The Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum & Art Gallery curates almost 20,000 objects related to the history of EMS research at Penn State University. These collections include earth materials, scientific instrumentation, and an extensive collection of fine art with industrial themes. We also house materials that are important to the industrial and geological history of the state. These collections are used to drive research, to train future scientist in the EMS disciplines, and to communicate our science to visitors.
Steidle Collection of Industrial Art
Edward Steidle believed art reflected life and experience. As Dean of the School of Mineral Industries (1928–1953), now the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS) at Penn State, Steidle commissioned and collected artwork that depicted Pennsylvania’s extractive industries.
Earth Materials
What are Earth Materials? In this instance, they are any materials that were created or formed by earth processes or manipulated from their original form into another by these same processes. The Earth Materials collection include sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks, minerals, fossils, oil and other extractable resources, meteorites (and meteor-wrongs), industrial byproducts, and specimens grown or created in a laboratory.
Scientific Instruments and Tools
The Scientific Instruments and Tools collection is the fastest growing collection at the museum. It reflects the history of the College of EMS, but also the industries that the college is built upon. It encompasses a large selection of both rare and common items including historic lab equipment, modern microscopes, mining technology, and safety equipment, maps (both historic and current), surveying tools, cameras, calculators, and glassware are just a small selection of the items that make up this intriguing collection.