BSCC trophies

by Tom Walker

The Club awards several trophies at its annual Shell Show, and usually the names of the winners are published in the following issue of Pallidula. However, no comprehensive list of winners seems to have been kept, and some years the names have been omitted from Pallidula. I thought it time that this was rectified, and the list below gives all the award winners since each trophy was first awarded. Members may also like to know why we have these awards, and why they are so named.

The first Shell Show was held in May 1976, but competitive entries were not introduced until the following year. It seems that in the early years of the Club there was an additional award, the Du Pont Trophy, for the Outstanding Exhibit. There are only two references to this trophy in all the issues of the Club Newsletter or Pallidula: Ken Wye won it in 1977 for "Exhibit 38 in Class 10: Visual Beauty—Shape" and it was again to be awarded in 1985 (in addition to the COA Plaque). Any further information about the award and its winners would be welcomed.

Conchologists of America Plaque

The Conchologists of America is the premier shell-collectors' organisation in America, with well over 1,000 members worldwide, the majority living in the US. The BSCC is a club member, and, to my knowledge, there are nine UK individual members.

The COA strongly supports the educational and research aspects of conchology, and each year makes many grants to further this aim; in 2004 they awarded $14,583 to 11 workers, most of whom are students, but some professionals also receive grants.

They are very active in supporting local shell clubs throughout the world, and show their support by donating a plaque to member clubs for "a single scientific (vs. artistic) exhibit which best advances the interest in shells and shell collecting" (wording taken directly from their guidelines.) It may only be given to a first prize winner in any class, and cannot be awarded to a dealer unless the exhibit consists entirely of self-collected shells, nor to any professional malacologists.

The BSCC is extremely grateful to the COA for donating the Plaque every year since 1979. To date it has been won by 16 different Club members, of whom six have won it more than once. The clear "winner" is Stanley Francis who has received this award no fewer than five times.

The Peter Oliver Cup

Peter Oliver was born in 1918 and died in 1984, following which the BSCC Committee decided to award a cup in his memory. His interest in shells began in 1960 when he was working as public relations officer for the Shell Oil Company in Singapore and Malaya, being a founder member of the local malacological society. He returned to England in 1966. He accumulated an extensive collection of marine gastropods, concentrating mainly on Cypraeidae, Volutidae and Conidae. He was a Fellow of the Linnaean and Zoological Societies of London, and an active member of the Conchological Society. He joined the British Shell Collectors’ Club early in 1973, only a few months after it was formed, and was its second president, from 1977 to 1979. He was the author of The Hamlyn Guide to Shells of the World; first published in 1975, it remained in print for many years and was translated into numerous different languages.

The Peter Oliver Cup was first awarded in 1985 for "The Best Educational Exhibit" at the annual Shell Show and until 2004 was the only award which has the winner’s name engraved on it. The Cup has been won by 13 different members, only two of whom have won it more than once; Kevin Brown is obviously our leading educationalist, having his name recorded five times on the Cup plinth.

The Walter Karo Trophy

Walter was a very regular exhibitor at BSCC Shell Shows, and was noted for the outstanding quality of the shells he showed – always the best that it was possible to obtain; I recall a stunning exhibit of Pleurotomariidae soon after I joined the Club. It is probable that his interest in shells was stimulated by his close business association with Mr Mayer, the founder of the Eaton’s Seashells shop. Following Walter’s death in 1990 his family offered his collection to the Natural History Museum in London, and this now forms the majority of the molluscan exhibition in the Museum – well worth a visit for those who haven’t seen it.

In 1991 the Club Committee decided that "an award in memory of the late Walter Karo will be given for a specimen of outstanding beauty" – a plaque with Cymbiola aulica. Perhaps one attraction of this award is that it is not possible to plan an exhibit with this trophy in mind – it really only depends on the opinion of the judges on the day. However, that does not make its winning any the less attractive, there having been nine different winners over the 14 years since this trophy was first awarded.

The John Fisher Trophy

In 2004 Club member John Fisher was one of the judges for the shell exhibition, and found judging difficult in the Junior Class. He felt that encouragement was needed to persuade junior members to exhibit, and he donated a cup to the Club. This is to be awarded to the best exhibit in the Junior Classes, taking into account whether the entry is in the "age 12 and over" or "age 11 and under" class.

The Scotia Shield

This new Shield was donated to the Club by member Brian Hammond, who had been given the shield by a friend; Brian arranged for this to be made into an appropriate award and asked the committee to decide where it should be awarded. The committee felt that, as we are the British Shell Collectors’ Club, there should be an award to recognise British shells. They agreed that this Shield should go to the exhibit or shell "which best promotes the interests of British conchology". It was named the "Scotia Shield" to recognise its origin from Scotland.

Award winners since 1979

 

	conchologists of america award   For the exhibit “which best advances the interest in shells and shell collecting”	peter oliver cup   For “the best educational exhibit”	walter karo trophy   For “a specimen of outstanding beauty”	john fisher trophy   For “the best exhibit in either Junior category”	scotia shield   For the exhibit “which best promotes the interests of British conchology”
1979	Peter Sheasby Spiral of Murex
1980	Fred Pinn Gastropods of Pondicherry, South India
1981	Geoff Cox Bivalves – Veneridae
1982	Walter Karo Volutes
1983	Alex Arthur Trochidae in the Mediterranean Sea
1984	Jenny Hogenard Shells from Obhor Creek, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
1985	John Llewellyn-Jones Mother-of-pearl	Kevin Brown “Why is the shell that funny shape?”
1986	Stanley Francis (joint) Chlamys opercularis   Kevin Brown (joint) “Penny plain two pence coloured”	Colin Narbeth Chinese money cowries
1987	Tom Walker Jamaican shells	Kevin Brown “An open or shut case”
1988	Stanley Francis European Pectinidae	Koen Fraussen Freshwater mussels
1989	Alan Seccombe Worldwide Cassidae	Geoff Cox British marine shells
1990	Andy Wakefield Worldwide Marginellidae	Kevin Brown “Teredo: the most expensive shell in the world”
1991	Noel Gregory Chicoreus	Kevin Brown “Gmelin 1791”	Tom Pain Skirocus macrum (ammonite)
1992	Stanley Francis “Victims of the Florida crab traps”	Mike Dixon “Guide to Naticidae”	Geoff Cox Harpa costata
1993	Stanley Francis Mediterranean Muricidae	Kevin Brown Worldwide Neritidae	Geoff Cox Ericusa sowerbyi
1994	Dick Plester Mitrinae	Stanley Francis “The Mollusca – forerunners of our modern civilisation”	Geoff Cox Buccinum undatum
1995	Peter Sheasby “Murex in the pink – or is it in the orange?”	Peter Sheasby “Molluscs and egg cases”	Fred Pinn Chicoreus spectrum
1996	Dick Plester Costellariidae	Fred Pinn “The sacred chank of India”	Geoff Cox Cassis tuberosa
1997	Stanley Francis “Colourful British marine shells”	Kevin Brown Astrea heliotropum	Tom Walker Cassis madagascariensis
1998	Tom Walker “Shells alive”	Geoff Cox “The algorithmic beauty of shells”	John Whicher Vasum horridum
1999	Kevin Brown “Millennium musing on molluscs”	Terry Wimbleton Helix aspersa	Dominic Rawlinson-Plant Harpa goodwini
2000	Dick Plester Genus Haliotis	Terry Wimbleton British marine molluscs	Dominic Rawlinson-Plant Harpa goodwini
2001	John Llewellyn-Jones Mother-of-pearl buttons	Deborah Hicklin Shells from Brittany	Selina Wilkins Smaragdia viridis
2002	Karen Hicklin Helcion pellucida	Karen Hicklin Helcion pellucida	Tom Walker Forcartia buehleri
2003	Tom Walker “African shells with stamps”	Selina Wilkins Mya arenaria	Carl & Craig Ruscoe Aporrhais pesgallinae
2004	Mike Dixon Australian top shells	Sharon Crichton Studland Bay shells	Mike Dixon Clanculus undatus occidus	Christopher Wilkins Shell train
2005	Sharon Crichton British bivalves	Sharon Crichton British bivalves	Peter Siggers Lyncina broderipii	Amy Crichton Cassis cornuta	John Llewellyn-Jones “Where to find that shell”
2006	Brian Hammond Shells of Jura	Peter Siggers Lambis chiragra chiragra	Peter Siggers Harpa costata	(no entries)	Graham Saunders “Adventures in taxonomy”
2007	Andy Wakefield Clytospira	Sharon Crichton British gastropods	Dick Plester Spondylus regius f. cumingi	Christopher Wilkins Shell house	Sharon Crichton British gastropods
2008	Koen Fraussen Pallolium tigerinum	Selina Wilkins Fusinus	Adam Ward Hexaplex chicoreus	Theo Tamblyn Molluscs of Zakynthos	John Whicher Ammonites from the Frodingham Ironstone
2009	Ken Wye White shell chequerboard	John Llewellyn-Jones Nucella lapillus	Sophie Ward Neotrigonia bednalli	Theo Tamblyn Molluscs of the Red Crag	John Llewellyn-Jones Nucella lapillus
2010	Selina Wilkins Shell flowers	Koen Fraussen Neobuccinum eatoni	Carl and Craig Ruscoe Sinistral Trichia hispida	Theo Tamblyn Unionid mussels	Mick Davies British Buccinidae
2011	(not awarded)	Carl and Craig Ruscoe Wonderful shells of the Philippines	Carl and Craig Ruscoe Xenophora granulosa	Theo Tamblyn Bivalves of the London Clay	David McKay Volutopsius norwegicus
2012	Tom Walker Pallidula	Tom Walker Purple dye from Nucella lapillus	Graham Saunders Chlamys nivea	Theo Tamblyn Gigantism in the swan mussel	Carl and Craig Ruscoe British Venerupis (carpet shells)
2013	Simon Taylor Haliotis rufescens	Anton Mauve (joint) “Fingerprint cowries”   Noel Gregory (joint) Austroharpa, Morum, Harpa	Amelia Mauve Cypraea tigris	Nina Mauve (joint) “King Neptune’s Hallowe’en”   Amelia Mauve (joint) “Cowries with nine lives”	Dave Rolfe “Shell collecting on the Isle of Skye”
2014	Kevin Brown “Lovell Reeve”	Dave Rolfe “Hawaiian tree snails”	Anton Mauve Cypraea mappa aliwalensis	Amelia Mauve (joint) “Cowries: big to small”   Nina Mauve (joint) “Study of microshells”	David McKay “Buccinum in Scottish waters”
2015	Koen Fraussen “Cornu aspersum (Müller, 1774) and the enigmatic ‘cornucopia’”	Amelia Mauve “Shells that float”	Colin Goss Gyrineum gyrinum	Nina Mauve “South Africa’s kneecaps”	David McKay Pleurotremella packardi
2016	Dave Rolfe Neritidae part 2	Anton Mauve “What’s in a [scientific] name?”	Nina Mauve Haliotis scalaris	Amelia Mauve “Variations in cone shells”	(no entries)
2017	Colin Goss “Chicoreus”	Brian Hammond Fossil cones	David McKay Halicardia flexuosa	Nina Mauve “Harpidae: my collection”	David McKay “A golden year”