MONNIG GALLERY NEWS
NOW AVAILABLE The official Oscar E. Monnig Collection Catalog
The
Oscar E. Monnig Meteorite Collection Catalog
By Dr. Arthur J. Ehlmann
8 3/4 x 11 1/8 inches, 192 pages
Soft cover velvet matte finish, acid-free paper
32 original color photographs
60 pages of rare historic documents from the Monnig archives including letters from H.H. Nininger and secret field correspondence
Exclusive never-before-seen photographs
A complete catalog of the collection
New essays by Dr. Arthur Ehlmann and Geoffrey Notkin
$30 (standard), $40 (slipcase), $100 (deluxe signed and numbered)
The definitive work on Oscar Monnig
and his famous collection
This beautiful book, limited to only 1,000 copies is more than just a catalog of specimen weights and numbers. It features original portraits of some of Oscar’s finest meteorite specimens, as well as historic documents, letters, and photographs from the Monnig archives. It is also a portrait of a man, his collection, and a life-long passion for meteorites.
THREE SEPARATE EDITIONS AVAILABLE Order directly from Aerolite: Meteorites for Sale official retailer. To order the Oscar Monnig Catalog click here
A limited number of deluxe numbered editions, signed by Dr. Ehlmann are still available.
For previous news stories, please click here
MONNIG GALLERY NEWS
IMPORTANT ADDITIONS TO THE COLLECTION
An important addition to the permanent Monnig Meteorite Gallery is a cabinet for showing “recent acquisitions”. The first specimen on display is one of the largest slices of Mundrabilla in the United States; the slice measures about 3 feet by 2 feet. Mundrabilla is an Australian iron meteorite with a unique texture of nickel/iron globules separated by webs of an iron sulfide called troilite. Slicing a meteorite of this size is extremely difficult both because of the size and weight of the original mass of the meteorite and because of its chemical composition. The slices were cut with a wire saw because conventional cutting blades are not large enough to do this formidable task. Five of these slices were cut in Frankfort, Germany, but the only slice in the U. S. is the one on display at TCU.
The second addition to the cabinet is a large slice of Seymchan, which shows angular clasts of pallasite cemented by nickel/iron alloy. The clasts provide evidence that the home asteroid of Seymchan was physically broken apart and subsequently recemented.
The third addition to the cabinet will be a “West”
fall exhibit (official name Ash Creek). Six individuals ranging in weight
from 1.2g to 125.7g will be shown in addition to a polished slice 7.3 X 5.6cm.
The display will be completed by April 1, 2009.
In addition to the meteorites acquired for the collection by purchase or trade,
there are two new Texas meteorites, Lueders and Fife, which have been officially
recognized through the Monnig Meteorite Collection. A third Texas meteorite,
to be named “Grandview”, is currently in the process of official
recognition. All three of these were brought to TCU for verification by ranchers
who noticed that these rocks were unlike others found in their plowed fields.
Official recognition requires a detailed description with chemical analysis
and subsequent submission to an international committee before any meteorite
is accepted and given an official name. Prior to that acceptance, any name
would be called “provisional”. Therefore, Grandview is a provisional
name at this time.