Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
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Manuscripts
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.
mssPeer
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Manuscripts
Included: Letter regarding shipment of plants
mssPeer
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Manuscripts
jpeg and tiff format of Peer taken by Wallace Seawell
mssPeer
Image not available
Manuscripts
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.
mssPeer
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Manuscripts
Included: Two Gerbing Camellia Nursery catalogs
mssPeer
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Manuscripts
Included: How to Live Longer by Ralph Peer; Unusual Journalist by Ralph Peer; Camellia Adventures in Hong Kong by Monique Peer; The Love of Camellias by Monique I. Peer; Camellias Around the World by Ralph Peer; Camellia Tour of Great Britain - 1950 by Ralph and Monique Peer; Camellias Abroad - 1950 by Ralph and Monique Peer; Camellia Journey - 1950 by Ralph Peer; European Camellia Tour by Ralph Peer; Life Before Hollywood by Monique Peer; Camellias in Unusual Places by Ralph Peer; Search for the Yellow Camellia by Ralph Peer; Chinese Camellia by Ralph Peer; Japanese - American Goodwill Camellia Garden by Ralph Peer; Camellias of the Future by Ralph Peer; The Camellia Family Tree by Ralph Peer; Camellias in the U.S.S.R by Ralph Peer; Camellias in America by Ralph Peer; New Varieties of Camellia Reticulata by Ralph Peer; My Favourite Camellias by Ralph Peer; New Southern California Varieties; New Camellias During the Next Ten Years by Ralph Peer; Saluenensis x Reticulata by Ralph Peer; Are Societies Useful? By Ralph Peer; New Camellia Book from Australia by Ralph Peer; Present Trends Among Camellias in the USA by Ralph Peer; Species Camellias by Ralph Peer; Solving Camellia Mysteries by Ralph and Monique Peer; Newly Discovered Chinese Reticulatas for Southern California Camellias Gardens; Camellia Reticulata in California by Ralph Peer; Most Versatile Species by Ralph Peer; The Camellia Sasanqua in the United States of America; Preface; Speech Made in Birmingham, Alabama by Ralph Peer; Report of Mr. Hall - Tree Surgeon; Camellias in Yunnan by Ralph Peer; More About the Yellow Camellia by Ralph Peer; and Pink Princess; and Procedures
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