Barbara Pyrah
Pyrah giving an interview to YTV in 1986 in the Yorkshire Museum
Born
Barabara Joan Pyrah

1943
Died8 January 2016
Stamford Bridge
Occupations
  • Archaeologist
  • Museum curator
Academic work
DisciplineGeology
Institutions

Barbara Joan Pyrah (1943–2016) was a British geologist, museum curator, and illustrator.[1]

Career

From 1965–1968 Pyrah was the assistant keeper of geology at the Manchester Museum.[2] From 1968 to her retirement in 1988, Pyrah was the Keeper of Geology at the Yorkshire Museum.[3] During her time at the Yorkshire Museum Pyrah produced a four-part catalogue detailing the type and figured fossil specimens held in the collections.[4][5][6][7] This catalogue represented over 900 specimens from approximately 150 publications. The research interest in the collections of the museum rose considerably as a result of these published catalogues.[8]

Pyrah illustrated the 1977 publication The Ice Age in Yorkshire.[9]

Pyrah was a member of the organising committee of the Geological Curators' Group from 1975 to 1977.[10]

She retired from the museum due to ill-health in 1988;[3] In retirement she was a member of the Dunnington Art Club and a founding member of the Friends of Hagg Wood.[1]

She is listed as one of the donors to the mosaic map in York Museum Gardens.[11]

Exhibitions

Pyrah organised a major exhibition at the Yorkshire Museum: 'A New Look at the Dinosaurs' was opened in April 1984 by David Bellamy. The exhibition was inspired by a 1979 book of the same name by Alan J. Charig, who gave a lecture in the museum in celebration of its opening.[12] The exhibition received a favourable review in New Scientist, which described it as "an exhibition of unimpeachable scholarship which provides something of interest and enjoyment at any and every age.[13] Over 335,000 visitors saw the exhibition by the end of its year-long display.[8]

Publications

  • Pyrah, B. J. 1974. "Collections and Collectors of Note. 3. Yorkshire Museum". Geological Curators Group Newsletter 1(2). 52–55.
  • Pyrah, B.1976. "Catalogue of the type and figured fossils in the Yorkshire Museum: part 1", Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society 41(1.4)
  • Pyrah, B.1977. "Catalogue of the type and figured fossils in the Yorkshire Museum: part 2", Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society 41(2.23)
  • Pyrah, B.1978. "Catalogue of the type and figured fossils in the Yorkshire Museum: part 3", Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society 41(4.32)
  • Pyrah, B.1979. "Catalogue of the type and figured fossils in the Yorkshire Museum: part 4", Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society 42(3.24)
  • Pyrah, B. J. 1981. "Edward Charlesworth and the British Natural History Society. 1: Material in the Yorkshire Museum", The Geological Curator 3(2). 88–92.
  • Pyrah, B. J. 1988. The history of the Yorkshire Museum and its geological collections. York: The Ebor Press. ISBN 1 85072 042 8

References

  1. 1 2 "Barbara Joan Pyrah". York Press. 16 January 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  2. ↑ Alberti, S. J. M. M. (2009). Nature and Culture: Objects, Disciplines and the Manchester Museum. Manchester Museum. p. 62.
  3. 1 2 Howard, P. (1989). "The Yorkshire Museum, 1988: Geology". Yorkshire Philosophical Society Annual Report for the year 1988. p. 40.
  4. ↑ Pyrah, B (1976). "Catalogue of the type and figured fossils in the Yorkshire Museum: part 1". Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society. 41 (1.4).
  5. ↑ Pyrah, B (1977). "Catalogue of the type and figured fossils in the Yorkshire Museum: part 2". Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society. 41 (2.23).
  6. ↑ Pyrah, B (1978). "Catalogue of the type and figured fossils in the Yorkshire Museum: part 3". Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society. 41 (4.324): 437–460. doi:10.1144/pygs.41.4.437.
  7. ↑ Pyrah, B (1979). "Catalogue of the type and figured fossils in the Yorkshire Museum: part 4". Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society. 42 (3.244): 415–437. doi:10.1144/pygs.42.3.415.
  8. 1 2 Pyrah, B. J. (1988). "A Modern Museum (1970–1988)". The history of the Yorkshire Museum and its geological collections. North Yorkshire County Council. pp. 134–148. ISBN 1850720428.
  9. ↑ The Ice Age in Yorkshire. WorldCat. OCLC 3944285. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  10. ↑ Geological Curators Group (1978). "4TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 1977" (PDF). Newsletter of the Geological Curators' Group. 2 (2): 55–57. doi:10.55468/GC1053. S2CID 251697510.
  11. ↑ "GMP People". Yorkshire Philosophical Society. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  12. ↑ Pyrah, B. (1985). "The Yorkshire Museum, 1984: Geology". Yorkshire Philosophical Society Annual Report for the year 1984. p. 33–37.
  13. ↑ Halstead, B. (April 1984). "Dinosaurs are to be enjoyed". New Scientist. New Science Publications. 1404: 28.
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