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Charles Russell Orcutt papers
Finding aid prepared by Margaret Phung. Manuscripts Department The Huntington Library 1151 Oxford Road San Marino, California 91108 Phone: (626) 405-2203 Fax: (626) 449-5720 Email: [email protected] URL: http://www.huntington.org © 2015 The Huntington Library. All rights reserved.
Charles Russell Orcutt papers mssOrcutt papers 1 Descriptive Summary Title: Charles Russell Orcutt papers Dates: 1881-1904 Collection Call Number: mssOrcutt papers Creator: Orcutt, Charles Russell, 1864-1929 Extent: 1 box Repository: The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.Manuscripts Department The Huntington Library 1151 Oxford Road San Marino, California 91108 Phone: (626) 405-2203 Fax: (626) 449-5720 Email: [email protected] URL: http://www.huntington.org Abstract: The papers consist of the correspondence of botanist Charles Russell Orcutt. There are a few documents and manuscripts and six pieces of ephemera Language of Material: The records are in English. Access Collection is open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, please go to following web site . Publication Rights The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher. Preferred Citation [Identification of item], Charles Russell Orcutt papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California. Acquisition Information The collection was was purchased from W. T. Genns in August 1959. Biographica Note Charles R. Orcutt, botanist and editor. In 1879, he came from Vermont to San Diego where his father established the Orcutt Seed and Plant Company near the ruins of the San Diego mission. From an early age he collected and studied plants, making many contributions to the Smithsonian Institution during his lifetime. Orcutt edited the American botanist (1898-1900), American plants (1907-1910), and The West American scientist (1884-1919). He died in Haiti in 1929. Scope and Content The 642 items in this collection consist primarily of letters written to Orcutt from fellow botanists and other representatives of historical societies, nurseries, museums, and related institutions. These items are arranged in alphabetical order by author last name. Orcutt corresponded frequently with botanists, collectors, and other scholars in the field of natural history in the buying, selling, and exchange of specimens such as seedlings, plants, and trees. He also collected seashells. Some of these discoveries were showcased in "The West American Scientist," a monthly magazine containing news, articles, editorials, illustrations and advertisements broadly related to the study of natural history on the Pacific coast and Mexico. As a result, the collection also includes numerous receipts and invoices, inquiries of pricing and shipping fees, and requests for copies of the publication. Orcutt also corresponded regularly with members of the American Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. There are several noteworthy items. A handwritten translation of a description of the Washington robusta genus details the origins, characteristics, and growth patterns of the California palm tree. Letters from George Frederick Kunz of Tiffany and Company include requests to send pearls and shells as well as books and articles on mineralogy. He also seeks Orcutt's knowledge and personal observations of pearls and other precious and ornamental stones found along the California coast. Two letters from Alice A. Gray, the niece of the botanist Asa Gray, are of a personal nature. She responds to Orcutt's inquiries regarding a potential shared ancestry and attempts to trace their genealogy. In a letter written to Orcutt in 1887, John Dickinson, Professor of Mathematics and Mineralogy at the University of Southern California, requests a donation of all
Charles Russell Orcutt papers mssOrcutt papers 2 back copies of "The West American Scientist" magazine to help build a library and promote interest in the study of the natural sciences. Correspondents include: Asa Gray, Edward Lee Greene, George Frederick Kuntz, Charles Christopher Parry, George Vasey, and Serno Watson and others. Arrangement The collection is arranged alphabetically. It is housed in one box. Personal Names Gray, Asa, 1810-1888 Greene, Edward Lee, 1843-1915 Kunz, George Frederick, 1856-1932 Orcutt, Charles Russell, 1864-1929 Parry, C. C. (Charles Christopher), 1823-1890 Vasey, George, 1822-1893 Watson, Sereno, 1826-1892 Corporate Names American Museum of Natural History Tiffany and Company University of Southern California Subjects Botanists -- California -- Correspondence Botany -- California Botany -- Mexico Mineralogy Palms -- California -- History Periodical editors -- United States -- Correspondence Genre Letters (correspondence) -- United States Personal papers -- California Professional papers -- California
Box 1 Charles Russell Orcutt papers 1881-1904 Physical Description: 1 box
Folder 1 A - C (1883-1900) 39 items
Folder 2 D - Gray (1883-1901) 26 items
Folder 3 Gray, Asa, 1810-1888 (1883-1885) 17 items
Folder 4 Greene, Edward Lee, 1843-1915 (1885) 8 items
Folder 5 James, George Wharton, 1858-1923 (1893) 1 item
Charles Russell Orcutt papers mssOrcutt papers 3 Charles Russell Orcutt papers 1881-1904
Folder 6 H - K (1881-1891) 51 items
Folder 7 K - L (1881-1893) 60 items
Folder 8 Kunz, George Frederick, 1856-1932 (1884-1893) 24 items
Folder 9 LeConte, Joseph, 1823-1901 (1889) 1 item
Folder 10 M (1883-1890) 45 items
Folder 11 Markham, Henry Harrison, 1840-1923 (1885) 2 items
Folder 12 N - P (1882-1896) 104 items
Folder 13 Parry, Charles Christopher, 1823-1890 (1882-1885) 48 items
Folder 14 Q - S (1886-1904) 58 items
Folder 15 Shinn, Charles Howard, 1852-1924 (1886) 1 item
Folder 16 T - U (1882-1896) 53 items
Folder 17 V - Y (1881-1899) 50 items
Folder 18 Van Dyke, Theodore S. (Theodore Strong), 1842-1923 (1890) 1 item
Folder 19 Vasey, George Alan, 1895-1945 (1884-1891) 27 items
Folder 20 Watson, Sereno, 1826-1892 (1883-1890) 15 items
Folder 21 Ephemera [undated] 6 items
Charles Russell Orcutt papers mssOrcutt papers 4