[meteorite-list] Legality of Libyan Desert GlassArtifactsDiscussion

From: Frank Prochaska <fprochas_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat Jun 12 14:07:31 2004
Message-ID: <200406121807.LAA17881_at_spok.premier1.net>

" in all fairness a muesum is a bit diffrent than a private collector. sure
both my preserve a relic, however a muesume allows for it to be enjoyed by
the public as a whole. afterall, what good is a relic if it's left burried
in the ground so as to never allow us to learn from it, or apreciate it."



        Alright, I have been trying to stay out of this, as this thread has
been a distraction from the true point of the list, and is clearly a no-win
argument from any point of view. However, trying to make blanket
generalizations between museums (apparently public or private) and private
collectors, and in particular their value to society or the public "good" is
a sore subject for me.
        There are the good and the bad in both categories, and I certainly
do not mean to paint everyone in each category with the same brush, but let
me give a few examples, from my experience in meteorites over the last 16
years.
        There are a number of museums within the US that have either do not
have the interest or the resources to properly protect and care for their
specimens. A number of list members could relate their personal
observations of some collections of meteorites simply rusting away in some
museums. I doubt this is limited to the US. In reviewing the literature,
it is not uncommon to find that specimens and even entire meteorites to have
been "lost" in museums. This isn't limited to falls or finds from several
hundred years ago, but also has occurred with many samples recovered since
1900, well into the heyday of modern science's collecting and cataloging
phase (such as in archaeology). These samples and whole meteorites,
entrusted to the museums from a public point of view, are now lost to
everyone. While many museums have a public display of some of their
samples, only the smallest museum collections are on display in their
entirety. Only a small fraction of the large collections will ever be seen
by the public. Further, research money is limited and only a small fraction
of the meteorites in collections will ever receive any analysis or study
beyond initial classification. In truth, only a small fraction of samples
in museums have ever been used to allow the public to either "learn from it,
or appreciate it." This is also true of some collections in private
collections, but certainly not all.
        There are people on this list who have reached more of the public
with their meteorites, through presentations at local astronomy club
meetings, giving talks at public libraries or in public schools, and so
forth, than many museums reach. There are many school kids in my area
(Washington State) who will probably never travel to one of the major
meteorite displays in places like Chicago and Washington DC, but have held
and examined some truly rare and inspiring meteorites from my collection.
They would have to travel to one of the larger museums in the country to
even see these meteorites behind glass. There are many private collectors
on this list that have done far more of this sort of outreach than I have.
        Let us also not forget that most, if not all, museums owe the fact
that they have a great many of their samples to the effort and the presence
in the market of the private collector. (I am not as familiar with other
disciplines, but I suspect that this is also the case in fields such as
archaeology.)
        My point is simply that I do not believe that having a collection in
a "museum" in general is any "better" from a moral, altruistic,
'good-of-society' point of view than the same collection in the hands of a
"private collector." There are good and bad actors in both categories and
both categories have their benefits to our field and to society in general.

        I apologize for the rant, but in my opinion there are a number of
folks on this list whose work and efforts over the years, in public
outreach, hunting and preserving, and sponsoring scientific research, should
not be relegated to second place behind any museum.



Frank Prochaska



-----Original Message-----
From: meteorite-list-bounces_at_meteoritecentral.com
[mailto:meteorite-list-bounces_at_meteoritecentral.com] On Behalf Of stan .
Sent: Saturday, June 12, 2004 12:02 AM
To: meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com
Subject: RE: [meteorite-list] Legality of Libyan Desert
GlassArtifactsDiscussion



>I sense a little(?) hypocrisy here. It would seem
>to me that archeologists have been the greatest
>looters of all time concerning artifacts. I haven't
>seen any reports of any of the major museums around
>the world scrambling to return the treasures taken out
>of other countries. Whether it was looted before or
>after 1970,,,it was still looted.

in all fairness a muesum is a bit diffrent than a private collector. sure
both my preserve a relic, however a muesume allows for it to be enjoyed by
the public as a whole. afterall, what good is a relic if it's left burried
in the ground so as to never allow us to learn from it, or apreciate it.

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Received on Sat 12 Jun 2004 02:07:32 PM PDT