Ralph S. Peer correspondence archive

The archive consists of approximately 20,000 typed and handwritten letters from 1948 through 1960. There are a small number of original signed letters that appear to be duplicates or letters not sent. The archive also contains some ephemera: copies of original and published articles, camellia journals, pamphlets, photographs, and other printed matter.

Most of the typed letters from Peer are carbon copies of those sent to various persons, nurseries, and organizations. These letters were sent to and from different parties including: members of The American Camellia Society; horticulturalists and botanist; plant explorers; lawyers; government employees; and nursery owners in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Hong Kong, Indochina, India, Japan, Africa, and South America. Peer used his business travels and correspondence to contact any person having a horticultural or other interest in camellias. He was tireless in his pursuits and the magnitude of his efforts is evident in the archive.

Peer corresponded with numerous individuals including: Charles Puddle from the Bodnant Estate; Arthur C. Brown, secretary-editor of the American Camellia Society; George J. Hall and W.H. Hall from Camellia Hall Nursery; Alfred and Ivy Clarke; Ralph E. Dean from the Gardens Department in Hong Kong; David L. Feathers from the Northern California Camellia Society; Gilbert E. Fisher from the Men's Camellia Society of Birmingham, Alabama; Frank Griffin from the South Carolina Camellia Society; K. Wada from Hakoneya Nurseries; G.H. (George Horace) Johnstone, 1882-1960; Jessie W. and Sigmund J. Katz; Jean Mahaux from Cercle du Camellia; Charles Melville McLaren [Lord Aberconway] from the Royal Horticultural Society; Eikichi Satomi from the Japanese Camellia Society; and William E. Woodroof from California Camellia Gardens.

The topics in this archive range from Peer's camellia quest and contact with domestic and foreign nurseries; quarantine and fumigation of imported camellia plants; his personal and horticultural relationships, particularly with William Hertrich and Eikichi Satomi; the pursuit of the yellow camellia species from Yunnan Province; camellia growers at different tea plantations; nomenclature for camellias; and involvement with numerous camellia societies. - Eugene L. Vigil, Ph.D., appraisal, 2016

Cataloger's notes

Throughout the collection, there may be several copies of one letter. According to Ralph Peer's "Procedures" document:

• Original (as indicated by Peer)

• Yellow copy (Peer's with correspondence attached)

• White copy (Monique Peer's copy)

The cataloger attempted to combine the white copy with the original and yellow copy, when possible.

If the association, group, or society is listed, the person(s) writing on behalf of that entity will be in bold and bracketed. For example, American Camellia Catalog [Erdman, Robert Park, 1898-] is filed in Box 1 (8). However, Albert Fendig was also part of American Camellia Catalog and the note underneath the folder title contains a See reference to Fendig, Albert.

Though some stapled pages appeared to have been detached, the majority remain stapled together.

A copy of Peer's "Procedure" document has been placed at the front of each box for reference.