Eruptive rocks of Brent Tor by Frank Rutley, 1878.

Plate VIII. 
Basalt with glassy magma mainly devitrified. Brent Tor, North-west side of the foot of the Tor, Magnification x55.

The 'Eruptive rocks of Brent Tor and its neigbourhood' was the first special petrographical work issued by the Geological Survey. It is dated 1878.  It denotes a time when microscopic examination of rocks collected during the mapping of new districts became routine. Colour chromolithographs.

Frank Rutley was also the author of Elements of Mineralogy first published in 1874 and still available in print today in its 27th edition!

Plate IX.
1. Decomposed Greenstone, Greston Bridge.
2. Slate beneath lower Greenstone, Greston Bridge.
3. Elvan, S. end of Shilla Mill Quarry (Polarized).
4.Mag'n. Mica and cavities in Quartz of Granite, Brazen Tor.
5. Fluid cavities containing cubes of NaCl, Brazen Tor.
6. Amygdaloidal Schalstein, Churlhanger, near Lamerton.

Plate X
No. 1 Hornblende, Pyrites and Quartz in Amphibolite, Brazen Tor, Devon
No 2 Schorl in the Granulitic margin of the Granite in contact with No. 1
No 3. Pyroxene (probably Diallage) in Gabbro? Cottage Inn, Main Road to Marytavy.
No. 4 Titaniferous Iron, partly altered (Gabbro) Cock's Tor, near Tavistock.
Bo. 1 x55. Nos. 2,3 and 4 x25. ordinary transmitted light. On the surface of No. 4 a little light was also reflected simultaneously.

Brent Tor. (South side near the base) x25
Brent Tor. (North side) x25

A selection of plates from the memoir:

Brent Tor from Hart's Hall, near Morwellham

 Great Staple Tor on the western Margin of Dartmoor (mural jointing in granite).

The Master Rock, Horndon. (woodcut)

Posted by Bob McIntosh

Nodule tools, Kent's Cavern, Torquay.

BGS Image ID: P232125

Photographs of nodule tools (breccia) from Kent's Cavern, Torquay. Photographs taken by A.R. Hunt. Photographs are from the British Association for the Advancement of Science photograph collection.

BGS Image ID: P232126

BGS Image ID: P232127

BGS Image ID: P232128

BGS Image ID: P641048

BGS Image ID: P641049

Posted by Bob McIntosh

Landslip under Southdown between Beer Headland and Branscombe 1789-80

BGS image: P804446

Landslip under Southdown between Beer Headland and Branscombe which took place in 1789-90 looking Westward to Sidmouth Torbay and the Start Point. Artists impression filed with Excursion to Lyme Regis, June 1st 1914.

From the Geologists' Association 'Carreck Archive' on deposit at the British Geological Survey.

Does anyone have a recent picture of this spot?

Bob McIntosh

Cartoon by H T De la Beche

BGS image ID: P832328

This cartoon was drawn by Henry De la Beche and features himself. The writing at the bottom says "Opportunity of studying the effects of rain on glass. Devon 1831". This would have been during the time that De la Beche was carrying out a geological examination of South Devonshire for a hobby. His income came from a sugar plantation in Jamaica but money was running short and he would have found delays caused by the weather very frustrating.

Andrew L Morrison

Kent's Cavern, Torquay, Devon. Photos from the BAAS Collection.

BGS image ID: P264080

George Smerdon at the entrance to Kent's Cavern. 1890. Photograph by William Whitaker.

George was the Site Foreman at the cave and undertook the excavation under William Pengelly and his decendents still manage Kent's Cavern today!  We have had confirmation that this picture is reversed.



BGS image ID: P232130

Cave Lion tooth from Kent's Cavern. Photograph by A.R. Hunt, 1891.

BGS image ID:  P232129

Beaver bones, Kent's Cavern. Photograph by A.R. Hunt, 1891.

BGS image ID: P232114

Canine teeth of Wolf, Hyaena and Machairodus. Kent's Cavern. Photograph by A.R. Hunt, 1897.

For information on the British Association for the Advancement of Science photograph collection see:

Historical geological photograph collections at the British Geological Survey. In: Edinburgh Geologist Issue 53 March 2013.

Bob McIntosh