw Co., Michigan. (8.5 x 6.8 x 4.6 cm)

[John Jaszczak]

One of the favorite areas of the old museum for guests to take photographs was in front of the giant sheet copper from the White Pine Mine, Ontonagon Co., MI. The mine closed in 1992.

[John Jaszczak]

Electrical work is nearing completion, and the wall where the large painting of Douglas Hougton will hang has its spotlights ready to to. The southeast corner of the gallery will host an expanded and newly renovated exhibit of fluorescent minerals. The gift shop will be at the main entrance to the museum building.

[crocoite]

Hi John. Thanks for sharing all of this. Is it intended that the new museum will be open all year round?

Regards
Steve

[John Jaszczak]

Hi Steve,
The new museum, like the old one, will be open year round. There will probably be
a difference between summer and winter hours (yes it seems some times like
we only have two seasons here), but those aren't fully decided yet.
I hope you'll come for a visit!

John

[crocoite]

Thanks John. I will try to sometime.

On another note, prior to reading this thread yesterday (I found it while searching), I was looking at a couple of Seaman museum specimens that I have and trying to find out more about them. I contacted George Robinson asking a question about the DM prefix on labels attached to my specimens:

"Would the DM refer to Dean Martalock"

and got this response:

"The DM prefix fools everyone, and Dean Martalock would seem a natural fit, but in fact the DM stands for "Display Mineral," an acronym instituted in the 1970s by former curator, Jean Kemp"

Seems there are a few people out there that assume the DM prefix stands for Dean Martalock!

Regards
Steve

[John Jaszczak]

I think the DM for "display mineral" was a way to distinguish those specimens from those used for teaching. George Robinson and Robert Rann are finishing up a new book about the museum and the collection. We'll post more when it is about to be published.

Cheers,
John

[John Jaszczak]

Early next week, the interior of the new A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum building will finished and the museum staff will start the process of moving in! Here are some images from yesterday's final touches.

Exterior work on the grounds and parking lot will continue for a while longer.

[John Jaszczak]

Entrance is almost finished! Furniture arrives for the offices next and case installation around the outside walls of the gallery is next.

[John Jaszczak]

Craftsmen and workers are installing the original "wall cases" from the old museum around the perimeter of the new gallery. They took a lot of time and care disassembling and sorting pieces to make the reassembly process as smooth as possible. It looks like they are making great progress!

[John Jaszczak]

Darlene, our museum manager, is making progress setting up cases in the gift shop.

[John Jaszczak]

Pat (not shown) has installed cases around the west and south walls. He's a master craftsman!

[John Jaszczak]

In the southwest corner of the new gallery, the first specimen was installed last Friday: a large native copper with some silver crystals from the Caledonia Mine, Ontonagon Co., MI.
It was donated by Bill Severance.

[John Jaszczak]

It must be official. Curator Dr. George Robinson moved into his new office today after his phone and computer were installed. His fiber optic light is on the table behind him. It will really be official when he gets his binocular microscope out of the case (on the floor)! I brought the chocolate "gems" on the desk to celebrate.