Opening Hours
Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
Rare Books
The Baja California travels of Charles Russell Orcutt
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Rare Books
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Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
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Manuscripts
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 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.
mssOrcutt
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Manuscripts
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.
mssOrcutt
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Rare Books
610066
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Manuscripts
The George Turner Marsh papers consist of professional and personal correspondence, documents, ephemera, financial records, legal documents, negatives, photographs, and typescripts dating from 1875-2001. The bulk of the first series contains correspondence to and from customers, export agents, art, and antique dealers including Singleton, Benda & Co., Ltd, Zung Chang Ziang Company, and Zung Chang Trading Company, Ltd (1879-1970). Included are letters from C.R. Conway and legal documents related to San Fernando Petroleum and Mining Company; Conway claimed to be one of the original claimants with interest in the company. The more recent letters, with supporting enclosures, concern the origin of the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco, California. The second series includes letters from Marsh's wife Lucy E. Whiteside Marsh writing from Pasadena, California (1903), grateful recipients of Marsh's book Citizenship for Nations (1931-1932), and direct mail from the International Coalition and the New Commonwealth (1928-1953). Included in the same series are research notes, possibly conducted by Marsh for his 1931 book. The third series includes numerous clippings, ephemera, and postcards concerning arts, culture, and politics (1881-2001). Also included is a box containing various drafts about Japanese sword mountings entitled Catalogue of Kozuka by George Turner Marsh. The fourth series consists of one daguerreotype, negatives, photograph albums, and photographs (1894-1986). Most of the photograph albums and photographs showcase Asian arts and antiques for sale at Marsh's stores and from dealers. Also included are scenes from the Japanese Village during the California Midwinter International Exposition of 1894. Note: There is an envelope of unavailable negatives too fragile to be handled.
mssMarsh
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Manuscripts
Professional and personal papers of Otis R. Marston and his collection of the materials on the history of Colorado River and Green River regions.
mssMarston papers