An Interview with Joel Bartsch,
President of the HMNS
Gold, Re-opening of the Weiss Energy Hall and Hall of Gems and Minerals, and Distinguished Lectures on Earthquakes and Tsunamis
by Arthur E. Berman
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Gold was first discovered in the United States in 1799. The discovery was made in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, by Conrad Reed, age 12. The 17-pound rock was used as a doorstop in the Reed home until 1802 when Conrad’s father, John Reed, took it to a Fayetteville jeweler to learn if it was worth anything.
“He asked Mr. Reed, ‘What do you want for it?’”, relates David Temple, Director of Volunteer Services at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. “And he thought he was asking for a lot of money and he said, ‘Well, I’ll take $3.50.’”
That began the first gold rush in the United States. Subsequent gold discoveries on Cherokee land in North Carolina led to the first of many broken treaties and forced relocations of native Americans. One of the most vocal opponents of the 1830 Indian Removal Act was a young legislator named David Crockett.
“Davy Crockett stood up and said that this was wrong. He was blamed as a traitor by (President) Andrew Jackson, blackballed, lost his bid for reelection, had his life destroyed and he had to start over. That’s why he came to Texas and that’s a pretty interesting Texas connection,” says Temple.
Gold has a lot of interesting connections that can be discovered at the Houston Museum of Natural Science exhibit, Gold! Natural Treasure, Cultural Obsession, that opened in February and continues through August 7, 2005.
The Gold! Exhibit
“Gold! is the largest and most comprehensive exhibition of gold objects, natural gold specimens and gold bullion ever assembled,” said Joel A. Bartsch, president of the Museum and former curator of the world-renowned Cullen Hall of Gems and Minerals. “In addition, this exhibition is exclusive to the Houston Museum of Natural Science and will not be seen anywhere else. This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to explore the fascinating diversity and worldwide significance of this much-coveted mineral."
Gold is magic. It has been part of human history since at least the time ancient Lydia and has exerted considerable influence on the course of history in the United States. With the power to inspire mass madness like the gold rushes of the 19th century and retain value through world turmoil, yet still be transformed into an object of pure beauty, gold is truly a mineral like no other. Beautiful, fascinating and valuable, gold has inspired millions, adorned the powerful and changed the world.
The HMNS Gold! exhibit provides visitors with the opportunity to explore the role of gold through history, art, culture, science and myth. The discovery of gold in 1848 at the Sutter Mill in California sparked the greatest gold rush of all time. Tens of thousands of gold seekers from around the globe streamed into the U.S. and the quest for gold was a major factor in the settlement of the American frontier.
“It’s something I think that really appeals to the human soul,” says Joel Bartsch. “Gold is so malleable that an ounce of gold can be spread out over 500 square feet or something like that. And a pound of gold could make a wire that stretches to the moon and back. It made the United States of America the economic power that it is today.”
“One of the central parts of this exhibition is the shipwreck of the Central America,” says Bartsch. “When it sank, it created a major financial crisis in the United States. It lead to the Panic of 1857 because all the eastern banks were waiting for that shipment to show up to rebuild their coffers. When it sank, it caused a major financial panic in New York and along the whole eastern part of the United States.”
The Gold! exhibition is divided into eight sections, each designed to provide an in-depth exploration of the role of gold through history, art, culture, science and myth. The first area is called Aurum Naturae, Latin for "natural gold," and includes examples of the finest natural gold specimens in the world, each of them unique. These include the famous Latrobe Nugget, the world-famous Golden Horn and the spectacular crystalline Dragon.
The “Placer Places, Lode Locations” section of the exhibit examines the different areas where gold is formed and found, from volcanic deposits to the world’s largest and most surprising deposit of gold—the ocean. Here the visitor can see how gold is mined from rock and panned from rivers as well as how it is found through modern exploration techniques, and see a quartz pocket lined with crystalline gold, just as it was discovered in nature.
In “The Rush Is On to Find the Mother Lode!” the three major gold rushes of the 19th century—California, Australia and the Klondike—are featured. “Golden Ages” explores how the world’s most powerful cultures have utilized and cherished gold, from ancient Egypt to pre-Columbian cultures to the Renaissance. “Troves and Treasures” immerses visitors in the mystery of the deep in search of some of the greatest treasures known to man. Here we learn about sunken Spanish galleons and see a map leading to local treasures in Texas.
“The Gold Standard” explores why and how gold became the standard medium of exchange throughout the world. A variety of coin