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I have never written any article without actually visiting the site and generally I make considerable notes at the site as well as taking pictures. The second largest craft hobby in America today is said to be Rock County with all of its branches of interest some of which are Jim cutting making jewelry and the collection of gem stones rocks minerals and fossils. This universal hobby has grown to astonishing proportions in the last 25 years and shows signs of even more rapid growth as the need develops for more people to pursue more leisure time activities due to the fact that the working few hours have more days off and get more vacation time. Rocks and minerals are specimens of extreme importance to the
rock out. However most people do not realize the important role of rocks and minerals play in everyday living. For example fluorite used in toothpaste and clothing. This series of programs is designed to give an overall picture of the rock out. Offer encouragement to the newcomer in this hobby. And present information of general interest to everyone. All of this will be examined as we explore the world of the rock out of. Today's programme is entitled publications and journalism. The narrator is Glen folk. The five basic questions of journalism who what when where. I will cover it by the many publications which exist especially for those who pursue the rock and have. These range from the small local newsletter to the widely circulated national magazines and they cover every phase of rock
hounding. Here we will discuss for publications a club newsletter the magazine gems and minerals 11 area Journal and the portion of Hobbes magazine devoted to rock collectors as an example of the local club newsletter. Let's look at the Arkansas News published monthly by the Arkansas gem mineral and geology society incorporated and edited by Jim bird child of Little Rock Arkansas. This is a 10 page menu graph bulletin containing pertinent information about the Arkansas club officers committee's personal news items about various members advertising and news about current club activities. The news bulletin is mailed to members and is exchanged with other clubs with permission granted for reprint providing proper credit is given. The 1967 issue August
described an anticipated field trip with the claim that this trip had everything to offer because instructions were to bring bathing suit rod and fishing tackle camera camping equipment and bring lights for going into caves. The trip even offered the opportunity for a person to have a shower in the Spring Water Buffalo River State Park guaranteeing results which would bring a mummy back to life. According to the article the trip also offered a great variety of mineral specimens which are expected to be found in the Arkansas rock news containing many interesting bits of information. Why being the rock hound pledge. I pledge to observe the following rules. One Julie bought a gun and dog a home to do happy mission to end her property 3 to close all gates and gaps for to put out all fires and remove all rubbish from the launch
site 5 to endeavor to maintain called your relations with the owners of property II owner so that other collectors may follow it to me that was the rockhound pledge as it appeared in the Arkansas News. A magazine widely read by many rock hounds is gems and minerals published in Mentone California with John McLaughlin as editor and publisher and Jack are Cox as managing editor. This magazine began in 1937 as a single page mimeograph bulletin called Miral notes and news in 1953 the name was changed to gems and minerals. Today it consists of some 65 pages eight and a half by 11 inch slick paper format. It is published monthly with distribution reaching every state in the United States and about 50 foreign countries. Gems and minerals is
the official magazine of the California Federation of mineralogical societies of the American Federation of mineralogical societies. The Texas Federation and the Northwest Federation of mineralogical societies as a living link between these federations and clubs and their members and other subscribers. Its philosophy is as follows its editorial policy is based on the premise that it must be a living link between the federations and clubs and their individual members while it carries Federation Club News and a mouse once it is edited primarily for individuals. Its aim is to give individual club members were not a practical guide to help them gain more from their hobby. Do this in the editorial material. If strongly how to do oriented all tickled techniques of GM cutting urine making mineral collecting and field trips they give members concrete
projects and things to do. The fantastic growth of the rockhound However he is clearly indicated by the increase in circulation said magazines such as jams and minerals or rocks and minerals or the Earth Science magazine which is the official publication of the Midwestern Federation of mineralogical societies. Another magazine is a lapidary Journal lapidary Journal was published in San Diego California. And according to information received from Mr. Hugh leaper managing editor of Life Terry Journal. This magazine has the largest circulation of any gem publication in the world. Ten years ago circulation was around 16000. Today it's more than 43000. Total net circulation of forty three thousand six hundred twenty five which is the largest circulation of any publication serving the amateur hobby anywhere in the world. We are the largest users of second class mail out of the time to go post office.
Ten years ago the magazine had only thirteen thousand five hundred circulation as well as a bi monthly six by nine inch magazine of relatively few pages. Today the magazine is a monthly with an annual April guide issue two hundred eighty pages and we publish annually over 1500 pages of them from informative articles. Many illustrated with four color process illustrations and with four color process covers on every issue of the magazine except the guide. Many of the staff members of lapidary Journal have certificates from the JAMA logical Institute of America. And many others have diplomas from the JAMA logical association of Great Britain. We asked Mr. Leeper if all of his staff members were rock hounds or were professional jam out just some of the staff members. All of the executive personnel have long and detailed experience in the various phases of this hobby. Each one particular arising in his own field.
Of course our advertising manager is a professional advertising man and only an amateur rock hounding as are a good many of the other employees all of them are not rock hounds but are skilled office workers. All of the material accepted by lapidary journal must be on the subject of Jim caddying gem collecting our jewelry making. We pay for all materials used provided it is written in a manner acceptable to us and the proper kind of glossy black and white illustrations are furnished. All articles must be on the subject of gem cutting gem collecting or jewelry making. And we do not specialize particularly in the fields of mineral collecting fossil collecting micro mounts or other phases of the hobby for the reason that we cannot cover the entire field and do the quality of job that we are widely known for. The editor and his assistants get tips from general reading from bulletins of various gem and mineral clubs all over the world and from the wide acquaintances and
experience in the field and most subjects that are used generate from us to some known writers specializing in a certain field. We will accept for scrutiny any material pertaining to the particular phases of this hobby that is tendered for examination. We will Bennett advise the author whether the material is acceptable for our purpose. The basic philosophy of this magazine is to furnish amateur hobbyists with accurate reliable carefully edited and correct information about gems. Gem collecting and jewellery making in the main and also information on collecting minerals when possible. We have also made it a particular point to keep the hobbyist abreast of the scientific developments in the growth of manmade crystals which have various gemman the logical and scientific uses. Another question was does the lapidary Journal wish to receive news as a local clubs.
We do not publish recent news from clubs except that we do maintain a calendar of events listing of all the shows held by any club in the nation. Some four or five pages of these in every issue. It would be utterly impossible to publish local news about the doings of clubs for there are 1200 of them in the United States alone. We would not have any room in the magazine for anything else. The function of the local club bulletin serves this purpose better than we can possibly serve it and it is not of interest to people in Washington. What clubs in New York are doing at their meetings. Therefore we do not publish any post-mortem reports about the meetings of clubs or news of club meetings after they have occurred is not current news any longer. We make no distinction whatever between members of the American Federation of middle mineralogical societies clubs or their regional affiliations. The California Federation the Northwest Federation the Rocky Mountain Federation the Texas Texas Federation the Midwest Federation or the eastern
Federation of mineralogical societies we published many reports prior to shows of the larger shows held all over the nation. We do not undertake to publish news of all shows for there are perhaps as many as 150 of them in one single month. In certain months of the year and we would not have room for them. These are generally local in nature and not of national interest. We do publish generous write ups in advance of the larger national shows. We feel that this is of great greater service to our readers and would justify the use of considerable space to Library Journal also publishes books and sales books. The book gem craft coauthored by Mr. Leeper was published by the Chilton County in 1959 and it is now gone into seven printings and was purchased by the U.S. government for use at the craft shops overseas at the United States service bases. Other
books and publications. By the academic journal are as follows. The lapidary Journal sells approximately 75000 books per year and publishes a number of books pertaining to this hobby including gem cutting shops helps agates of North America. The fundamentals of gem stone carving and as it has in preparation at this time two other books which will be added to our steadily growing list in addition to this the lapidary Journal carries a total stock of 209 book titles which may be obtained from its book list. Practically all recognized books on gemstones that has ever been published in the world and is still in print can be obtained through the lapidary journal book department box 2 3 6 9. San Diego California 9 2 1 1 2. That was information from Mr. Hume leaper managing editor of the Lackaday ary Journal.
However his magazine is a magazine for collectors. It was published in Chicago. However Mr. H Douglas Brown contributing editor for the section concerning gems and minerals lives in Los Angeles California where in addition to his journalistic pursuits he is connected with the West Soni an exhibit of rocks and minerals. We asked Mr. Brown if he would consider himself to be a rock hound. Well I think that's a complimentary term Yeah. I consider myself a rock them a pebble pop rock perhaps a rock. Not for many years. Well still think clubs will accept the term rock around. So I see nothing unflattering in it.
I think perhaps. It is giving me more play share both in the collecting. That is the field trip aspect and the making up of the specimens or the polishing of the Jam material on my lapidary outfit. Perhaps nothing more satisfying has come into my life and the overall business of being a rock hound. I am as good here how long I've been writing for hobbies magazine well for 20 years. Average about dem articles a year for hobbies I take a vacation during July and August each year and spend that on. In the mining country on mining act around
mining claims some of which I have a direct interest. As to as to your question if I write for other magazines Yes indeed I help with my father to write the national amateur mineralogist which in turn was an outgrowth of the chemists mining engineer and that was published for some 5 years and had a very fine speculation under the circumstances. My articles I guess have appeared in quite a number of magazines and I note that this last issue of the California mining journal has one of my effusions as to where I get a lead for my articles. The end hobbies
I get them from actually only two sources from people who write in who have a question or comment on my articles or from visiting the actual sites of the mineral or the collecting area that I am described describing in the article in question. I have never written any article without actually visiting the site and generally I make considerable notes at the site as well as taking pictures and use the best of that material with my article when I eventually write it. I find the question where do you get your material.
Leading me to some of the fan mail. And if you ask me what do they write about. I would say that everything under the sun. Many of them apparently have no real background or fact no information except that they read an article or two from them. I wonder if there isn't a hobby interest they might indulge in just to touch on a few of the things that the writers send their letters on. They want to know where in the what particular state or where they should go for minerals. Best collecting. Anyone know what
types of equipment to carry if they want to know for instance about the temperature of the hills backing him up or Colorado. What type of sleeping geared to take on type of collecting material or sacks or tags and so forth and they ask about well everything that you might dream of has come in at one time or another through their letters. Perhaps most often is there a question as to where the exhibit is located with reference to Central City in Los Angeles and of course we are glad to tell them that it is the very heart of the city on the freeway which is the most traveled
freeway perhaps in the West if not the world. Twelve lanes of. Traffic that move to somewhere between three quarters and a million cars a day and really just two blocks from the Music Center County Courthouse and all the other features of the Los Angeles Civic Center. And there are exhibit. Is stacked or displayed out on the outside 450 feet along the freeway and on the inside into a large room with something like 45 cases and table displays in
addition there are library of state mineral reports and the National Bureau of Mines reports are kept available and much other material. Many times the letters come from people wanting to know about guides to the middle area and having authored the American mineral guide. I generally refer them to that unless I am aware of us small local guide for a particular area that they inquire about. American mineral guide lists all of the. Mineral collecting areas in each state the state of the United States and tells the different minerals that may be collected there.
Mr. Brown's career began in Seattle Washington. We asked him to tell us something about himself and to give a history of there were so many an exhibit and how it came to be in Los Angeles. I might preface this by saying that my father was a mining engineer. At least I come by and my interest naturally. I also took mining engineering and university and practiced occupation. For some years in. Seattle. At the University of Washington is located. It was a member of one of the local mineral societies and they were having difficulties maintaining their exhibit and at the about
the time of this instance the Chamber of Commerce which had donated a basement display room decided that they needed the display room sufficiently so they would have to tell the Mineral Society to find other quarters for the exhibit. Elemental society got into the lead termite hassle over what to do with them and where to put it and how to put it and how to finance it with the or so that it wound up in a deadlock and a few of us decided that we could establish the exhibit ourselves and perhaps make a happy conclusion all around.
And at that time I was in a position to ask of the county space in the county city building there being what is known as a marble mausoleum between floors there quite an area totally enclosed by my will save for the windows. Thus the nickname. So we put the exhibit in there and got a custom body in one of our members and at the same time I was stablished the nonprofit educational corporation called the Washington State Chamber of Mines Washington State Chamber of Mines from that instance
grew and thrived down lasted until the second world war when we were all in one way or another and drawn into the war's interests and thus we had to abandon the exhibit. It was put in storage and eventually the heads of our Chamber of Mines had to admit that we could no longer finance even the storage on what amounted by that time to have something like 50 tons of mineral material display cases
etc. etc. including quite a library. The writer. Are they speaker I should say. Then I decided that perhaps I could use it for the material as a museum and found a spot and California along the coast. Also adjacent to the combined Coast Stam hundred one highway and there are eventually I did construct a museum. I was the subject material for some 15 years and then moved it to Los Angeles where our
corporation is known as the West. Sony and institution and again a nonprofit educational corporation. We have maintained the exhibit without cost to the public an hour for a total of 80 years in Los Angeles. That was Mr. H Douglas Brown gem and mineral contributing editor for hobbies magazine. Mr. thank you also Mr. Hugh leaper managing editor of the lapidary Journal. And Mr. Jack Cox managing editor of gems and minerals magazine for this information concerning journalism as it effects the rockhound hobby. This has been another in the series of programs exploring the world of the Rocco the
narrator. This series is produced by the service of the public library of Nashville and Davidson County in Nashville Tennessee. Next week Mrs. Ford will discuss the fascinating aspects of this hobby and a program entitled stories legends and writing. This is Charles Michel. This is the national educational radio network.
Series
World of the Rockhound
Episode Number
17
Producing Organization
WPLN
Contributing Organization
University of Maryland (College Park, Maryland)
AAPB ID
cpb-aacip/500-h41jnd52
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Description
Series Description
World of the Rockhound is a twenty-four part program about rock collecting produced by WPLN, the service of the public library of Nashville and Davidson County, and Nashville, Tennessee. Episodes focus on topics specific to rock hounding, like collecting, cutting, displaying, and creating artwork from rocks, gemstones, and fossils. The program also discusses broader topics related to geology, like earth science, consumer interests, and professional uses of rocks and minerals.
Date
1969-04-03
Genres
Documentary
Topics
Education
Nature
Science
Antiques and Collectibles
Media type
Sound
Duration
00:29:05
Embed Code
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Credits
Producing Organization: WPLN
AAPB Contributor Holdings
University of Maryland
Identifier: 69-4-17 (National Association of Educational Broadcasters)
Format: 1/4 inch audio tape
Duration: 00:28:52
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Citations
Chicago: “World of the Rockhound; 17,” 1969-04-03, University of Maryland, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed March 29, 2024, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-500-h41jnd52.
MLA: “World of the Rockhound; 17.” 1969-04-03. University of Maryland, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. March 29, 2024. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-500-h41jnd52>.
APA: World of the Rockhound; 17. Boston, MA: University of Maryland, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-500-h41jnd52