Geological research in the La Plata Museum: 1906-1966

Abstract

Between 1884 and 1905, under the direction of Francisco P. Moreno the La Plata had a clear national projection and was protagonist of the development of the geographical and geological knowledge of different parts of the country, especially in Patagonia. In 1905 the La Plata Museum became part of the National University of La Plata, and this situation led to the resignation of F. P. Moreno and the anthropologist S. Lafone Quevedo became Director. The museum was organized in several schools, which would mean, in later years, an almost exclusive action directed to teaching. In 1920 the archaeologist L. M. Torres was appointed director, but he had to retire in 1932 due to health problems. Between 1906 and 1934,  most geological investigations were limited to the individual actions of S. Roth and W. Schiller, with some contributions from M. Kantor and E. Herrero Ducloux. Roth largely completed and published results of studies conducted during Moreno´s times, while Schiller made contributions to the geology of the high cordillera of Mendoza and San Juan, the Sierras Australes of Buenos Aires and the Comodoro Rivadavia oil region, mainly on initiatives foreign to the museum. In 1934 J. Frenguelli joined the museum and became director of the institution between 1935 and 1946. During the 1930s and 1940s geological investigations originated in the museum were mainly due to Frenguelli and to a lesser extent to E. Fossa Mancini, with the addition of the paleontological contributions, initiated in 1925 by A. Cabrera. Another important institutional contribution was the formation of numerous geologists, who from the 1940s onwards conducted geological studies from different institutions across the country. In 1946 the political situation of Argentina determined an institutional breakdown which meant the exit of J. Frenguelli, and the transformation of the Institute of Museum in the School of Natural Sciences, with priority on education and loss of continuity in research and publications during the 1950´s. The creation of the national and provincial research councils (CIC, CONICET) and the incorporation of full-time professors during the late 50´s laid the foundations for more favourable conditions in the 1960s and to an attempt to restart planned research in geology and palaeontology.