Announcing the Mindat Magazine

Hi Don,
I knew Cliffs mother and father Edith & Cliff.
I collected with them on many occasions as I lived most of my young life in Brunswick. I know Edith was very bitter about her son for suing her over
control of the extensive collection she and her two children had amassed over the years. I only know Edith's side of the story however but I suspect that you are referencing something related to this. When I knew her she had formally disowned her son. I am pretty sure Edith is gone now as she was quite elderly when I saw her last in the mid 80's. I can only hope she reconciled with her son. I really enjoyed spending time with Edith and Cliff Sr.
talking minerals and collecting. I have seen the Uraninite crystals Edith had stashed away behind a wall in her small shop. Spectacular! She trusted me enough to show them to me. She knew I was interested in radioactives. She even let me saw a Ruggles mine uraninite/gummite specimine in half and polish it flat so I could
experiment with autoradiographs. It is a wonder I didn't develop a uranium body burden. I have been working in the US Commercial Nuclear Power industry since 1984 and as such am required to have a body count at every plant I work at (I'm a contractor). I have never shown positive for uranium or any other radionucleides associated with this ore locality
other than the normal enviromental ones (Carbon 14 & Potassium 40). I am sure we contaminated her equipment and shop though.

All in all these fine folks were good friends and encouraged me when I was a young collector.

Frank Golden

Any update on the magazine and articles. Would love to write something on the CRATER OF DIAMONDS STATE PARK.

I am considering writing about museums and their policys on donations, either single specimens or collections. It will be massive research and an ongoing publication as there are so many musuems, large and small...and schools, etc.
People want to know what happens to their collections after donating and most seem to be in the dark about exactly how one goes about donating.
Surely all museums have different guidelines?
Please correct me if there is already an up to date database on this?
If there is, most people I talk with are just as unaware of it as I am.

Gail Patricia Copus Spann

See the Society of Mineral Museum Professionals website

[www.agiweb.org]

Different museums have different accession/deaccession policies (some of which can be found on their websites). These days most museums do not like to accept donations with strings.

[www.minsocam.org]
Also an interesting letter by Dr. Wallace Kleck on small colleges in the latest volume of "Elements"

Chris
I live 10 miles south of Grandjean and am writing up some research involving Rich Knoblock.
Could you contact me at knowhow-AT-hughes.net
Jim