George Gibbs (1776-1833) was born in Newport, Rhode Island, on January 7, 1776, the son of Mary Channing and George Gibbs, Jr. (1755-1803), a wealthy merchant. While a young man traveling abroad to learn the mercantile business, Gibbs developed a strong interest in mineralogy thereby devoting much of his time and money to the collection of minerals. By the time Gibbs returned to Rhode Island, he had the largest and most valuable mineral collection seen in the United States up to the time with more than twenty thousand minerals. He first exhibited his massive collection in Newport and gained the attention of Benjamin Stillman, a professor at Yale University. In 1811, Gibbs agreed to put some of his collection on exhibit at Yale and eventually sold his collection to Yale in 1825 for $20,000. George Gibbs died on August 6, 1833.
Access is open to members and researchers at the Redwood Library and Athenaeum.
This collection is owned by the Redwood Library and Athenaeum. Permission to publish materials must be obtained in writing from the Special Collections Librarian of the Redwood Library and Athenaeum.
George Gibbs receipt, RLC.Ms.516, Redwood Library and Athenaeum.
This collection consists of one receipt for money George Gibbs received from Captain Daniel Brown in October 1811 for sugar and oil.
This collection is arranged in chronological order.
Acquisition information is unknown.
This collection was initially processed by Aimee Saunders in 2010.