Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum
Encyclopedia
The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum is a museum of seashell
s and conchology
located in the city of Sanibel, Florida
on Sanibel Island
on the Gulf
coast of Southwest Florida
. It opened to the public in 1995, and operates as an information and reference center for national and international scientists, students, and shell enthusiasts who are interested in the marine, terrestrial, and land mollusks of the Gulf of Mexico
and Florida
. The Museum, which is a facility of the Shell Museum and Educational Foundation, Inc., received its first accreditation from the American Association of Museums in March, 2010.
Sanibel Island is one of the better seashell collecting spots in the world (comparable to Jeffreys Bay
in Africa and the Sulu Archipelago
in the Pacific). Many of the museum's exhibits were collected on the island's own beaches, and it also owns a considerable collection of Fijian cowries
and cones donated by actor Raymond Burr
, who owned a shell-strewn island in the Fiji
s.
The Museum offers a formal field trip program for Lee County
public school 4th-graders on a cost-sharing basis.
The Museum has established strong ties with many public and private sector organizations, including the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization, Smithsonian Institution
, American Malacological Society, Conchologists of America, Museu de Zoologia and Universidade de São Paulo in Brazil
, Florida Museum of Natural History
, Conchologists of America, Southwest Florida Library Network, Sanibel Public Library, The Sanibel School, Sanibel-Captiva Chamber of Commerce, Lee County’s Visitor and Convention Bureau and the Tourism and Development Council, and shell clubs throughout Florida.
, Ph.D., was a consultant and eventually founding director. The museum building was designed by architect George "Tutts" Tuttle Jr., from Captiva Island
.
In 1993, the Museum opened its campaign office and acquired a bank loan to complement a construction grant from the State of Florida Cultural Facilities Program. The Grand Opening was on November 18, 1995. In February 1996, malacologist José H. Leal was hired as director. In 1997, the Museum became the publisher, with Dr. Leal as editor-in-chief, of The Nautilus, the second-oldest English-language shell science journal in the world.
In July 1999, the Museum liquidated its original bank debt and, in May 2000, established its Cultural Endowment Fund. In 2003, the Museum underwent the American Association of Museums
' (AAM) Museum Assessment Program, and in 2004, the Institute of Museum and Library Services
’ Conservation Assessment Program. The Museum became increasingly more professional in its goals and operational procedures, and moved from being a local attraction to a well-established and recognized natural history museum.
In 2006, the Museum received a $240,000 Cultural Endowment Matching Grant from the Florida’s Division of Cultural Affairs. As of 2008, its endowment surpasses $1.2 million dollars.
Seashell
A seashell or sea shell, also known simply as a shell, is a hard, protective outer layer created by an animal that lives in the sea. The shell is part of the body of the animal. Empty seashells are often found washed up on beaches by beachcombers...
s and conchology
Conchology
Conchology is the scientific or amateur study of mollusc shells. Conchology is one aspect of malacology, the study of molluscs, however malacology studies molluscs as whole organisms, not just their shells. Conchology pre-dated malacology as a field of study. It includes the study of land and...
located in the city of Sanibel, Florida
Sanibel, Florida
Sanibel is a city in Lee County, Florida, United States, on Sanibel Island. The population was 6,064 at the 2000 census, with an estimated 2006 population of 6,066. It is part of the Cape Coral–Fort Myers Metropolitan Statistical Area....
on Sanibel Island
Sanibel Island
Sanibel Island is an island located on the Gulf coast of Florida, just offshore of Fort Myers. In 2000, it had an estimated population of 6,064 people...
on the Gulf
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
coast of Southwest Florida
Southwest Florida
Southwest Florida is a region of Florida , United States located along its gulf coast, south of the Tampa Bay area, west of Lake Okeechobee and mostly north of the Everglades...
. It opened to the public in 1995, and operates as an information and reference center for national and international scientists, students, and shell enthusiasts who are interested in the marine, terrestrial, and land mollusks of the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. The Museum, which is a facility of the Shell Museum and Educational Foundation, Inc., received its first accreditation from the American Association of Museums in March, 2010.
Sanibel Island is one of the better seashell collecting spots in the world (comparable to Jeffreys Bay
Jeffreys Bay
Jeffreys Bay is a town located in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The town is situated just off the N2 Highway, about an hour's drive southwest of Port Elizabeth.- History :...
in Africa and the Sulu Archipelago
Sulu Archipelago
The Sulu Archipelago is a chain of islands in the southwestern Philippines. This archipelago is considered to be part of the Moroland by the local rebel independence movement. This island group forms the northern limit of the Celebes Sea....
in the Pacific). Many of the museum's exhibits were collected on the island's own beaches, and it also owns a considerable collection of Fijian cowries
Cowry
Cowry, also sometimes spelled cowrie, plural cowries, is the common name for a group of small to large sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries...
and cones donated by actor Raymond Burr
Raymond Burr
Raymond William Stacey Burr was a Canadian actor, primarily known for his title roles in the television dramas Perry Mason and Ironside. His early acting career included roles on Broadway, radio, television and in film, usually as the villain...
, who owned a shell-strewn island in the Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
s.
Facilities and programs
In addition to its 34 exhibits, public programs, and in-house resources, the Museum has embarked in many collaborations with national and international educational and research institutions, and offers facilities in its collection and research area for visiting researchers, interns, and students. Resources are used by national and international professionals in the fields of environmental and marine sciences, biology, and ecology.The Museum offers a formal field trip program for Lee County
Lee County, Florida
Lee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. Located in southwest Florida, the principal cities in the county are Fort Myers and Cape Coral...
public school 4th-graders on a cost-sharing basis.
The Museum has established strong ties with many public and private sector organizations, including the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization, Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
, American Malacological Society, Conchologists of America, Museu de Zoologia and Universidade de São Paulo in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Florida Museum of Natural History
Florida Museum of Natural History
The Florida Museum of Natural History is the State of Florida's official state-sponsored and chartered natural history museum. Its main facilities are located on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida....
, Conchologists of America, Southwest Florida Library Network, Sanibel Public Library, The Sanibel School, Sanibel-Captiva Chamber of Commerce, Lee County’s Visitor and Convention Bureau and the Tourism and Development Council, and shell clubs throughout Florida.
History
The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum began with a gift of land from brothers John, Francis, and Sam Bailey in 1990 (in memory of their parents, Frank P. Bailey and Annie Mead Matthews). Noted malacologist R. Tucker AbbottR. Tucker Abbott
Robert Tucker Abbott was an American conchologist and malacologist . He was the author of more than 30 books on malacology, which have been translated into many languages....
, Ph.D., was a consultant and eventually founding director. The museum building was designed by architect George "Tutts" Tuttle Jr., from Captiva Island
Captiva Island
Captiva Island is an island in Lee County in southwest Florida, located just offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.-History:According to local folklore, Captiva got its name because the pirate captain José Gaspar held his female prisoners on the island for ransom or worse...
.
In 1993, the Museum opened its campaign office and acquired a bank loan to complement a construction grant from the State of Florida Cultural Facilities Program. The Grand Opening was on November 18, 1995. In February 1996, malacologist José H. Leal was hired as director. In 1997, the Museum became the publisher, with Dr. Leal as editor-in-chief, of The Nautilus, the second-oldest English-language shell science journal in the world.
In July 1999, the Museum liquidated its original bank debt and, in May 2000, established its Cultural Endowment Fund. In 2003, the Museum underwent the American Association of Museums
American Association of Museums
The American Association of Museums is a non-profit association that has brought museums together since its founding in 1906, helping develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and advocating on issues of concern to the museum community...
' (AAM) Museum Assessment Program, and in 2004, the Institute of Museum and Library Services
Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is an independent agency of the United States federal government established in 1996. It is the main source of federal support for libraries and museums within the United States, having the mission to "create strong libraries and museums that connect...
’ Conservation Assessment Program. The Museum became increasingly more professional in its goals and operational procedures, and moved from being a local attraction to a well-established and recognized natural history museum.
In 2006, the Museum received a $240,000 Cultural Endowment Matching Grant from the Florida’s Division of Cultural Affairs. As of 2008, its endowment surpasses $1.2 million dollars.