James Hall (1811–1898), second State Paleontologist of New York, is considered by many to be the “Father of American Paleontology.” However, Hall could never have achieved this stature without his legion of amateurs. Among the most dedicated and prolific of these was Edwin Bradford Hall (1825–1908). His collection of 5,500 Devonian glass sponges, the largest collection in the world, provided James Hall with the material to write his massive 1898 monograph on these problematical fossils.

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