ROCKS AND MINERALS
Rocks and Minerals of Grenoble's Museum
Rocks and minerals collections of Grenoble’s Museum are initiated since the 18th Century.
In 1773, after founding a public library using a subscription, the idea of a Natural history cabinet is issued to bring together notably minerals.
Abbe Ducros becomes in 1775 the first guardian of the “cabinet”; collections grow rapidly and attracte the attention of scholars (J.L de Bournon). E. Ducros establishes an exchange network and important sales with collectors.
Illustrious scholars participate with him to excursions : D. Villars, J.G Shreiber, B. Faujas de Saint-Fons, J.E. Guettard, etc.. The catalog identifies then, many samples from mines in Chalanches a Allemont (Isere) where other works are conducted by Schreiber.
In 1802, mine engineer, L.E Hericart de Thury is charged to make an inventory and to classify the objects in the cabinet. With the help of E.Ducros and of J.G Schreiber, a 364 pages handwritten catalog is achieved for the mineralogical part, following Hauy’s classification.
MHNGr.MI.2275 Allemontite (stibarsen) from the Chalanches mines (Oisans). Collection of the Cabinet of Natural History.
MHNGr.MI.138 Native silver ball from the Chalanches mines (Oisans). Collection of the Cabinet of Natural History.
In 1851, famous mineralogist E. Gueymard yield his collection to the city, trading it for a life pension, that is to say 5337 samples ( rocks, minerals, fossils), and his catalog drafted in 1847. The mineralogy’s collection of the museum is then enriched episodically.
In charge of the museum from 1885 to 1919, L.Rerolle will provide from the French and swiss minerogical counters. Few exchanges and many gifts will be registered : the mineralogical collections of M. Chaper (1889 to 1892) and of L.Jourdan and wife (1893) are acquired during that period.
Until 1979, mineralogical collections will stay asleep...
MHNGr.MI.138 Argent natif en pelote provenant des mines des Chalanches (Oisans). Collection du Cabinet d’histoire naturelle.
MHNGr.MI.6350 Natrolite. Puy-de-Marmant (Puy-de-Dôme). Leopold Jourdan Collection
Ten years later, in an entirely renovated museum, an exceptional acquisition allows the opening of an exhibition room, long duration, dedicated to regional mineralogy. It is the crystal maker’s collection, R.Chincholle.
Today those collections don’t cease to grow and the museum of Grenoble to continue to give what makes his wealth.
MHNGr.MI.6350 Natrolite. Puy-de-Marmant (Puy-de-Dôme). Leopold Jourdan Collection
