Description
James Tennant (1808–1881), who produced this geological cabinet, was apprentice to the British mineralogist John Mawe (1764–1829). At the end of the eighteenth century, there was a rapid growth of interest in geology and mineralogy. Mawe was interested in developing a system of gem evaluation, as well as a classificatory system to make mineralogy an accessible and popular past-time. After Mawe’s death, Tennant took over the management of the mineral shop and eventually purchased it. Tennant was well-respected in scientific circles. In 1838, Tennant was appointed Lecturer and Professor of Geological Mineralogy at King’s College London. He was also a Fellow of the Geological Society and President of the Geological Association. This geological cabinet is arranged into five classes: earthy, acidiferous, combustible, native and metalliferous minerals. A short description accompanies each specimen. The majority of the 304 samples represented in this cabinet were collected from foreign countries in South America, South Asia, Australia and Africa. Samuel Paynter received a classical education at Cambridge University and became Rector of Stoke near Guildford. Since Tennant, like Mawe, was interested in the pedagogical purposes of minerals, it is possible that Paynter purchased the cabinet to introduce his own children to mineralogy or to highlight and contemplate the variety of Nature and its divine Creator.

24/02/2014
Created by: Allison Ksiazkiewicz on 24/02/2014