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Robert Carl Sticht

May 03, 2024

Robert Carl Sticht (8 October 1856 – 30 April 1922) was an American metallurgist and copper mine manager, active in Colorado and Montana, U.S.A. and in Tasmania, Australia. Sticht was the developer of the first successful purely pyritic smelting in the world.[1] He was also an important book and art collector, a large part of whose collections were acquired by the Public Library of Victoria and the National Gallery of Victoria in the 1920s.

Robert Carl Sticht (State Library of Victoria)

Early life edit

Sticht was born at Hoboken, New Jersey, U.S.A., the son of German-American parents from Brooklyn,[1] his father's name was John C. Sticht.[2] Sticht studied at the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute and graduated from there with a BSc in 1875. He then studied metallurgy at the Clausthal Royal Mining Academy, Germany,[1] where he graduated with honours in 1880.[2]

Career edit

Returning to the US, Sticht was appointed chief chemist and assistant metallurgist at a Colorado smelting company[1] and erected smelters in Colorado and Montana. In 1893, on the recommendation of the American mining expert Edward Dyer Peters, Sticht was appointed chief metallurgist to the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Co. Ltd. in Tasmania. Sticht married Marion Oak née Staige, of Illinois[1] in January 1895.[2] The newly married couple arrived in Queenstown, Tasmania around July 1895.[1]

Sticht persuaded the company to use pyritic smelting, designed and supervised the erection of the reduction works plant and in 1897 was appointed general manager of the company. His successful dealing with pyritic ores marked him out as a great metallurgist. Other difficult problems arose but each was successfully dealt with as it came, and his ability in selecting suitable assistants and heads of departments was a great factor in the continued success of the company. Although a technical success, pyritic smelting had a "horrendous cost to the environment in the destruction of a vast area of rainforest and in pollution of rivers".[3]

Sticht's time at Mount Lyell was marked by a disastrous underground fire at the North mine on 12 October 1912, when some 42 miners died from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Sticht had a holiday tour in the United States in 1914–15; in 1917 he was again in Tasmania investigating problems in connection with the Mount Read and Rosebery ores. He died at Launceston, Tasmania, on 30 April 1922 and was succeeded by Russell Mervyn Murray, an employee for whom he had little regard[4] but who managed the mines successfully for a similar length of time. Sticht was survived by his wife and three sons.

Memberships edit

Legacy edit

Sticht was a cultivated man, interested in music, art and literature.[6][7]

As Heather Lowe wrote in the Art Journal:

Sticht’s collecting activities were far broader than has been recognised...: in the first decade of this century he was to gather in his home on the remote west coast of Tasmania important collections not only of oil paintings, works on paper, incunabula and antiquarian books, book bindings, title pages, inscribed fly-leaves, and watermarks, but also of anthropological artefacts and mineral and botanical specimens. Within the history of art collecting in Australia, the Sticht Collection is unusual and fascinating, and deserves close attention for a variety of reasons, including the geographical isolation in which it was formed, and the wide-reaching intellectual inquisitiveness that structured its formation.[7]

In 1923, following Sticht's death, the Melbourne bookseller Albert Henry Spencer of the Hill of Content bookshop was appointed to handle the dispersal of the former's private library. Spencer later described it as "the finest library yet sold in Australia" and noted that "[i]t was rich in general literature as well in Australiana, beginning with manuscripts written before the invention of printing, going on to many items of incunabula, then on to great books through the centuries."[8]

Among the buyers was the Public Library of Victoria which snapped up 'a large number of rare and important works'.[9] These included a number of early Bibles, Euclid's Elementa (1482) (one of only three complete copies in the world), the 'Hendriks collection' of fly-leaves and title-pages, numbering over 3000 pieces, 137 volumes of the works of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the twenty-two volumes of Georg Kaspar Nagler's Neues allgemeines Künstler-Lexicon (1835–1852), Richard Earlom's Liber veritatis, or, A collection of two hundred prints, after the original designs of Claude Le Lorrain (1777), J.H. Green's A catalogue and description of the whole of the works of the celebrated Jacques Callot (1804), and Francesco Colonna's Hypnerotomachia Poliphili (1499), described as 'the most beautiful book of the fifteenth century'.[10]

Some months earlier Public Library of Victoria and the National Gallery of Victoria had used funds from the Felton Bequest to purchase direct from the Sticht estate his large collection of Old Master prints and drawings, and a collection of early typography and books of extraordinary value, items which are now divided between the National Gallery of Victoria and the State Library of Victoria.[11][12]

Sticht showed his interest in the welfare of the employees of the Mount Lyell mine by the establishment of "betterment" facilities near the mine, and took a leading part in the opening of the technical school in Queenstown. Sticht's kindliness was extended to his employees, to prospectors, and all interested in the mining industry; he was devoted to his work, and the mine owed its success to his administrative powers, his resourcefulness and his great knowledge. Sticht's reputation became world-wide and the long chapter of 125 pages in the 1907 edition of The Principles of Copper Smelting,[13] by Edward Dyer Peters, owed so much to him, that the author stated that "to save constant quotation marks and references, I believe that it will be more just to ascribe this chapter, in the main, to Mr Sticht".[1]

The mineral stichtite is named for him,[14] as is the Sticht Range of mountains.[15]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g McShane, Ian (1990). "Sticht, Robert Carl (1856 - 1922)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
  2. ^ a b c Serle, Percival (1949). "Sticht, Robert Carl". Dictionary of Australian Biography. Sydney: Angus & Robertson. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
  3. ^ Mount Lyell technology
  4. ^ Lou Rae (April 2005). The Lost Province : exploration, isolation, innovation and domination in the Mount Lyell Region 1859-1935. University of Tasmania. pp. 111–120.
  5. ^ "Notable Australians". The Daily Telegraph (Launceston). Vol. XXVII, no. 13. Tasmania, Australia. 15 January 1907. p. 6. Retrieved 24 December 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "View archived webpage". Archived from the original on 25 May 2010.
  7. ^ a b Heather Lowe, "The Robert Carl Sticht collection: a forgotten legacy", Art Journal, 14, 4 June 2014. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  8. ^ A. H. Spencer, The Hill of Content: Books, Art, Music, People, Sydney, London, Melbourne: Angus & Robertson, 1959, pp. 17–18.
  9. ^ Edmund La Touche Armstrong, The Book of the Public Library, Museums, and National Gallery of Victoria, 1906–1931, Melbourne, Trustees of the Public Library, Museums, and National Gallery of Victoria, 1932, p.54.
  10. ^ Helen Gaunt, "The Library of Robert Carl Sticht", La Trobe Journal, No. 79, Autumn 2007. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  11. ^ Gaunt, Heather (2007), "The library of Robert Carl Sticht: [Metallurgist and chief mining engineer at the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company in Tasmania, Robert Sticht the bibliophile...a connoisseur both in art and literature.]", La Trobe Journal (79): 4–26, ISSN 1441-3760
  12. ^ Vincent, Robert; Gaunt, Heather; Halton, John Francis, 1948-; Walch, Martin; Mount Lyell Office Development Committee; National Library of Australia (2010), The jewelled house of art and nature : the Mt Lyell Mining & Railway Company office, Mt. Lyell Office Development Committee, retrieved 9 June 2018{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ The principles of copper smelting. Hill Publishing Company. 1907.
  14. ^ Sticht, Robert Carl - Bright Sparcs Biographical entry at www.asap.unimelb.edu.au
  15. ^ "Sticht Range - Peakbagger.com". www.peakbagger.com. Retrieved 21 August 2023.

Further reading edit

  • Blainey, Geoffrey (2000). The Peaks of Lyell (6th ed.). Hobart: St. David's Park Publishing. ISBN 0-7246-2265-9.
  • Whitham, Charles (2003). Western Tasmania - A land of riches and beauty (Reprint 2003 ed.). Queenstown: Municipality of Queenstown.
  • Rae, Lou (Doctoral thesis, April 2005). The Lost Province : exploration, isolation, innovation and domination in the Mount Lyell Region 1859-1935 (PDF). University of Tasmania. Retrieved 19 February 2019.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

May 03, 2024
robert, carl, sticht, october, 1856, april, 1922, american, metallurgist, copper, mine, manager, active, colorado, montana, tasmania, australia, sticht, developer, first, successful, purely, pyritic, smelting, world, also, important, book, collector, large, pa. Robert Carl Sticht 8 October 1856 30 April 1922 was an American metallurgist and copper mine manager active in Colorado and Montana U S A and in Tasmania Australia Sticht was the developer of the first successful purely pyritic smelting in the world 1 He was also an important book and art collector a large part of whose collections were acquired by the Public Library of Victoria and the National Gallery of Victoria in the 1920s Robert Carl Sticht State Library of Victoria Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Memberships 4 Legacy 5 References 6 Further readingEarly life editSticht was born at Hoboken New Jersey U S A the son of German American parents from Brooklyn 1 his father s name was John C Sticht 2 Sticht studied at the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute and graduated from there with a BSc in 1875 He then studied metallurgy at the Clausthal Royal Mining Academy Germany 1 where he graduated with honours in 1880 2 Career editReturning to the US Sticht was appointed chief chemist and assistant metallurgist at a Colorado smelting company 1 and erected smelters in Colorado and Montana In 1893 on the recommendation of the American mining expert Edward Dyer Peters Sticht was appointed chief metallurgist to the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Co Ltd in Tasmania Sticht married Marion Oak nee Staige of Illinois 1 in January 1895 2 The newly married couple arrived in Queenstown Tasmania around July 1895 1 Sticht persuaded the company to use pyritic smelting designed and supervised the erection of the reduction works plant and in 1897 was appointed general manager of the company His successful dealing with pyritic ores marked him out as a great metallurgist Other difficult problems arose but each was successfully dealt with as it came and his ability in selecting suitable assistants and heads of departments was a great factor in the continued success of the company Although a technical success pyritic smelting had a horrendous cost to the environment in the destruction of a vast area of rainforest and in pollution of rivers 3 Sticht s time at Mount Lyell was marked by a disastrous underground fire at the North mine on 12 October 1912 when some 42 miners died from carbon monoxide poisoning Sticht had a holiday tour in the United States in 1914 15 in 1917 he was again in Tasmania investigating problems in connection with the Mount Read and Rosebery ores He died at Launceston Tasmania on 30 April 1922 and was succeeded by Russell Mervyn Murray an employee for whom he had little regard 4 but who managed the mines successfully for a similar length of time Sticht was survived by his wife and three sons Memberships editAustralasian Institute of Mining Engineers president 1905 1915 vice president 1909 Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science president Section C chemistry metallurgy and mineralogy 1907 5 Legacy editSticht was a cultivated man interested in music art and literature 6 7 As Heather Lowe wrote in the Art Journal Sticht s collecting activities were far broader than has been recognised in the first decade of this century he was to gather in his home on the remote west coast of Tasmania important collections not only of oil paintings works on paper incunabula and antiquarian books book bindings title pages inscribed fly leaves and watermarks but also of anthropological artefacts and mineral and botanical specimens Within the history of art collecting in Australia the Sticht Collection is unusual and fascinating and deserves close attention for a variety of reasons including the geographical isolation in which it was formed and the wide reaching intellectual inquisitiveness that structured its formation 7 In 1923 following Sticht s death the Melbourne bookseller Albert Henry Spencer of the Hill of Content bookshop was appointed to handle the dispersal of the former s private library Spencer later described it as the finest library yet sold in Australia and noted that i t was rich in general literature as well in Australiana beginning with manuscripts written before the invention of printing going on to many items of incunabula then on to great books through the centuries 8 Among the buyers was the Public Library of Victoria which snapped up a large number of rare and important works 9 These included a number of early Bibles Euclid s Elementa 1482 one of only three complete copies in the world the Hendriks collection of fly leaves and title pages numbering over 3000 pieces 137 volumes of the works of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe the twenty two volumes of Georg Kaspar Nagler s Neues allgemeines Kunstler Lexicon 1835 1852 Richard Earlom s Liber veritatis or A collection of two hundred prints after the original designs of Claude Le Lorrain 1777 J H Green s A catalogue and description of the whole of the works of the celebrated Jacques Callot 1804 and Francesco Colonna s Hypnerotomachia Poliphili 1499 described as the most beautiful book of the fifteenth century 10 Some months earlier Public Library of Victoria and the National Gallery of Victoria had used funds from the Felton Bequest to purchase direct from the Sticht estate his large collection of Old Master prints and drawings and a collection of early typography and books of extraordinary value items which are now divided between the National Gallery of Victoria and the State Library of Victoria 11 12 Sticht showed his interest in the welfare of the employees of the Mount Lyell mine by the establishment of betterment facilities near the mine and took a leading part in the opening of the technical school in Queenstown Sticht s kindliness was extended to his employees to prospectors and all interested in the mining industry he was devoted to his work and the mine owed its success to his administrative powers his resourcefulness and his great knowledge Sticht s reputation became world wide and the long chapter of 125 pages in the 1907 edition of The Principles of Copper Smelting 13 by Edward Dyer Peters owed so much to him that the author stated that to save constant quotation marks and references I believe that it will be more just to ascribe this chapter in the main to Mr Sticht 1 The mineral stichtite is named for him 14 as is the Sticht Range of mountains 15 References edit a b c d e f g McShane Ian 1990 Sticht Robert Carl 1856 1922 Australian Dictionary of Biography National Centre of Biography Australian National University ISSN 1833 7538 Retrieved 13 March 2010 a b c Serle Percival 1949 Sticht Robert Carl Dictionary of Australian Biography Sydney Angus amp Robertson Retrieved 13 March 2010 Mount Lyell technology Lou Rae April 2005 The Lost Province exploration isolation innovation and domination in the Mount Lyell Region 1859 1935 University of Tasmania pp 111 120 Notable Australians The Daily Telegraph Launceston Vol XXVII no 13 Tasmania Australia 15 January 1907 p 6 Retrieved 24 December 2018 via National Library of Australia View archived webpage Archived from the original on 25 May 2010 a b Heather Lowe The Robert Carl Sticht collection a forgotten legacy Art Journal 14 4 June 2014 Retrieved 11 February 2019 A H Spencer The Hill of Content Books Art Music People Sydney London Melbourne Angus amp Robertson 1959 pp 17 18 Edmund La Touche Armstrong The Book of the Public Library Museums and National Gallery of Victoria 1906 1931 Melbourne Trustees of the Public Library Museums and National Gallery of Victoria 1932 p 54 Helen Gaunt The Library of Robert Carl Sticht La Trobe Journal No 79 Autumn 2007 Retrieved 11 February 2019 Gaunt Heather 2007 The library of Robert Carl Sticht Metallurgist and chief mining engineer at the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company in Tasmania Robert Sticht the bibliophile a connoisseur both in art and literature La Trobe Journal 79 4 26 ISSN 1441 3760 Vincent Robert Gaunt Heather Halton John Francis 1948 Walch Martin Mount Lyell Office Development Committee National Library of Australia 2010 The jewelled house of art and nature the Mt Lyell Mining amp Railway Company office Mt Lyell Office Development Committee retrieved 9 June 2018 a href Template Citation html title Template Citation citation a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link CS1 maint numeric names authors list link The principles of copper smelting Hill Publishing Company 1907 Sticht Robert Carl Bright Sparcs Biographical entry at www asap unimelb edu au Sticht Range Peakbagger com www peakbagger com Retrieved 21 August 2023 Further reading editBlainey Geoffrey 2000 The Peaks of Lyell 6th ed Hobart St David s Park Publishing ISBN 0 7246 2265 9 Whitham Charles 2003 Western Tasmania A land of riches and beauty Reprint 2003 ed Queenstown Municipality of Queenstown Rae Lou Doctoral thesis April 2005 The Lost Province exploration isolation innovation and domination in the Mount Lyell Region 1859 1935 PDF University of Tasmania Retrieved 19 February 2019 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link CS1 maint numeric names authors list link Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Robert Carl Sticht amp oldid 1171474475, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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