George P. Merrill Papers

Collection

Identifier: SpC MS 0345

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Contains personal papers of George P. Merrill as well as portraits and illustrations of geologists and other scientists collected by him and used in his writings. Of particular interest are a letter, 1904, to Merrill from Robert E. Peary and a scrapbook compiled by Merrill documenting his trip to Russia in 1897 to attend the International Congress of Geology in Saint Petersburg. Also includes a few photographs attributed to William Henry Jackson; a collection of letters, 1843-1886, to Charles Upham Shepard; and various letters to or from other geologists and scientists including William Henry Fitton, Charles Lyell, Andrew Crombie Ramsay and Ferdinand V. Hayden.

Dates

1837-1931
Majority of material found within 1891-1920

Creator

Merrill, George P. (George Perkins), 1854-1929 (Person)

Access Restrictions

Kept at Fogler Library's offsite storage facility. One week's notice required for retrieval.

Use Restrictions

Information on literary rights available in the repository.

Biographical Note

George P. Merrill was born in Auburn, Maine, May 31, 1854. He received a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Maine in 1879, a master's degree in 1883 and a Ph.D. in 1889. He worked at the United States National Museum, serving as head curator of the Department of Geology from 1897-1929. He was an authority on the use of stone for building purposes, studied meteorites and was the author of many papers and books. George Merrill died Aug. 15, 1929.