Charles Francis Saunders papers, 1680-1954, bulk 1800-1941

ArchivalResource

Saunders, Charles Francis, 1859-1941. Charles Francis Saunders papers, 1680-1954, bulk 1800-1941

Charles Francis Saunders papers, 1680-1954, bulk 1800-1941

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/60546661

The collection consists of notes, manuscripts, correspondence, published articles and books, reviews, and other materials relating to Saunders' publications; a collection of autographs and letters by distinguished naturalists and scientists; photographic negatives and prints of plants and various trips around Southern California; two scrapbooks of additional correspondence and articles by Saunders and his first wife Elisabeth; articles by second wife Mira Saunders and correspondence relating to her husband; and original watercolors and prints by Elisabeth Saunders. Publication materials pertain to 14 of Saunders' 18 books. More than 60 articles of the many he wrote are also included. The majority of correspondence is from the 20th century with the bulk from the 1920s and 1930s. Saunders wrote to botanists and other experts from around North America for plant identification and nomenclatural history, Native American uses of plants, and information on the California missions. Notable correspondents include: Edward Barber, Liberty Hyde Bailey, Charles F. Lummis, Father St. John O' Sullivan, Samuel B. Parish, Marcus E. Jones, Francesco Franceschi, and Fr. Zephyrin Engelhardt. Subject files include clippings, printed matter, notes, and correspondence. Biographical material pertains to Saunders and his family. Prints and negatives are in a separate photograph collection and are not completely processed. A separate index exists for the photographic prints. Many have appeared in Saunders' books, while the bulk have not been printed and appear to be a record of his many trips through the deserts and cities of Southern California. The letter and autograph collection contains 110 items dating back to 1680 from such notable scientists and naturalists as Charles Darwin, Alphonse de Candolle, John Muir, Alexander von Humboldt, and Joseph Dalton Hooker. Some more recent letters are those that he removed from his correspondence folders. The correspondence scrapbook contains 239 letters and 36 articles culled by Saunders from the bulk of the papers. The article scrapbook contains over 435 articles written by Saunders and has been inventoried separately. Mira Culin Saunders papers are a small group of articles on gardening written by her for the Pasadena Star-News. The majority of her papers were given to the Huntington Library and a copy of that finding aid is available in the library. Artwork of Elisabeth Hallowell Saunders includes 38 original watercolors of California native plants and a limited edition set of prints that was produced in 1905. Additional published illustrations by her are in the articles scrapbook.

13 linear feet (12 boxes)

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Blaksley Library, Blaksley Library