Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1792-2011 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
1499 items or folders
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
From the beginnings of the Society, Members donated specimens, books and illustrations to the Library and Museum collections. The earliest mention of a portrait image being given was Louis Albert Necker's donation of an engraving of his maternal grandfather Horace Benedict de Saussure in December 1811 [no longer extant].
The Society also holds larger oil paintings and portrait busts of its Fellows, again acquired through donation or by purchase. However from the 1860s onwards, when commercial photography became more available, the Society actively sought to collect images of its Fellows probably inspired by a printed notice issued by the photographer's studio Maull and Polyblank announcing the formation of a carte de visite series of Geological Society Fellows (LDGSL/332). The majority of the images in the portrait collection derive from this series, stopping around the First World War. After the 1930s, and up until the 1990s, portraits were generally only collected of Presidents of the Society.
Repository
Archival history
GB 378 GSL/POR 1792-2011 Series 1499 items or folders
From the beginnings of the Society, Members donated specimens, books and illustrations to the Library and Museum collections. The earliest mention of a portrait image being given was Louis Albert Necker's donation of an engraving of his maternal grandfather Horace Benedict de Saussure in December 1811 [no longer extant].
The Society also holds larger oil paintings and portrait busts of its Fellows, again acquired through donation or by purchase. However from the 1860s onwards, when commercial photography became more available, the Society actively sought to collect images of its Fellows probably inspired by a printed notice issued by the photographer's studio Maull and Polyblank announcing the formation of a carte de visite series of Geological Society Fellows (LDGSL/332). The majority of the images in the portrait collection derive from this series, stopping around the First World War. After the 1930s, and up until the 1990s, portraits were generally only collected of Presidents of the Society.
Portraits, mostly of Members of the Geological Society of London, 1792-2011, comprising of oil paintings, portrait busts, prints and drawings and sculptures of individuals notably including:
Mary Anning; William Babington; James Scott Bowerbank; William Buckland; Thomas Henry De la Beche; Hugh Falconer; Archibald Geikie; George Bellas Greenough; Henry Thomas Huxley; Charles Lyell; John MacCulloch; Gideon Mantell; Roderick Impey Murchison; William Pengelly; John Phillips; Joseph Prestwich; Andrew Crombie Ramsay; Adam Sedgwick; William Smith; Abraham Gottlob Werner; Henry Woodward.
Also 1,042 black and white photographs of Fellows who were chiefly active between the 1850s and 1920s, including Foreign Members and Correspondents; images of groups, notably a meeting of 'The British Association at Newcastle in 1838' and 'Discussion on the Piltdown Skull', 1915; images of Presidents of the Society, 1833-2011; images of winners of medals and funds, 1947, 1980-2003; images of staff of the Geological Society, 1863-1997.
The series has been built up over a number of years and put together in rather a piecemeal fashion. There is therefore no clear arrangement, particularly after GSL/POR/52.
Access is by appointment only, daily readership fee is applicable unless you are a member of the Society. Please contact the Archivist for further information.
Copies, subject to copyright and the condition of the original, may be supplied. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Archivist.
English
An online, detailed catalogue will be available shortly.
Much of the portrait series has been digitised, and preview images can be found attached to the detailed catalogue records.
Description by Caroline Lam.
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
December 2013. Lyell , Sir , Charles , 1797-1875 , 1st Baronet , geologist Huxley , Thomas Henry , 1825-1895 , scientist and educationist Mantell , Gideon Algernon , 1790-1852 , geologist Greenough , George Bellas , 1778-1855 , geographer and geologist Geikie , Sir , Archibald , 1835-1924 , Knight , geologist Buckland , William , 1784-1856 , geologist and Dean of Westminster Babington , William , 1756-1833 , physician and mineralogist Anning, Mary (1799-1847), geologist Portrait painting Visual materials Individual portraits Illustrations Fine arts Paintings Painting Portraits Group portraits Photography Portrait photography Murchison , Sir , Roderick Impey , 1792-1871 , 1st Baronet , geologist Phillips , John , 1800-1874 , geologist Ramsay , Sir , Andrew Crombie , 1814-1891 , Knight , geologist Sedgwick , Adam , 1785-1873 , geologist Woodward , Sir , Arthur , Smith , 1864-1944 , Knight , geologist Geological Society
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Portraits, mostly of Members of the Geological Society of London, 1792-2011, comprising of oil paintings, portrait busts, prints and drawings and sculptures of individuals notably including:
Mary Anning; William Babington; James Scott Bowerbank; William Buckland; Thomas Henry De la Beche; Hugh Falconer; Archibald Geikie; George Bellas Greenough; Henry Thomas Huxley; Charles Lyell; John MacCulloch; Gideon Mantell; Roderick Impey Murchison; William Pengelly; John Phillips; Joseph Prestwich; Andrew Crombie Ramsay; Adam Sedgwick; William Smith; Abraham Gottlob Werner; Henry Woodward.
Also 1,042 black and white photographs of Fellows who were chiefly active between the 1850s and 1920s, including Foreign Members and Correspondents; images of groups, notably a meeting of 'The British Association at Newcastle in 1838' and 'Discussion on the Piltdown Skull', 1915; images of Presidents of the Society, 1833-2011; images of winners of medals and funds, 1947, 1980-2003; images of staff of the Geological Society, 1863-1997.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
The series has been built up over a number of years and put together in rather a piecemeal fashion. There is therefore no clear arrangement, particularly after GSL/POR/52.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Access is by appointment only, daily readership fee is applicable unless you are a member of the Society. Please contact the Archivist for further information.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copies, subject to copyright and the condition of the original, may be supplied. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Archivist.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
An online, detailed catalogue will be available shortly.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Much of the portrait series has been digitised, and preview images can be found attached to the detailed catalogue records.
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English