CATALOGING MINERAL COLLECTIONS: CENTERING CONNECTIONS TO COLONIALISM

The collection of minerals during the 19th to early 20th century was made possible by the rapid expansion of Western colonialism. The knowledge gained through the collection and research of these minerals benefitted both colonial powers and the discipline of geology. Minerals were collected from colonial mines, transported through colonial trade networks, and sold to benefit colonial empires. The resulting increase in collections allowed geologists to classify new minerals, investigate geologic processes, and establish collaborative research networks globally. As the world moves into a new era of resource extraction, an examination of the past can yield valuable insights into the role of geologists as knowledge producers today. This paper will discuss curatorial methods used to contextualize a small college’s historical mineral collection. The traditional cataloging process excludes the human dimension of specimens. Limited historical context surrounding extraction and research reduces mineral samples to curiosities and relics of scientific history. Through the modification and augmentation of existing records, often-erased information can be restored. Mineral samples can be used as physical manifestations of the global reach and authority of colonialism, providing the public with a gateway into a wider global discussion of colonial legacies.