History of Geology Group

A detail from Levi Walter Yaggy's chromolithographic 1887 chart, Physical Geography: a classic mid-century Iguanodon dominates the 'Pre-Adamite' Mesozoic, dwarfing the timid-looking bipedal dinosaur half-heartedly added above. Whole image viewable on the David Rumsey Historical Map Collection.

In 1834 Henry T. De la Beche (1796–1855) drew the remarkable & innovative "The Earth Supposed to be seen from Space" as the frontispiece for his book 'Researches in Theoretical Geology'. Considered the first accurate 'off planet' depiction of the Earth, it is the precursor to Blue Marble.

Book Review - The Emergence of Geophysics: Journeys into the Twentieth Century Gregory A. Good. Episodes 2025;48:587-8. https://doi.org/10.18814/epiiugs/2025/025029

My review is out of Richard Howarth's _The Emergence of Geophysics: Journeys into the Twentieth Century_.
www.episodes.org/journal/view...

Greenly's geological map of Anglesey is a masterpiece. Surveyed in minute detail as a lone project between 1895 and 1919 using 6 inch and 25 inch to the mile base maps, his summary map of 1 inch to the mile remains the standard geological map of Anglesey, over 80 years later!

Btw ...we like the tale in the book about Geological Society founder George Bellas Greenough and his occasional controversies. Prof Cheshire rates GBG for his pioneer importance to spreading geographic/geologic literacy through use of maps to convey useful information. An early Tharp & Heezen?

The Library of Lost Maps

Prof Chesire recounts the Ocean Floor map story + others, in his just published, lavishly illustrated book that is getting rave reviews - it is recommended! Sneak preview here
libraryoflostmaps.com
Why not drop the hint to Santa for this as a 'stocking filler' - we think you won't regret it.

Cracking talk following the HOGG AGM this afternoon. Prof. James Cheshire (UCL) on 'Mapping the Ocean Floor'. Terrific insights into Heezen & Tharp's map + many more; a tale of science meets art in creative cartographic expression - the reality of their map was more nuanced than the standard story!

November 22, 1842, contemporary sources describe clouds of ash "rolling up in great masses, wreathing as smoke from a pipe does, but on an enormous scale" over Washington and Oregon - one of the early documented eruptive episodes of St. Helens (who repeated this spectacle 138 years later)🌋

As it's apparently the anniversary of the 21 November 1953 meeting at which the Piltdown skull was revealed as a forgery, it seems appropriate to repost this oddity which I saw in an exhibition at the Towner Art Gallery in Eastbourne a few months back.

Relief skeleton of a medium-necked plesiosaur, surrounded by ornate wood trim.

Nearly identical plesiosaur cast, in a crowded case with other relief skeletons of marine reptiles, green text banners, and illustrations.

Illustration of the same skeleton with a guy pointing a stick at it. Text says Plesiosaurus cramptoni No. 228.

The Ward Scientific Company sold these Rhomaleosaurus casts to various museums starting in 1866 (for $150). The original at the National Museum of Ireland was broken up with sledgehammers during a move in the 1920s. #FossilFriday

Yes, the Lapworth Museum holds Lapworth's teaching charts...particularly his sections and sketches of Dob's
Linn

Detail of a German wall chart depicting fossil amphibia.

Detail of a painted wall chart depicting trilobites.

Painted wall chart depicting Darwin's theory of coral reef formation.

Just witnessed the ceremonial unrolling of some beautiful and often rather intriguing geological wall posters at the @theul.bsky.social. Here's a selection.

Agree these are teaching aids for university or public lectures, before the advent of lantern slides (late 19thC). W.C.W. del on the trilobites may be William Crawford Williamson (1816–1895); about the right era.
Oxford is a source, others at @geolsoc.bsky.social and 2cm.es/1jKV1Ludlow Any more?

Manuscript of De la Beche's 1827 paper on the geology of Tor and Babbacombe Bays, refereed by George Bellas Greenough, who originated the now ubiquitous academic practice. Note how Greenough has deleted De la Beche's theoretical speculations. Image © reproduced Courtesy of National Museums Wales (Cardiff),

And it is a credit to the early @geolsoc.bsky.social and Greenough that a riposte was made available to all. It undoubtedly diffused tension if not controversy. Debate was at the heart of the Geol Soc, as was the refereeing of papers with GBG the originator of this now ubiquitous academic practice!

It is worth adding context here - her account had not been endorsed by a naval officer, expected to be more trustworthy by dint of their conduct and scientific training, which included observational skills and duty to remain rational and calm in difficult circumstances (e.g. under fire).

Her account was subjected to the habitual skepticism of G.B.Greenough in his 1834 Presidential address to @geolsoc.bsky.social, a critique of Lyell's mountains formed by gradations vs elevation via volcanic force from below. He dismissed her account as she was not a naval officer observer of repute.

Just spotted the typo: it was, in fact, on 18 November 1825 (not 1826) that De la Beche read his paper on the submerged forest at Charmouth.

Photograph of Philippe Taquet in a fine embroidered tailcoat and white tie, wearing medals, at a formal dinner.

French palaeontologist and historian of geology (and Cuvier expert) Philippe Taquet who died yesterday aged 85. I recall that he cut a fine dash in his embroidered tailcoat and medals at the Geological Society's Bicentenary Dinner in 2007.

two women are sitting next to each other and one is pointing at the camera ALT: two women are sitting next to each other and one is pointing at the camera

Hello again from Napoleon C, where a large crowd has gathered for the #HSS2025 distinguished lecture! Our speaker is Conevery Valencius, whose research draws connections b/w #histSTM, #EarthScience & #envhist.

Her talk tonight is entitled "Boom: What History of Science Needs to know About Shale."

Conference speaker at lower right, with her title slide on a large screen: ‘Mary Anning and the Myth of the Lone Heroine.’

Great series of talks today at the Yorkshire Museum on Women in geology with @toriherridge.bsky.social kicking things off with a talk on Mary Anning and on networks of women geologists in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Another great talk today was on women in volcanology by @volcanologist.bsky.social who’s unearthing some wonderful, previously unrecognised contributions and observations by women travellers and others. Lots more to be learnt here such as who are the women in Tempest Anderson’s volcano photos?

#FossilFriday In 1828, Mary Anning found the first pterosaur skeleton outside Germany. W. Buckland made the announcement of Mary’s discovery & named Pterodactylus macronyx in allusion to its large claws bit.ly/1sEqnhU #WomenInSTEM #MaryAnning

Extract from a newspaper: 'A few days ago, immediately after the late high tide, was discovered, under the cliffs between Lyme Regis and Charmouth, the complete petrifaction of a crocodile, 17 feet in length, in a very perfect state. It was dug out of the cliff nearly on a level with the sea, about 100 feet below the surface of the earth.'

1814 illustration of the fossil 'crocodile' skull found in 1811 with its large bony eye and long tapering snout with many small conical teeth.

1814 illustration of part of the fossil skeleton recovered in 1812 showing vertebrae, ribs and some shoulder and limb bones.

1814 illustration of a section through 3 vertebrae of the fossil showing their hour-glass shape.

9 November 1812: local newspaper reports the discovery of a fossil 'crocodile' 17 feet long at Lyme Regis. This was the recovery by Mary Anning of parts of the post-cranial skeleton related to a fossil skull found by her brother a year before. It was described and figured by Everard Home in 1814.

Bookplate of geologist Oliver M. B. Bulman, with a print of himself with gown and geological hammer.

A powerful bookplate.

Have you seen the amazing Hutton Hat?

Handmade from Shetland Wool, showcasing three key Hutton Geosites - Edinburgh, Siccar Point, and Glen Tilt.

You can bag one of these in exchange for a donation to our crowdfunder - hurry, there are only 10 left!
www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/siccar-point

And here is an insightful analysis and contextual evaluation that gives meaningful interpretation to the poem and accompanying cartoon:
scholar.archive.org/work/ffqptqg...
Btw....can you spot the palaeontological ignorance of the illustrator and recognise the bowler-hatted/caped figure?

October 31, 1791, French adventurer Diedonné de Dolomieu writes a letter to Swiss mineralogist Nicolas-Théodore de Saussure requesting help in identifying a strange "grayish limestone"
...

October 29, 1882, birthday of Scottish mineralogist and petrologist Samuel James Shand.
At college his first interest was chemistry, to this he soon added an avid curiosity about geology, combing both in his study of igneous rocks and mineral assemblages
...

Ganly (1809–1899) worked for Richard Griffith at the Valuation Office, Dublin but was de facto a geological rather than land/valuation surveyor. The detail on later editions of Griffith's impressive Geological map of Ireland (1852, 1853 & 1855) was due to Ganly. It should be the Griffith/Ganly map!

Portrait of Mary Anning wearing a green cloak and straw bonnet. Extract from a newspaper about a subscription raised to help Mary Anning after a fire at her home.

30 October 1846: a newspaper reported that a fund had been set up by the geologists at that year's @britsciassoc.bsky.social meeting in Southampton to raise money for ailing fossil dealer #MaryAnning, 'an old woman' (she was 47), following a fire at her home in Lyme Regis.