Homalonotus delphinocephalus Trilobite Fossil

Recently, the The J. Paul Getty Museum of Los Angeles, California, USA made almost 88,000 images available under the Creative common Zero license as part of their Open Content Program. They state "Making images from Getty's collections freely available for study, teaching, and enjoyment." So I decided to see what if there were any fossil images and thankfully, there were.

One image I found was labeled as a Homalonotus delphinocephalus trilobite fossil found in the Silurian Period limestone of the Wenlock formation of Dudley, England. The fossil is listed as 6.25 inches (15.875 cm) and was in the cabinet of S. H. Blackwell, Esq. of Dudley. The image is an Albumen silver print by photographer identified as L.P.C. This fossil is similar to one I found in the Waldron Shale of Clark County, Indiana, USA which is now called Trimerus delphinocephalus (Green, 1832).

A little Internet research uncovered a document entitled "A Short History of the Dudley & Midland Geological Societies" by A Cutler. The Dudley Geological Society seemed to be active from 1841 to the early 1900s. Blackwell is listed as an honorary secretary in the 1842 member list and in the 1862 listed as a vice-president. On page 8 of this document it is listed "At about this time the Society produced its own notepaper and envelopes etc., and adopted a seal with a symbolic centrepiece featuring the trilobite Homalonotus Delphinocephalus (owned by S.H. Blackwell.)." Later in the document it mentions he gave tour of his iron foundaries and his fossil collection was on display during a society event.

We learn more about the owner of this fossil from a book stored at the Project Gutenberg site entitled The Curiosities of Dudley and the Black Country, From 1800 to 1860 by C. F. G. Clark.

"Another famous Iron Master in the Black Country, about this period (the late Samuel H. Blackwell, Esq., J.P.), contributed by his indomitable activity and knowledge to a large amount of improvement and development in the Iron and Coal trade. The Old Russell’s Hall Furnaces sprung into being and activity under his management, and Bilston also benefitted by his energy and manufacturing operations in that quarter. Mr. Blackwell was a learned Geologist, and took great interest in trying to prove many of the then undissolved problems in Geology and Iron making. This gentleman had the distinguished honour conferred upon him of being strenuously solicited to become one of the Members in Parliament for South Staffordshire, but this distinction he declined, alleging that his immense manufacturing engagements precluded such a possibility. Many of Mr. Blackwell’s speculations turned out unfortunate, and when an adverse turn took place in the Iron trade, he was compelled to suspend his numerous operations, and died (March 25, 1868) at the comparatively early age of 52 years."