THE COLLECTION OF MINERALS 



beauty, scientific interest and educational use. The aesthetic 

 influence of a collection of minerals need not be dwelt upon. It 

 is evident that minerals are beautiful in their colors, in their 

 varied forms and, sometimes, in the extreme delicacy of their 

 development. 



The History of the Collection. 



The growth of the Mineral Collection of the American Museum 

 has been gradual. Its nucleus was the Bailey collection, which 

 contained many of the more common minerals and, while not 

 conspicuous for beauty or completeness, was a fairly representa- 

 tive series serving very well the purpose of an introduction to 

 mineralogy. The Spang collection was purchased in 1891 and 

 more than doubled the number of specimens of minerals in the 

 Museum. This acquisition, furthermore, added a large number 

 of new species, and in many groups increased the variety and 

 richness of form represented. 



Previous to the purchase of the Spang collection, a very re- 

 markable group of specimens of Malachite and Azurite (the green 

 and blue carbonates of copper) had been presented to the Museum 

 by the Copper Queen Consolidated Mining Company of Arizona. 

 This unique and very striking assemblage of specimens, together 

 with later additions from the same source, is now installed in the 

 large single case at the north end of the smaller hall (lettered 

 "B" in the diagram). 



In the ten years following the acquisition of the Spang col- 

 lection, many valuable gifts were added to the Museum's series, 

 but preeminence among the exhibition collections in the country 

 was not attained until the close of 1900, when J. Pierpont Mor- 

 gan, Esq., purchased the Bement collection of minerals and 

 meteorites and presented it to the Museum. This remarkable 

 collection was brought together by Mr. Clarence S. Bement of 

 Philadelphia. It is the result of the careful expenditure of a 

 great deal of money, the purchases having been directed by ex- 

 quisite taste as well as by scientific judgment. Although the 

 Bement collection contains many rare species, its widespread 

 fame has rested upon the variety of forms representing the com- 





