Dear Mark,
 
the natural history department, where I am responsible as honorary
collaborator for the small but nice shell collection, is part of the
Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum Innsbruck, which means
the owner is the country Tirol. The museums is dedicating mainly
to the research of the intire Tirol as well in history, arts and natural
sciences (the zoological department has the most important alpin
collection of lepidotera in the world). The museums celebrates in
this year his 175 anniversary and until end of august there is an
exhibition which shows representatives through all objects of the
museum. You can find the homepage of the museum under
http://www.Tiroler-Landesmuseum.at, but sorry the homepage is
only available in German. Maybe they will enlarge the homepage
during this year, as the museum is on internet for less time that I am on
it. But back to the shell collection of the museum.
My mother and I are responsible for this collection sinde 1972.
The collection contains mainly European land- and freshwatershells,
Mediterranean seashells and a some exotic species, mainly common
ones. My aim is to build up all parts of the collection with interested
material, as well with self-collected material (I make several excursions
in Tirol and Northern Italy), as will with changing material and with donations by friends, private collectors, institutes and dealers, who
are willing to help me and who can support me. All the names of donators
will put into the small annual report of the Tiroler Landesmuseum.
After the flood desaster in 1985, which badly damaged the collections,
I have taken the initiative in my family in everything concerning the
museums collection. All the excursions, which we made were beared
by us mainly for our private collection, we donate material from each
found to the natural history department, as my great aim is to build
up a nice and interesting collection. The collection is mainly a
study collection, not opened to the public, but everybody who is interested
is wellcomed to visit the museum. I also want the enrich the exotic
part of the collection as the visitors prefer to see beautiful and
colored seashells. For my aim to reach this I always am looking for
donations and so you will find some messages and requests on
internet.
with best shelling greeting and many thanks for your attention
yours sincerly Helmut Nisters
Innsbruck / Austria
homepage: http://www.netwing.at/nisters/
 
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> Does this museum have any affiliation, say to a college or university? I'm
> asking because I couldn't find it listed anywhere? Would like to know more
> about it , Mark & Peta  Bethke
> Hollywood, Florida
> -----Original Message-----
> From: helmut nisters <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Saturday, August 22, 1998 12:57 PM
> Subject: Cypraea friendii
>
>
> Helmut Nisters
> Franz-Fischer-Str. 46
> A-6020 Innsbruck / Austria
> e-mail: [log in to unmask]
> homepage: http://www.netwing.at/nisters/
>
> Dear shell friends over the world
>
> For the museums collection I am looking in donation for a not too rare,
> but beautiful representative of the Zoila-Group as I want to complete
> some families with new material. I am so dare to ask for a nice specimen
> of Cypraea friendii, which for me is very important to be in a collection.
> Please contact me, if you can offer me one or two specimens for
> the museum in donation.
> with my best thanks in advance
> yours sincerly Helmut
 
>