Xenophora, the newsletter

History

The first PSC newsletter was the Pandora Box, a single mimeographed sheet that first appeared in December, 1958. Prior to that, club members received a typed slip in the mail every month, with the details of the upcoming meeting. Robert Wagner edited and produced Pandora Box for five years, signing off with the May 1963 issue.

The Proceedings of the Philadelphia Shell Club was the club's annual report, and first appeared in September, 1956. Articles covered many aspects of shell collecting and molluscan studies, with contributions from the Academy's R. Tucker Abbott, Virginia Orr and Robert Robertson, as well as guest writers from other institutions. The final issue appeared in 1965 and featured a 55-page checklist of the marine mollusca of New Jersey and Delaware Bay by Ronald D. Lowden. It also presented the "Philadelphia Rules", a set of rules and conventions for shell shows that still form the core of the current version.

Xenophora started in 1981, and has appeared more or less every month when there has been a meeting, with special issues announcing the picnic and other events. Members receive it free, either by e-mail or regular post. A recent issue can be seen here. Named for the genus Xenophora, the carrier shells, it should not be confused with the French publication of the same name.