This is the final of three posts on the special exhibit displays of the Tucson show. There is no specific order of these posts; they are in the same order as they were photographed at the show. The next post will include some of the individual minerals of this year's theme.
Minerals from the Tri-State District (Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma)
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
A Selection of Midwestern Minerals
The Harvard Collection
The Midwest USA Meets the Mid (and the West) UK
The British Natural History Museum
Native Copper from the Keeweenaw Peninsula of Michigan
National Museum of Scotland - Davis Burgess Collection
Minerals of the Illinois and Wisconsin Lead Zinc District
Midwest Giants - Barite and Calcite
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Minerals of the Midwest
New Mexico Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources - Mineral Museum
Minerals of the Canadian Midwest
ROM - Royal Ontario Museum
Minerals from the Fluorspar Mines of Southern Illinois
Sherman Dugan Museum of Geology, San Juan College
Midwestern Stony Iron Meteorite
Maine Mineral & Gem Museum
Upper Mississippi Valley Lead & Zinc Distric (Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin)
Steve Bussan
Fluorite and Other Minerals from Southern Illinois
The Carlon Collection
Quartz from the Zigras Mine, Blue Springs, Arkansas
Midwest Minerals
Arizona Mineral Minions
Minerals from the Tri-State Lead/Zinc District
George and Cindy Withers
Minerals from the Tri-State District
Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History
We are once again happy to provide detailed show reports of this year's Tucson Gem & Mineral Show®. This show is the main attraction of the multi-week Tucson mineral events. It brings together mineral enthusiasts from around the world to see the exhibits as well as the best and newest material from a multitude of dealers. Our coverage includes the opening show scenes, exhibit display cases, individual minerals on display, and dealer minerals. We will divide these into several posts starting with the opening scenes.
This year's show took place from Thursday, February 9, though Sunday, February 12. On Thursday morning, the show began with a ribbon cutting ceremony with the mayor of Tucson and a representative of the governor's office.
Introductory Remarks by Dr. Peter Megaw, Special & Guest Exhibits Chair of TGMS
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. Left to Right:
Mark Marikos, President of TGMS
Jonathan Rothschild, Mayor of City of Tucson
Ms. Becky Freeman, Deputy Director of the Governor of Arizona
Patricia McClain, Executive Manager of TGMS
Jonathan Rothschild and Ms. Becky Freeman With Minerals Treasures of the Midwest Show Posters
Show Staff and VIP's at the Completion of the Opening Ceremony
Maria Powell, host of Bienvenidos a su Casa, interviewing guest exhibitor Gene Meieran
Woolly Mammoth Mother and Baby Replica in the Upstairs Show Hallway
We are proud to present our coverage of this year's Tucson shows. Every year, at the end of January and beginning of February, the city of Tucson, Arizona, becomes a hub of mineral and gemstone activity, with hundreds of tents and hotel rooms becoming makeshift sources of material. The Tucson show is not a single show, but a collection of many events, both large and small.
One of the largest events of interest to mineral collectors is the InnSuites show. This show, hosted in the Hotel Tucson City Center, is located in a sprawling outdoor hotel complex with hundreds of rooms that become dealer booths. The hotel was originally known as the InnSuites, hence the name of the show, though several years ago the hotel name was changed to the Hotel Tucson City Center. The original InnSuites name has stuck, though this year for the first time I have heard people refer to this show as the "HTCC Show."
This show is a must for anyone visiting Tucson. The quality and quantity of minerals available for sale is astounding. Almost all the fine and well-known mineral dealers have a sales room here, where they move in and set up shop for about two weeks. Our first post of this year's Tucson show is outdoor scenes from the Innsuites, aka the HTCC Show.
Hotel Tucson City Center with New Traffic Pattern.
The old parking area is now a blocked by a wall for pending construction.
Dinosaurs Roaming the Area at the InnSuites
New Tents this Year in the Courtyard Area
More Dinosaurs Roaming the Area
Giant Shark Teeth and Jaw Cast Just Hanging Out at the Show
Gila Monster Replica
The Front of the InnSuites as Dusk Approaches
Early Evening Show Scene
Sunset Over the InnSuites
The InnSuites show has an incredible variety of minerals. Many important dealers are present, having taken up residence for several weeks in one of the many hotels room that this show has to offer. As in previous years, we found some new and interesting material, and are glad to share the photos from our findings. This is the first of two postings on the individual minerals at the InnSuites show.
Barite on Calcite from Smith Ranch, Elk Creek, Dalzell, SD
John Cornish Minerals
Strange Fluorite that looks like Prehnite from the Xian Fang Pu Mine, Chenzhou, Hunan, China
John Cornish Minerals
Attractive Polished Jaspers from Bruneau, ID, and Guadalahara, Mexico
John Cornish Minerals
Entire Case of Azurite "Suns" from the Malbunka Copper Mine, Australia
John Cornish Minerals
Prehnite from Pine Creek, Inyo Co., California. Now in the Hershel Friedman Collection.
Lehman Minerals
Amethyst from the Inyo Mountains, Inyo Co., California.
Lehman Minerals
Gemmy Dravite "Chrome Tourmaline" from Nadenijukin, Tanzania
Lehman Minerals
