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Assembled nearly 200 years ago, the mineral collection of one of English Society's most remarkable woman has recently been reassembled and painstakingly restored to its original order. The collection, including additions made by her son, contains an impressive variety of classic 18th and 19th-century specimens, many of which carry fascinating stories now being revealed through historical research.
INTRODUCTION
In 1992 the Russell Society celebrated its 20th anniversary. Since its creation from the mineralogical night classes of Bob King and Roger Harker, the society, named after that doyen of British mineral collectors Sir Arthur Russell (1878-1964), had risen to become the premier British society for the mineralogical amateur. The original Leicester-based society had spawned several semi-autonomous regional branches, each of which in turn would host the Annual General Meeting and Dinner weekend. On the 20th such occasion it was felt proper that the weekend be sponsored by the original Central Branch, and plans were made to keep the delegates happy. It is traditional for the host branch to arrange field trips to fruitful collecting sites but, these being few and far between in central England, and the majority of local members being well acquainted with those within easy distance, a novelty was sought that would stimulate wider interest. The weekend's theme being "Collecting Minerals," a visit to a local collection was in order, and visiting the mineral collection of the Duke of Devonshire at Chatsworth House was suggested by Franz Werner. No committee member had seen it, nor knew of its scope, but rumor had it that the collection was both extensive and historic. Past Dukes of Devonshire were well known as mine owners and supporters of the local mining and lapidary industries, and the present Duke was known to have purchased minerals at Sotheby's auctions in the 1970's.
Overtures were made to Chatsworth House and a positive, though guarded, response was quick to return. The author and society members Philip Jackson and Roy Starkey were sent to reconnoiter the collection and discuss the logistics of a mass visit. Phil arrived first; when we joined him he was holding a large prism of Russian aquamarine which he had just removed from a cardboard box of specimens, and he was looking, frankly, rather shell-shocked. We began...