George Cameron Stone

George Cameron Stone (August 6, 1859 in Geneva, New York – November 18, 1935 in New York City, New York) was a well-known American arms collector and author as well as an American mining engineer and metallurgist. He authored a glossary of the antique weapons of the world that remains one of the most comprehensive works ever written on the subject.

George Cameron Stone graduated in 1879 with a Ph.B. (Bachelor of Philosophy) from the Columbia University School of Mines. In 1880, Stone became a member of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers (AIME). By 1882, Stone was employed as a mining engineer at the New Jersey Zinc and Iron Company. He was later promoted to chief engineer and chief metallurgist. Stone developed and held eight patents relating to the industrial application of metallurgy and published more than 50 articles on the subject as well. In 1912, he became secretary of board of directors with the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, later on he served as a member of the board an as treasurer.

During World War I, Stone served the U.S. government as head of the Non-Ferrous Metals section of the War Industries Board (WIB). He retired in 1929 at the age of 70. In 1935, a few months prior to his death, Stone was awarded the prestigious James Douglas Medal for his achievements in the field of non-ferrous metallurgy.

Early on in his childhood, Stone began to show an interest in weapons. He acquired the first item with which he started his collection at an auction in New York - a Persian gun - shortly after graduation. His first published article on weapons in the Magazine of Antique Firearms (1911–1912) was about a set of rifles, one of which is likely to be said Persian gun.

Stone must have thought rather early about the publication of an arms and armor glossary as his correspondence with the director of the Peabody Museum in Salem (now: Peabody Essex Museum), Massachusetts, Lawrence Jenkins (1872–1961) demonstrates as Stone requests images on a variety of Asian arrows. Stone is furthermore assisted and supported by the respective curators of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bashford Dean (1867–1928) and Dean's successor, Stephen V. Grancsay (1897–1980). Grancsay assisted Stone especially with regard to European weaponry.

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