Charles Russell Orcutt papers

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.