Dear colleagues,

I am writing to ask for your support against the plans to dismantle the Geological Museum of Lisbon.

Unfortunately, in the last few years various attempts have been made to dismantle this museum, which has been chronically understaffed and deprived of appropriate funds.

The Geological Museum of Lisbon was created in the mid-19^th century by the Geological Survey of Portugal, and it is one of the few examples of a 19^th century museum in Portugal by its content, lay-out and furniture. It was then housed in the same building which also houses the Academy of Sciences of Lisbon, but it belongs to the Institute of Geology and Mining, which inherited it together with the archive of the Geological Survey. In addition to its historical interest, the Museum is indispensable to present day scientific studies, because it possesses reference collections of fossils, minerals, archaeological and paleoanthropological items collected in Portugal and purchased in Europe to well-known 19^th century collectors and museums.

The last blow came last August, when the Minister of Science of the newly elected government, upon the request of the Academy of Sciences, which for no foreseeable reason claims to need the space occupied by the museum, decided that the Museum has to be dismantled and moved into a building away from the city-centre where it is now. In addition, by knowing how things work here, I am sure the collections will be mixed up, there will be nobody to take care of them in many years to come, and they will probably end up dumped somewhere.

If you feel you can express your views on this appalling decision please write to a letter to (until 25 September):

 

Professor Miguel Ramalho

Instituto Geológico e Mineiro

Estrada da Portela

Apartado 7586

P-2720 Alfragide

Portugal

 

Professor Ramalho is gathering material to send to the Minister.  PLEASE state your position and credentials and if you know of curators of similar museums that might help it would be great to have their statements.

Looking forward to hearing from you, many thanks,

Ana Carneiro

(Assistant Professor of History of Science at the New University of Lisbon)