The collection consists of about ninety sales catalogs for Carl Purdy’s nursery in Ukiah, California, which specialized in the cultivation of native California plants and bulbs. The collection also includes a small amount of correspondence between Purdy and his customers, catalogs from other nurseries, and other materials about Purdy and his nursery.

Carl Purdy was born in Michigan in 1861. In 1870, his family moved to El Robles, California and purchased a ranch, where Purdy began collecting and selling native plants and bulbs to nurseries and herbaria on the east coast and abroad while studying to be a teacher. He began his own business in the 1880s in Ukiah, where he specialized in the sale of native California bulbs and plants, with a particular interest in lilies. He issued his first catalog in 1896. Purdy was also involved in landscaping work and gardening expositions, and published widely in horticultural journals. Purdy died in 1945. His nursery business was continued by his children.

1.0 linear foot (2 boxes)

Copyright of some materials in this collection are held by the creator and some are in public domain. Consult the Librarian for details.

The collection is open to research. Contact the repository for access.