Bust of John MacCulloch (1773-1835)
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Marble portrait bust of John MacCulloch, by Samuel Joseph, 1836. (GSL/POR/25). Photograph by Alistair Fyfe, 2009.
Provenance: Bequeathed to the Society by his widow, Louisa MacCulloch, 1858.
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Creator of one of the earliest geological maps of Scotland, John MacCulloch was a physician, Ordnance chemist and military surgeon. Decades before the foundation of the Geological Survey, he was the first government sponsored geologist.
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As well as being a prolific scientific author on geology, medicine and chemistry, MacCulloch was a gifted artist who illustrated his own works. This engraving, from MacCulloch's book 'A Description of the Western Islands of Scotland including the Isle of Man' (1819), shows the entrance to Fingal's Cave, Staffa. |
MacCulloch was elected a Member of the Geological Society on 5 February1808, and served as President between 1816-1820.