Making It Mine

Making It Mine explores the fascinating story of Sir Arthur Russell 6th Baronet as he pursued his quest to build the finest collection of British minerals ever assembled. Lavishly illustrated with more than 750 photographs and diagrams, including 445 previously unpublished images of specimens from Sir Arthur's collection, the book delves into his family history, the background to his passion for mineralogy and his single-minded determination to secure the very best specimens for his collection. The stories and people behind the specimens are woven into a compelling narrative together with sketches and anecdotes concerning the many colleagues and contacts that assisted him along the way.

Privileged access both to the Sir Arthur Russell Collection of British Minerals, and the Russell Archive, at the Natural History Museum in London has allowed the author to tell the story in detail. The book will appeal to all those interested in British mineralogy, to mineral collectors and dealers, to historians of mineralogy, museum curators, university researchers and to anyone who is simply interested in the treasures of the natural world. This is neither a coffee table book nor a biography, but rather a blend of the two that takes the reader on an absorbing journey through the last 200 years of mineral collecting.