The life and work of Sir Arthur Russell
18 September
Monday 18 September (Indoor Meeting): 'The life and work of Sir Arthur Russell'. Speaker: Roy Starkey.
To the mineralogist and mineral collector Sir Arthur Russell needs little introduction. The honorific ‘Sir’ is not a knighthood for public service but the result of him becoming the 6th Baronet Russell of Swallowfield in Berkshire, a hereditary title created for his great-grandfather Sir Henry Russell (1751–1836). One might be forgiven for imagining that his family background would have bestowed upon him a comfortable lifestyle, but the reality was rather different. He was by nature a frugal person with the common touch, equally at home with miners and quarrymen as he was with the mine owners and landowners that paid their wages. This talk, which draws upon more than four years’ research for a recently published book, will provide an overview of Arthur’s family background, his contributions to the study of British mineralogy and the wonderful specimens contained within his collection.
Arthur was undoubtedly drawn to the beauty and wonder of natural objects. He collected minerals himself, acquired specimens from miners and made a remarkably thorough job of tracing and purchasing old collections. As a consequence, through his wonderful collection of minerals, we can travel back in time to places that are no longer accessible, and via the associated historical connections with earlier collectors, gain a sense of the value attributed to crystals and mineral specimens 250 years ago.
Largely self-taught, and with no formal scientific qualifications, he rose to become President of the Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland and was awarded several prestigious medals for his work in mineralogy. He rubbed shoulders and forged relationships with many famous mineralogists and was a valued consultant to the mineral industries.
The story of how his collection came to be at the Natural History Museum in London is a tortuous one. Minerals were his life and the talk will celebrate the diversity of colour and form, of chemistry and structure, and the rich geological and mining heritage of these small islands that Sir Arthur was proud to call his home.