A mineral collection in the Ulster Museum matched with a lecture syllabus of Sir Charles Giesecke (1761-1833)

Abstract

Sir Charles Giesecke (1761-1833) was a mineral collector and dealer before becoming Professor of Mineralogy at the Royal Dublin Society in 1813. After his appointment he continued to deal in minerals and he supplied collections to museums in Europe, to Trinity College, Dublin and -- it seems -- to his students. One such student collection was recently discovered in the Ulster Museum, where it had been stored unrecorded for nearly a century. It was recognised by linking numbered specimen labels to an original lecture syllabus in the museum's archives. The history of the collection was established from a succession of signatures. The uncovering of this early 19th century collection resulted from careful observation during practical hands-on curation.