A unique resource on the history of natural history collecting...
... A collection of antique naturalia and other rare memorabilia
Established since 2006 - Online since 2010
The main mission of the privately funded Tricottet Collection is the preservation of historic natural history items. By this term, we refer to objects relating to the field of natural history, which are associated with individuals, institutions or events in history.
The purpose of the Tricottet Collection is threefold:
• To PRESERVE and CATALOG historic natural history specimens, especially minerals, fossils, shells and meteorites.
• To PRESERVE and ARCHIVE original documents relating to natural history collecting.
• To RESEARCH and EDUCATE on the subject of natural history collecting through history.
The Tricottet Collection is divided in three sections (Hall of Minerals, Hall of Life and Hall of Meteorites), in which selections of rare and aesthetic natural history specimens, by category, are displayed. Every specimen once sojourned in one or several collections of historical importance, from museums or from influential individuals.
Special Collections are groups of objects that originate from a same estate and can be considered as stand-alone collections. A mission of the Tricottet Collection is to protect these collections of being broken up, to preserve the history of the original collections.
The Tricottet Collection comprises two separate libraries, the Library of Natural History (in construction) and the Library of Meteoritics, which is composed of hundreds of volumes, including rare antiquarian books, catalogs, inscribed books, newspaper clippings and original manuscripts.
Archives of the Tricottet Collection form a unique resource on the history of natural history collecting. They include a biographical archive, a label archive, a manuscript & correspondence archive and a photograph archive.
We are continuously looking to expanding and diversifying The Tricottet Collection through donations, purchases or trades. Please contact us for further details.
Historical Investigations - Identifying and preserving the past of natural history specimens is the main mission of The Tricottet Collection. The term past here refers to the time period over which the specimen is in the hands of Man, from its discovery to the drawers of The Tricottet Collection, via other collections of historical importance.
Articles by The Tricottet Collection published in magazines and peer-reviewed journals on the topic of history of natural history collecting.
Latest addition: Mignan, A. and B. Reed (2012), The Monnig Meteorite Collection Numbers Revisited, Meteorite magazine, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 10-13. FULL TEXT NOW AVAILABLE
Apr. 2013 / UPDATE / METEORITE
New additions to the Label Archive: Amherst College / Shepard Collection, Humboldt University of Berlin & Nérée Boubée (1806-1862).
Apr. 2013 / MEDIA / METEORITE
We are thrilled to announce that The Tricottet Collection is now in permanent display in the world's oldest and largest meteorite exhibit, at the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien! Well not our collection per se but our name. Follow the image trail to find us.
Feb. 2013 / UPDATE / METEORITE
New to the Gallery of Historic Meteorite Finds: W. Haidinger's Rokitzan research sample with cutting instructions (in fact a meteorwrong).
Feb. 2013 / UPDATE / METEORITE
New to the Gallery of Historic Meteorite Falls: Vigarano meteorite, the V of CV meteorites!
Nov. 2012 / UPDATE / MINERAL|LIFE|METEORITE
New short note in our Historical Investigations section: Antique vials, between chemistry sets and Hogwarts potions laboratory.
Sep. 2012 / UPDATE / METEORITE
New additions to the Label Archive: Helsingin Yliopisto Kivimuseo (Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki) & University of California Los Angeles / Leonard Collection.
Aug. 2012 / UPDATE / MINERAL
New to the Manuscript & Correspondence Archive: Carnegie NHM auction card with bidding prices of David Wilber, a long-time mineral connoisseur & curator of the celebrated Freilich mineral collection.
Aug. 2012 / MEDIA / METEORITE
Article The Monnig Meteorite Collection Numbers Revisited by A. Mignan & B. Reed published in Meteorite magazine, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 10-13.
Jul. 2012 / UPDATE / MINERAL
New to the Biographical Archive: The Freiberg Mineral Dealership.
Jul. 2012 / MEDIA / METEORITE
Henbury shrapnel from The Tricottet Collection featured on 3 pictures in the book Henbury Craters & Meteorites - Their Discovery, History and Study by Buhl & McColl (2012).
Jun. 2012 / UPDATE / METEORITE
New short note in our Historical Investigations section: Norton County Meteorites from the University of New Mexico, before and after Tissint.
May. 2012 / MEDIA / METEORITE
The Tricottet Collection cited in a newspaper article entitled "The day the sky fell, Bishopville meteorite surrounded by fact and legend", Lee County Observer, Wednesday, May 23, 2012 issue.
May. 2012 / UPDATE / MINERAL
New to the Library of Natural History: Rare mineral catalogues by G. L. English (1890), A. E. Foote (1892), W. M. Foote (1909), F. Krantz (c. 1930) - also a rare offprint describing the mineral collection of the Crystal Palace by B. Silliman, Jr. (1854).
Feb. 2012 / MEDIA / METEORITE
Dr. Arnaud Mignan receives a 2012 Harvey Award, category Research and Curation, for his work with The Tricottet Collection, meteorite research, and preservation.
Nov. 2011 / MEDIA / METEORITE
Article Claims of Indigenous Life Forms in Meteorites: A Short Review by A. Mignan published in Meteorite magazine, vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 34-38.
Oct. 2011 / UPDATE / MINERAL
New to the Special Collections section: Special Collection B, James R. Gregory Mineral & Rock Collection (1874-1895).
Sep. 2011 / UPDATE / LIFE
New to the Biographical Archive: Jean Miquel (1859-1940).
Sep. 2011 / UPDATE / METEORITE
New to the Biographical Archive: Oscar E. Monnig (1902-1999).
Jun. 2011 / UPDATE / LIFE
New to the Special Collections section: Special Collection A, The Charles Nathaniel Peal (1832-1898) Book Legacy.
Mar. 2011 / UPDATE / METEORITE
New to the Biographical Archive: J. Lawrence Smith (1818-1883).
No older post.
Please consider donating to the Tricottet Collection to help us improving this unique online resource on natural history.
We buy natural history collections. Please contact us for further details.