The Mineralogy Department records house the administrative records of the department and its custodians. This collection dates from 1817 to 1993 and contains catalogues, inventories, correspondence, memoranda, financial records, historical notes, invoices, exhibition planning and loan documentation, reports, photographs, and negatives. These records document various stages in the administration of the department, as it changed throughout the years.

This collection is arranged into three series: “Series I. Catalogs and inventories, 1817-1993,” “Series II. Administrative records, 1845-1993,” and “Series III. Samuel George Gordon records, 1910-1970.” Series I “Catalogs and inventories” dates from 1817 to 1993 and is arranged alphabetically. This series contains catalogs of specific mineral collections at the Academy, such as the Seybert Collection, the William S. Vaux collection, the H. Carrill Lewis Collection, and the mineral collections of the Franklin Institute; but also catalogs which document the collections as a whole. Many of these catalogs use Dana Numbering System, while others use alternative earlier numbering systems. Records of a departmental inventory that was conducted in the 1990s, recording any discrepancies in the collections, can also be found in this series. Overall, this series documents the contents of the mineralogical specimen collections, and the descriptive practices of the department throughout the years.

Series II “Administrative records” dates from 1845 to 1993 and is arranged alphabetically. This series contains correspondence and memoranda regarding departmental administration, annual reports, exhibition planning documents, financial records, histories, loan documents, a minutes book, and subject files. This series mostly documents administrative activities of the department after Samuel George Gordon, although some of his files can be found in this series. The majority of records documenting his administration can be found in Series III. There are also several administrative records from before Gordon’s time in this series, such as the minutes book, although again the majority of records are from the mid-20th century. Notable among these records are loan documents and exhibition planning, which reveal the importance of the Academy collections to the mineralogical community at large. Also, histories in this series contain Robert Middleton’s notes regarding the institutional and regional history of mineralogy, reflecting an unpublished attempt to compile such histories. Researchers should also note the chronological run of John Sherman’s administrative records from the 1980s, and materials related specifically to the administration of the Vaux Collection.

Series III “Samuel George Gordon records” dates from 1910 to 1970, with bulk dates from 1913 to 1949, and is arranged alphabetically. This series contains Gordon’s correspondence, descriptions of minerals, expedition records, reports, speeches, photographs, negatives, and slides. Many of the photographs in this series document Gordon’s expeditions, and should be viewed in the context of these collecting excursions. Researchers should note that some of Gordon’s records can also be found in Series II.

Overall, this collection documents a department that lies at the heart of Academy history with some of the first specimen collections. The importance of the department, reaching its height during the tenure of Samuel Gordon during the early 20th century, drastically diminished as time went on, and the records reflect this trend. As the Academy turned its scientific focus more and more to the study of ecosystems and sustainability, mineralogy was relegated to the role of exhibition and eventual periphery. Despite this history, the departmental records provide an interesting glimpse into the scope of the collections, the personalities involved, and the collections management practices throughout the years. Additionally, the collection is certainly important to the study of mineralogy as a whole, and some of the older catalogues such as Seybert’s are intrinsically valuable treasures in their own right.