FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Jamison Brizendine]

I am not sure if this is the correct sub-forum or not, but I thought I would try and see if any of our German (Tobi and Gerhard) or Austrian (Martin Rich) FMF Members could try and help me here (any help would be appreciated actually). I also apologize ahead of time if I have misspelled any German words and if I accidentally messed up posting pictures on the forum.

I am trying to find information about a former German (or Austrian?) mineral collector / geologist. I have several handwritten labels from specimens that were stated as being from the “H. Deisinger” collection. All the specimens that I have acquired from this collection were being offered by Jim Mcewan (Lehigh Minerals). Most of the specimens that were offered were predominantly German specimens, but the collection also had a wide variety of other worldwide minerals as well.

I have been trying to find some background information on “H. Deisinger” with limited success, as his name does not appear on the Mineralogical Record label archive.

The only lead I have for this individual is a cited reference from the US Department of the Interior Geological Survey. The reference is the bibliography file from the Zeolite Mineral Group, published in 1982 by Barry Hayhurst and Richard Mathias. The record is available online as a PDF. The citation is as follows (Note that there were no special characters on typewriters!) :

Muller, Von Ulrich, and Deisinger, Heinz, 1971, Strontium-Thomsonit aus dem Robbergbasalt von Robdorf bei Darmstadt: Aufschluss, vol. 22, pp. 145-148

I believe that “H. Deisinger” the collector is in fact, the cited Heinz Deisinger in that article.

Since I don’t speak any German, finding the literature that was cited and then trying to translate it would be extremely difficult for me.

On Mindat, I got a response from “Ger Steinn” (2015)

“The article you cited was published in the semi-scientific and non-public magazine “Der Aufschluss”. This magazine is only delivered to members of the biggest german mineralogical/geological association ‘Vereinigung der Freunde der Mineralogie und Geologie e.v.’ “

“At their website you can search for the table of contents from their early years 1950-1969. Unfortunately, later years are not available yet.”

“There is only one article of Mr. H. Deisinger regarding a location in Austria, published in 1968”

Deisinger, H. 1968, Der Auernig bei Mallnitz - einst und heute: Aufschluss, v. 19 (3), s. 68 [The Auernig near Mallnitz – once and today]

I am providing some pictures of the labels and the minerals as a chance that maybe somebody could give me some more background information on this collector. Thanks!

References cited:

Hayhurst, B., and Mathias, R.,1982, Zeolite mineral group bibliography: U.S. Department of the Interior Geological Survey, Open-file Report 82-715.

[Jordi Fabre]

The Deisinger collection was sold basically by Dave Bunk in Tucson 2009 under the name of "Deisinger collection of Darmstadt".

I have no more infos. Dave or someone related with his business could know more about this collection.

[Jamison Brizendine]

Thank you Jordi!!

I will try contacting Dave Bunk to see if he has any more information or maybe ask if he could write a reply on this forum.

[Tobi]

Browsing this thread, I just realized that I also own a Deisinger label and ex. specimen. but unfortunately I don't have further information on Deisinger, I hope Dave Bunk could help you in the meantime?

[Jamison Brizendine]

I emailed Dave Bunk again and he responded last night, I thought I would share the email I received:

Hello Jamison,

Sorry I never got back with you on this. I purchased the collection with Stefan Stolte of Frankfurt, and I just spoke with him about it. Unfortunately he has no pertinent information for you. It sounds like it might be the same guy that wrote the article you’re referencing, but I can’t confirm that.

Sorry I can’t be of more help to you. I certainly value provenance on specimens as well.

Dave

and Tobi...that is very nice pyromorphite by the way...