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Re: Old meteorite descriptions
Hello Paul and All,
Wonderful idea to post early papers about meteorites. The photographs are
also an important part of meteorite history. I read quite a few old
articles and books about meteorites, and it really adds to the nature of
the specimen to know the stories that surround it. In fact, I collect and
sell meteorite articles and books including early works by early American
meteoriticists including Ward, Tassin, Farrington, Merrill, Perry, Watson,
and of course Nininger among others.
With all the small-sized specimens being bought and traded, it is nice to
see what the main mass looked like, to read about the story of its
discovery, and the people who brought it to light. I support all efforts
to bring this information to the public, especially using a powerful medium
such as the Internet.
With much of the current interest in meteorite collecting, I believe it is
important to educate one's self as to the history of the material that we
find so interesting. Sometimes, I feel as though specimens are exchanged
with little respect or regard for those who sacrificed to locate, study,
and write about them. Slices are broken up with little appreciation as to
the journey the specimen has made before it reached the breaker's hands.
As we have read recently, meteorites may drive certain people to do bad
things. However, if we lose the respect for the special material in our
collections, we are not able to do as much good as we could do during the
meteorite's brief stay in our possession.
Thanks for the pieces of history Paul.
Sincerely,
Martin Horejsi
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