Charles D. Walcott Collection,1851-1940 and undated

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Description

Materials are from the Charles Walcott Collection, and include field notes, photographs, sketches and stratagraphic sections detailing Walcott's observations and work in geology and paleontology, focusing on the Paleozoic Era. Early in his career many of his observations of geology and paleontology fell in the Carboniferous, Silurian and Devonian periods. Later he focused on the Cambrian and Ordovician periods, which included his most famous discovery of the shale fossils in the Canadian Rockies [Burgess Pass above Field, British Columbia]. |Most of the work completed during his career was during his employment with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) 1879-1907. He started as an assistant geologist eventually promoted to Geologist in charge of Geology and Paleontology. In the course of his work for the USGS he went to southwestern Utah to make stratigraphic sections, field work including expeditions to the Appalachians, New England, New York, eastern Canada, and several Middle Atlantic states, as well as other parts of southwestern and western United States. From 1882 to 1893 he worked with the Survey's invertebrate Paleozoic paleontological collections, and as Director from 1894 to 1907. He was honorary curator of invertebrate Paleozoic fossils at the United States National Museum (USNM) from 1892 to 1907, becoming Secretary of the Smithsonian in 1907.

Date Range

1851-1940

Access Information

Many of SIA's holdings are located off-site, and advance notice is recommended to consult a collection. Please email the SIA Reference Team at osiaref@si.edu.

Topic

  • Arthropoda
  • Trilobita
  • Animalia
  • Arthropods
  • Trilobites
  • Cambrian
  • Carboniferous
  • Silurian
  • Devonian
  • Ordovician
  • Paleozoic

Place

  • New York
  • Canada
  • United States
  • Colorado
  • Grand Canyon
  • British Columbia
  • California
  • New Jersey

Form/Genre

Collection record

Accession #

SIA RU007004

Extent

41 items

Physical Location

Smithsonian Institution Archives