Zbiory mineralogiczne Ignacego Domeyki (Chile, Francja, Polska)
Abstract
Domeyko przybył na kontrakt rządowy do Chile celem nauczania mineralogii, pomocy dla górników w rozpoznawaniu mineralnych nośników metali, zwłaszcza srebra, oraz stworzenia naukowych podstaw do poszukiwania i wykorzystania miejscowych zasobów mineralnych. Odbył liczne podróże studyjne w Andach, z których przywoził setki okazów, analizował je i nauczał metod analizy. Prowadził badania nad nowymi minerałami a ich wyniki wraz z próbkami wysyłał do autorytetów w Europie i do czołowych czasopism geologicznych. Przywiązywał wielką wagę do zbiorów dydaktycznych, zainicjował powstanie muzeów w Chile, obdarowywał zbiorami mineralnymi muzea w swej ojczyźnie i w macierzystej szkole górniczej. Dostrzegł też promocyjną rolę kolekcji rud wobec inwestorów z zagranicy, przygotowując zbiory na wystawy światowe i do muzeów zagranicznych. Interesujące są losy i obecna ocena kolekcji tworzonych ponad 100 lat temu.
MINERALOGICAL COLLECTIONS OF IGNACY DOMEYKO (CHILE, FRANCE, POLAND)
Summary
Ignacy Domeyko (1802–1889), outstanding scientist of Polish origin, is recognised a „smith” of modern mining in Chile. He has founded there in 1838 the School of Mines in La Serena, and in 1847 introduced engineering sciences (among them mining)m into university teaching in Santiago. He taught the art of chemical assaying of ores and mineralogy, which were important grounds of mining of that epoch. During extensive voyages to Chilean mines, Domeyko prepared rich collections of minerals, which served a didactic tool as well as advertising materials illustrating mineral riches of the country during international exhibitions in Santiago (1875), Philadelphia (1876) and Paris (1867, 1878, and 1889). The minerals were assayed and thoroughly described, many were sent to European mineralogists as documentation samples of newly discovered mineral species. Special collections were prepared for museums, École Superieure desMines in Paris and the universities in his homeland. The authors describe the most important collections, their origin and some musea problems. They are exposed in La Serena (2160 samples), École desMines (only 48 specimens at present), and two institutions in Cracow: the Jagiellonian University (97 samples), and the Polish Academy of Sciences (50–54 samples and two big meteorites found in Chile). The collection of 62 or 63 minerals offered to the predecessor of the University of Warsaw was lost during IIWorldWar destruction of Polish capital. Supergenic ores, and among them silver halogens, form the most interesting group of minerals in Domeyko’s collections.
MINERALOGICAL COLLECTIONS OF IGNACY DOMEYKO (CHILE, FRANCE, POLAND)
Summary
Ignacy Domeyko (1802–1889), outstanding scientist of Polish origin, is recognised a „smith” of modern mining in Chile. He has founded there in 1838 the School of Mines in La Serena, and in 1847 introduced engineering sciences (among them mining)m into university teaching in Santiago. He taught the art of chemical assaying of ores and mineralogy, which were important grounds of mining of that epoch. During extensive voyages to Chilean mines, Domeyko prepared rich collections of minerals, which served a didactic tool as well as advertising materials illustrating mineral riches of the country during international exhibitions in Santiago (1875), Philadelphia (1876) and Paris (1867, 1878, and 1889). The minerals were assayed and thoroughly described, many were sent to European mineralogists as documentation samples of newly discovered mineral species. Special collections were prepared for museums, École Superieure desMines in Paris and the universities in his homeland. The authors describe the most important collections, their origin and some musea problems. They are exposed in La Serena (2160 samples), École desMines (only 48 specimens at present), and two institutions in Cracow: the Jagiellonian University (97 samples), and the Polish Academy of Sciences (50–54 samples and two big meteorites found in Chile). The collection of 62 or 63 minerals offered to the predecessor of the University of Warsaw was lost during IIWorldWar destruction of Polish capital. Supergenic ores, and among them silver halogens, form the most interesting group of minerals in Domeyko’s collections.