Natural asphalt from the Pitch Lake of Trinidad

Natural asphalt from the Pitch Lake of Trinidad, presented by Mr. Bonnycastle

The Percy Collection was assembled by the metallurgist Dr John Percy between 1842 and 1889. It contains over four thousand specimens illustrating fuels, ores, metals, alloys and metallurgical processes. The collection was not systematic, but derived from samples sent to Percy for analysis by students and industrial contacts, often because they were thought to be unusual or novel. It is a unique record of British metallurgy in the later 19th century, together with extra material from other countries, and earlier times.

This specimen belongs to the collection’s ‘Bituminous Substances and Oil Shales’ group, devoted to naturally occurring combustible mineral materials that were studied as fuels and industrial resources. In the nineteenth century, substances such as asphalt, bitumen, lignite and oil-bearing shales attracted attention because they could provide fuel, illuminating oils and raw materials for industry.

Described in the historical catalogue as a 'solid dull mass', this is one of a group of bituminous samples brought together by Percy for study and comparison.