| The role played by the geological collections of the Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum, the National Museum of Natural History, in documenting the developments in the Earth sciences in The Netherlands and abroad is discussed, as well as the influence exercised by the mining industry and former Dutch colonies. Thus, an overview is given of the variety of the geological collections which were obtained from government institutions, including universities, and private persons. First the early collections, which are poorly represented, are treated. An example is the Cabinet of the Stadtholder William V. Geological exploration during the 19th century, mainly in Asia, but also in the Americas, left its traces in our museum. Of special interest is the von Siebold... |
