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Shelley Jarret-Tomes invites us to the centennial celebration of Haslemere’s renowned geologist Sir Archibald Geikie at the museum this month
This year marks the centenary of the death of one of Haslemere’s most renowned residents, the Victorian geologist Sir Archibald Geikie. Haslemere Museum will be hosting a series of celebratory events until 12th November, including a major exhibition, a Scottish Ceilidh and a programme of talks and tours.
Geikie was a leading figure in the world of science and was Director General of the Geological Survey from 1882 to 1901. He received many academic honours and was awarded a knighthood on his retirement. He was president of the Geological Society in 1906, and President of the Royal Society from 1908 to 1913. He is known for his important geological research in Scotland and in America.
Sir Archibald retired to Haslemere around 1906 and was invited to become the first Chairman of Haslemere Museum’s Fundraising Committee in 1915, a post he held until his death at the age of 88 in 1924. He worked tirelessly to secure the Museum’s future, facilitating its move to its current location on the High Street.
Today, the Museum’s collection contains one of the largest collections of Geikie-related archival documents in Europe, if not the world. The collection consists of copy letter books, field notebooks, geological specimens, letter, manuscripts and photographs, as well as some of his personal awards, medals and hundreds of his own paintings and drawings.
The Centennial Celebration begins with an exhibition of objects from Haslemere Museum’s significant Geikie archive collection, as well as items from the Geikie family’s personal archive running till March next year.
A guided walk at 10am on Friday, 8th November will visit locations around Haslemere where Geikie lived and worked. Then at 2pm, artist Roger Dellar will perform a live demo, painting an original watercolour of Geikie to be donated to the Museum.
On the evening of 8th November, the Museum will hold a Scottish Ceilidh with a band and bar. Everyone is welcome to join in and try some Scottish dancing, and tickets are on sale now via the Museum’s website.
A programme of lectures is scheduled throughout 8th and 9th November, with speakers from the world of geoscience and the Geikie family.
Finally, on 12th November, a ‘tea & talk’ will explore the Geikie archive held behind the scenes at the Museum.
The full programme of events and ticket booking can be found on the What’s On page of Haslemere Museum’s website at Haslemere Museum
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