George Frederick Kunz Papers mssKunz
Gayle Richardson
The Huntington Library
May 2020
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Business Number: (626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
Note
Finding aid last updated by Melissa Haley on October 7, 2022.
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: George Frederick Kunz papers
Creator:
Kunz, George Frederick, 1856-1932
Identifier/Call Number: mssKunz
Physical Description:
2.34 Linear Feet
(3 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1837-1958
Abstract: The professional correspondence and papers of American mineralogist and author George Frederick Kunz.
Language of Material: Materials are in English.
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more
information.
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material,
nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and
obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
[Identification of item]. George Frederick Kunz papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased from Dawson's Book Shop, May 1964.
George Frederick Kunz (1856-1932) was a mineralogist and author, who served for many years as a gem expert at Tiffany and
Co., the New York jewelers. Kunz wrote numerous books and articles on gems and coins, traveled widely, maintained an active
business correspondence with members of the American and international diplomatic corps, and served as an adviser to various
governmental agencies. He was a research curator of precious stones at the American Museum of Natural History and founded
the American Museum of Peaceful Arts, New York, which later became the New York Museum of Science and Industry.
A collection of 587 items from 1837 to 1958, it consists chiefly of letters, but also includes a small number of documents,
poems, speeches, four photographs, and ephemera related to the life and interests of George F. Kunz. Subject matter includes:
routine business and professional affairs; international mines and mining and the world gem market; reflections on public
health, international expositions, preservation of national parks and scenic sites; New York City's economy, civic affairs,
and Republican politics. Please note: there is virtually no information about Tiffany and Co.
Processed by Huntington Library Staff, circa 1970. In 2020, Gayle Richardson created the finding aid derived from a legacy
summary report. In 2022, Melissa Haley enhanced description of the presidential material present in the collection as part
of the American Presidential Papers Project.
Arranged alphabetically.
Former call number: mssKunz papers.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Gems -- Collectors and collecting
Mineral industries -- United States
Mineralogists -- New York (State) -- New York
Mineralogy
Precious stones
New York (N.Y.) -- Civic leaders
New York (N.Y.) -- Social life and customs -- 19th century
New York (N.Y.) -- Social life and customs -- 20th century
Ephemera -- New York (State) -- New York
Letters (correspondence) -- New York (State) -- New York
Professional papers -- New York (State) -- New York
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Box 1, Folder 1-48
George F. Kunz correspondence to: A-Z
Box 2, Folder 49-68
Correspondence to George F. Kunz: A-N