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George F. Kunz correspondence

 Collection — Folder: S0793
Identifier: S0793

Scope and Contents

This collection contains correspondence sent to George F. Kunz in New York City, New York ranging from 1892 to 1932, from A.W. Butler of the Indiana Academy of Science; R. L. Royse of Martinsville, Indiana regarding specimens he found including the mineral, Corundum; Rudolph Bastion of Charlestown, Indiana; and G.A. Roush, editor of the Mineral Industry, regarding clippings sent by Kunz. The collection also includes two response letters written by Kunz to Royse (April 21 and May 28, 1909); a letter sent to Theodore Rogers from the Lea Electric Manufacturing Company of Elwood, Indiana (June 5, 1901); and a letter to Rogers from Kunz regarding his failure to find any record of the "Lear light" with a handwritten note at the bottom by Rogers (August 9, 1901).

Dates

  • 1892-1932

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.

Biographical Note

American gem expert, George Frederick Kunz, was born in New York City on September 29, 1856 to Johan Gottlieb and Marie Ida Kunz. He became interested in collecting minerals as a boy and by the age of 20 had a collection of about 4,000 specimens. Though a graduate of Cooper Union in New York, he was mostly a self-taught expert in mineralogy and gemology and attained the position of gem expert with Tiffany & Company when he was only 23 years old. He worked for the company for more than 50 years and rose to the position of vice president. He was also an author of many journal articles and several books regarding gemstones, was a founding member of the New York Mineralogical Club, and was active in other scientific societies. He was given honorary degrees from Columbia University, University of Marburg, and Knox University and was also awarded honors by France, Norway, and Japan. He died in New York on June 29, 1932.

Sources:

Ancestry.com. "George Frederick Kunz." California Biographical Index Cards, 1781-1990. Accessed February 9, 2017. http://search.ancestrylibrary.com.

Wilson, Wendell E. "George F. Kunz." Mineralogical Record. 2017. Accessed February 9, 2017. http://www.mineralogicalrecord.com.

Extent

0.01 Cubic Feet (1 folder)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

This collection is arranged chronologically.

Custodial History

This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a purchase from American Library Service on 1967/02/03.

Accruals

No further additions are expected.

Processing Information

Collection processing completed 2017/02/09 by Laura Eliason. EAD finding aid created 2017/02/09 by Laura Eliason.
Title
George F. Kunz correspondence
Status
Completed
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository

Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671