[meteorite-list] NP Article, 12-1971 Ralph N. Buckstaff's Meteorite Collection
From: MARK BOSTICK <thebigcollector_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:10:11 2004 Message-ID: <BAY4-DAV90J47OkszbN00005442_at_hotmail.com> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_00CA_01C308C2.90E68550 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Title: Oshkosh Northwestern=20 City: Oshkosh, Wisconsin=20 Date: Wednesday, December 22, 1971 "Oh, I'd like one of those!" Ralph N. Buckstaff's eye's sparked and he grinned broadly at the = thought of having a moon rock in the Buckstaff collection at the Oshkosh = Public Museum. Buckstaff's meteorite collection on display on the third floro at = the museum was recently given to the museum as a permanent gift, = although the Oshkosh collector's meteorites have been on loan to the = museum for about 15 years. Records supplied by John Kuong, museum director, show that the = Buckstaff collection - one of the finest private collections in the = United States - now contains 279 specimens of meteorites from 130 falls = throughout the world. The rocks weigh a total of 261 pounds, 9 ounces. There are so many = that only a few can be displayed at the present time in four lighted = cases. The rest are stored below in locked cabinets. The most recent additions to the colelction are a thinly-sliced = slab and a large chunk from the 1968 Allende (Mexico) fall. (The = geographic location determines the name of the fall.) After the Allende = Fall, chunks of meteorite were found over a 20-mile area, Kuony noted. "I've been collecting meteorites for a least 40 years. I saw some = of the larger collections and got interested in them that way," = Buckstaff recalled. Eventually, his collection got to the point where = he could trade with other museums. "If you are fortunate to get the first fall of a meteorite you can = trade with others. If you get the corner on a new fall you can enlarge = your collection. We got the corner on two falls - one in North Dakota - = and one in northern Wisconsin - and got quite a bit of trading material. = Sometimes a newspaper article will clue you in on a new fall." the = collector commented. According to Buckstaff, his collection is now to the point "where = it is hard to keep track of the number of specimens. They are not all = on display because theere is not enough room. Some day, I want to get = them all out on display." Retired president of the Buckstaff Co., the collector has been a = member of the museum board since 1924 andis now considered its = "president emeritus," according to Kuony. "The smaller a meteorite is the more valuable it is." Buckstaff = explained. He said that once a person knows something about meteorites = "it is easy to determine if a rock is a meteorite or not - unless it is = a new type of meteorite. "An entirely new type fell at Cumberland Falls, Ky. - it was seen = to fall, a daylight meteorite - and we have speciemsn of that here. = Instead of a black crust, it has a transparent, yellow crust (almost = whilte in place) and contains no iron." Because of his fame as a collector and meteorite expert, people = constantly bring rock samples to the Buckstaff home, 2119 N. Main St., = to see if they are pieces of meteorites. "Usually, they think the rocks are meteorites, but they are not. = It is hard to tell if you don't know anything about meteorites. I have = a piece of rock at home now that someone brought over. I looked at it = with a magnifying glass but it has no structure at all," Buckstaff = commented. The Buckstaff collection is considered to be the major one in the = Midwest outside of the collection at the Field Museum of Natural History = in Chicago. Other major collectors include the American Museum of = Natural History in New York, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington = D. C. and the University of Arizona. Buckstaff said he has not yet seen a final written analysis on = what the moon rocks brought back by United States astronauts contain - = but he sure would like to have one in his collection. "They are not = weathered. They are unlike anything we have here," he noted. Meteorites are fragments of stone or iron that reach the earth = after traveling through space. Until they hit the ground they are = called meteors. They enter the atmosphere at a speed of about 25 miles = per second, according to museum information. Friction with the air makes the meteors hot enough to glow and = then burn. They become visible about 100 miles above the earth, but = only a few are large enough to each the earth. A fall of meteorites is = usually accompanied by light and sound. The Buckstaff collection contains samples of the four most basic = types of meteorites; stony, iron, iron-stone, and tektites. Stony meteorites; the most common, have small amounts of iron and = nickle and show a granular structure. They may usually be distinguished = from oridinary stones by their black or brownish crust and thumb marks = on their surfaces. Stratifaction is never present and they are somewhat = heavier than other stones. Iron meteorites - the oldest sample on display is from a 1793 fall = at Cape of Good Hope, South Africa - are composed largely of iron and = some nickle, plus traces of cobalt, copper, sulphur and other elements. = The Buckstaff display includes samples from a fall in Saxeville, = Waushara County. Iron-Stone meteorites combine metal and stone, with the metal = content much larger than in stony meteorites, forming a spongelike = structure. The cavifies are filled with silicates. There are two theories on tektites: one, that they solidified drops = of molten glass that splashed earthward from the moon when it was struck = by a very large meteor; two, that they were spalshed from the earth into = space by a huge explosion and acquired their shape upon re-entry. Tektites are glassy smooth, usually black, and found only in a few = localities on earth. The Buckstaff collection has meteorites from falls throughout the = world, including seven meteorites of prime historical importance. Among = them is the Ider Fall, oldest fallen United States meteorite known = (located on Sand Mountain, northeastern Alabama), believed to be more = than 200 million years old. Another sample is from the Richardton, N.D. Fall which helped to = establish the age of the universe. This fall was formed 4,600,000.000 = years ago at the birth of the solar system. The sample contains a small = amount of the rare radioactive gas, Xenon 129. The Buckstaff collection also contains samples from the 1809 = L'Aigle, France Fall, a shower of more than 2,000 meteorites that = convinced scientists that stones do fall from the heavens. Article includes a photo showing a display and a man with the following = caption: Ralph N. Buckstaff, Oshkosh's internationally-known collector = of meteorites, is pictured with part of the Buckstaff collection which = he recently gave to the Oshkosh Public Museum as a permanent gift. His = meteorites have been on loan to the museum for about 15 years, according = to John Kuony, museum director. The collection contains 279 specimens = (weighing 261 pounds, 9 ounces) from 130 falls from throughout the = world. It is considered to be the midwest's most complete collection = outside of the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago. ------=_NextPart_000_00CA_01C308C2.90E68550 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=3DContent-Type = content=3Dtext/html;charset=3Diso-8859-1> <META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2800.1141" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY id=3DMailContainerBody=20 style=3D"PADDING-LEFT: 10px; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; = COLOR: #000000; BORDER-TOP-STYLE: none; PADDING-TOP: 15px; FONT-STYLE: = normal; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; BORDER-RIGHT-STYLE: none; = BORDER-LEFT-STYLE: none; TEXT-DECORATION: none; BORDER-BOTTOM-STYLE: = none"=20 leftMargin=3D0 topMargin=3D0 acc_role=3D"text" CanvasTabStop=3D"true"=20 name=3D"Compose message area"><?xml:namespace prefix=3D"v" = /><?xml:namespace prefix=3D"o" /> <DIV>Title: Oshkosh Northwestern <BR>City: Oshkosh, Wisconsin <BR>Date:=20 Wednesday, December 22, 1971</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><BR> "Oh, I'd like one of=20 those!"<BR> Ralph N. Buckstaff's eye's sparked = and he=20 grinned broadly at the thought of having a moon rock in the Buckstaff = collection=20 at the Oshkosh Public Museum.<BR> Buckstaff's = meteorite=20 collection on display on the third floro at the museum was recently = given to the=20 museum as a permanent gift, although the Oshkosh collector's meteorites = have=20 been on loan to the museum for about 15 = years.<BR> =20 Records supplied by John Kuong, museum director, show that the Buckstaff = collection - one of the finest private collections in the United States = - now=20 contains 279 specimens of meteorites from 130 falls throughout the=20 world.<BR> The rocks weigh a total of 261 = pounds, 9=20 ounces. There are so many that only a few can be displayed at the = present=20 time in four lighted cases. The rest are stored below in locked=20 cabinets.<BR> The most recent additions to the=20 colelction are a thinly-sliced slab and a large chunk from the 1968 = Allende=20 (Mexico) fall. (The geographic location determines the name of the = fall.) After=20 the Allende Fall, chunks of meteorite were found over a 20-mile area, = Kuony=20 noted.<BR> "I've been collecting meteorites for = a least=20 40 years. I saw some of the larger collections and got interested = in them=20 that way," Buckstaff recalled. Eventually, his collection got to = the point=20 where he could trade with other museums.<BR> "If = you are=20 fortunate to get the first fall of a meteorite you can trade with = others. =20 If you get the corner on a new fall you can enlarge your = collection. We=20 got the corner on two falls - one in North Dakota - and one in northern=20 Wisconsin - and got quite a bit of trading material. Sometimes a = newspaper=20 article will clue you in on a new fall." the collector=20 commented.<BR> According to Buckstaff, his = collection is=20 now to the point "where it is hard to keep track of the number of=20 specimens. They are not all on display because theere is not = enough=20 room. Some day, I want to get them all out on=20 display."<BR> Retired president of the Buckstaff = Co.,=20 the collector has been a member of the museum board since 1924 andis now = considered its "president emeritus," according to=20 Kuony.<BR> "The smaller a meteorite is the more = valuable=20 it is." Buckstaff explained. He said that once a person knows = something=20 about meteorites "it is easy to determine if a rock is a meteorite or = not -=20 unless it is a new type of meteorite.<BR> "An = entirely=20 new type fell at Cumberland Falls, Ky. - it was seen to fall, a daylight = meteorite - and we have speciemsn of that here. Instead of a black = crust,=20 it has a transparent, yellow crust (almost whilte in place) and contains = no=20 iron."<BR> Because of his fame as a = collector and=20 meteorite expert, people constantly bring rock samples to the Buckstaff = home,=20 2119 N. Main St., to see if they are pieces of=20 meteorites.<BR> "Usually, they think the = rocks are=20 meteorites, but they are not. It is hard to tell if you don't know = anything about meteorites. I have a piece of rock at home now that = someone=20 brought over. I looked at it with a magnifying glass but it has no = structure at all," Buckstaff commented.<BR> The=20 Buckstaff collection is considered to be the major one in the Midwest = outside of=20 the collection at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. = Other=20 major collectors include the American Museum of Natural History in New = York, the=20 Smithsonian Institution in Washington D. C. and the University of=20 Arizona.<BR> Buckstaff said he has not yet = seen a=20 final written analysis on what the moon rocks brought back by United = States=20 astronauts contain - but he sure would like to have one in his = collection. =20 "They are not weathered. They are unlike anything we have here," = he=20 noted.<BR> Meteorites are fragments of = stone or=20 iron that reach the earth after traveling through space. Until = they hit=20 the ground they are called meteors. They enter the atmosphere at a = speed=20 of about 25 miles per second, according to museum=20 information.<BR> Friction with the air = makes the=20 meteors hot enough to glow and then burn. They become visible = about 100=20 miles above the earth, but only a few are large enough to each the = earth. =20 A fall of meteorites is usually accompanied by light and=20 sound.<BR> The Buckstaff collection = contains=20 samples of the four most basic types of meteorites; stony, iron, = iron-stone, and=20 tektites.<BR> Stony meteorites; the most common, = have=20 small amounts of iron and nickle and show a granular structure. = They may=20 usually be distinguished from oridinary stones by their black or = brownish crust=20 and thumb marks on their surfaces. Stratifaction is never present = and they=20 are somewhat heavier than other = stones.<BR> Iron=20 meteorites - the oldest sample on display is from a 1793 fall at Cape of = Good=20 Hope, South Africa - are composed largely of iron and some nickle, plus = traces=20 of cobalt, copper, sulphur and other elements. The Buckstaff = display=20 includes samples from a fall in Saxeville, Waushara=20 County.<BR> Iron-Stone meteorites combine = metal=20 and stone, with the metal content much larger than in stony meteorites, = forming=20 a spongelike structure. The cavifies are filled with=20 silicates.<BR> There are two theories on = tektites: one,=20 that they solidified drops of molten glass that splashed earthward from = the moon=20 when it was struck by a very large meteor; two, that they were spalshed = from the=20 earth into space by a huge explosion and acquired their shape upon=20 re-entry.<BR> Tektites are glassy smooth, = usually black,=20 and found only in a few localities on = earth.<BR> =20 The Buckstaff collection has meteorites from falls throughout the world, = including seven meteorites of prime historical importance. Among = them is=20 the Ider Fall, oldest fallen United States meteorite known (located on = Sand=20 Mountain, northeastern Alabama), believed to be more than 200 million = years=20 old.<BR> Another sample is from the Richardton, = N.D.=20 Fall which helped to establish the age of the universe. This fall = was=20 formed 4,600,000.000 years ago at the birth of the solar system. = The=20 sample contains a small amount of the rare radioactive gas, Xenon=20 129.<BR> The Buckstaff collection also contains = samples=20 from the 1809 L'Aigle, France Fall, a shower of more than 2,000 = meteorites that=20 convinced scientists that stones do fall from the heavens.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Article includes a photo showing a display and a man with the = following=20 caption: Ralph N. Buckstaff, Oshkosh's internationally-known collector = of=20 meteorites, is pictured with part of the Buckstaff collection which he = recently=20 gave to the Oshkosh Public Museum as a permanent gift. His = meteorites have=20 been on loan to the museum for about 15 years, according to John Kuony, = museum=20 director. The collection contains 279 specimens (weighing 261 = pounds, 9=20 ounces) from 130 falls from throughout the world. It is considered = to be=20 the midwest's most complete collection outside of the Field Museum of = Natural=20 History, Chicago.<BR></DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_00CA_01C308C2.90E68550-- Received on Tue 22 Apr 2003 12:30:24 PM PDT |
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