Fingerprints of S S Buckman

BGS image ID: P824222

These are the fingerprints of Sidney Savory Buckman (1860-1929). They were found in an envelope marked "Finger Prints of Family" which also contained the fingerprints of his wife and children. It is possible that he was trying to see if people who were related had similar fingerprints.

Buckman was a geologist who also had a career as a novelist, commercial writer and fossil dealer to fund his geological work. He had an interest in many things including language and social and political reform.

Part of the S S Buckman collection at BGS Archives.

Andrew L Morrison

Wynne Slate Quarry, Glyn-Ceiriog, Denbighshire. Interior view. A sawing-table.

BGS image ID: P203057

Wynne Slate Quarry, Glyn-Ceiriog, Denbighshire. Interior showing a sawing-table. The quarry was last worked in 1928.

A really useful history can be found here: The Wynne Slate Quarry, Glyn Ceiriog by J. G Isherwood

Photograph from the BGS A Series Collection: A3109. Date: 1925.

Bob McIntosh

SILEX Ichthyopthalmus. Ichthyopthalmite. Plate no. 520. From: Sowerby, James. 1802-1817. British Mineralogy

BGS image ID: P705146

SILEX Ichthyopthalmus. Ichthyopthalmite.  Location: Strontian. Plate no. 520. From: Sowerby, James. 1802-1817. British Mineralogy: Or Coloured figures intended to elucidate the mineralogy of Great Britain. Plate from vol: 5. page no.225.

Bob McIntosh

100 years ago - Geologists' Association Field trip to the Lizard, Cornwall, Easter 1913. Director Sir John Flett.

Geologists Association Field trip to the Lizard, Cornwall, Easter 1913. Director Sir John Flett. Group photograph and key.

Bob McIntosh

Culbin sand-hills. Morayshire, 1912

BGS image ID: P000272

Culbin sand-hills. Morayshire. Sand-hills. Old land surface on the left is swept clear of advancing sand. The sand-drift is from right to left due to the prevailing winds, i.e. from west to east. The Culbin sand-hills covered an area amounting to six square miles extending from Low Wood to the mouth of the River Findhorn. Along the centre of the tract was a series of bare dome-shaped hills of sand rising to over 100 feet. Since this series of photographs the sands have been stabilized by afforestation and now most of the Culbin Sands area is a thriving forest under the care of the Forestry Commission and is designated a SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest).

BGS Old photograph number: B00794. Glass full plate negative

Date of photograph: 1912 

Photographer: R. Lunn

Bob McIntosh

Sandstone cast of Lepidodendron trunk, Garden of Dalclathie, Manse Road, Kilsyth, Stirlingshire

BGS image ID: P002561

Garden of Dalclathie, Manse Road, Kilsyth, Stirlingshire. Sandstone cast of Lepidodendron trunk, said to be derived locally from the Limestone Coal Formation. Originally, the tree would have fallen over and been surrounded by sand which filled the hollow rotted out core of the trunk and preserved its shape. Trees such as these Lepidodendrons contributed most of the carbonaceous material which accumulated to form the coal seams in the Carboniferous. The trees grew in tremendous profusion in the moist sub-tropical climate enjoyed by Scotland at that time.

BGS old photograph No: C04090

Date of photograph: 1954

Bob McIntosh

St Mary's Church, Purton, Wiltshire

BGS image ID: P210855

St Mary's Church, Purton, Wiltshire. Looking north-west. This Norman / Medieval church with its spire and crossing tower is constructed of Jurassic Coral Rag limestones. The term Rag refers to the coarse grained shelly (or ragged nature) of the limestone when fractured. The ragstone beds are generally very hard and durable stones but are consequently, therefore, very difficult to work, commonly they are used as undressed rubblestone blocks. This church at Purton is largely built of local 'Coral Rag' Limestone from the local Osmington Oolite Formation.The roof of the church is covered with stone slates which in this area are likely to be from the Forest Marble Formation, although some use of local Purbeck limestones is also known. The hard, pale grey, coarsely oolitic and shelly limestones of the Corallian Group were widely used in buildings along their outcrops in Dorset, Wiltshire and Oxfordshire.

Date taken: 1967

BGS old photograph No. A11054

Bob McIntosh

Page of signatures of Geological Survey of Great Britain staff. From the Geologists' Association 'Carreck Archive'

Page of signatures of Geological Survey of Great Britain staff. From the Geologists' Association 'Carreck Archive'.

The GA albums contain many pages of signatures of members, an archivist's delight!

Bob McIntosh

Sketch of the cone on Mount Pelée

BGS image ID: P823786

 This sketch of the cone of the volcano Mount Pelée on Martinique was sent to John Flett who at the time was a Geologist at the Geological Survey. The creator of the sketch has written his name on the bottom right-hand side. It is not clear but could be W M Hadden, Major RE [Royal Engineers].

The eruption of Mount Pelée in May 1902 killed around 30,000 people and volcanic activity continued until 1905.

Andrew L Morrison

The Inaccessible Pinnacle, Sgurr Dearg, west side. Skye. Abraham Brothers.

BGS image ID: P224572

The Inaccessible Pinnacle, Sgurr Dearg, west side. Skye. Date of image: c. 1892.

From an Abraham Brothers photographic print. BGS Archives.