Lamb (Chester C.) papers, 1925-1955

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Summary

Title:
Chester C. Lamb papers
Dates:
1925-1955
Creators:
Lamb, Chester Converse, 1883-
Abstract:
The Chester C. Lamb papers consist of field notes and correspondence. The field notes span the years 1925-1932, during which Lamb took on the roles of field assistant and Assistant Curator of Mammals at the MVZ. The correspondence dates from 1931-1955, during which he spent a significant amount of time collecting in Mexico for Dr. Robert T. Moore, an independent ornithologist.
Extent:
14.0 Volumes
Language:
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Chester C. Lamb papers, MVZA.MSS.0166, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology Archives, University of California, Berkeley.

Background

Scope and content:

The Chester C. Lamb papers include fourteen standard-bound volumes of field notes with map sketches. These volumes cover the years 1925-1932 and feature localities in Arizona, California, Mexico, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah. The 1925-1932 dates coincide with Lamb's time at the MVZ, where he served as a field assistant and Assistant Curator of Mammals. Also included in this collection are two folders of correspondence spanning the years 1931-1955, which cover both his MVZ tenure and his years in Mexico collecting specimens that eventually became part of Occidental College's Moore Laboratory of Zoology.

Biographical / historical:

Born in 1883, Chester C. Lamb’s tenure with the MVZ lasted from 1925-1932, during which he served as a field assistant and Assistant Curator of Mammals. While with the MVZ, Lamb collected birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. The majority of his fieldwork occurred in the Western U.S. and Lower California, where his Spanish language skills served him well. Having completed his work with the MVZ, Lamb collected and prepared over 40,000 specimens from 1933-1955 while in Mexico. Dr. Robert T. Moore, a businessman and independent ornithologist, funded Lamb’s work. The specimens that Lamb collected eventually became part of Occidental College’s Moore Laboratory of Zoology, which opened in 1952.

Sources Consulted:

Correspondence 1931-1955, Chester C. Lamb papers, MVZA.MSS.0166, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology Archives, University of California, Berkeley.

DeMaria, Richie. "Rare Birds, Sweet Rats and a Magic School Bus." The Occidental Weekly. March 22, 2010. Accessed December 11, 2013. http://occidentalweekly.com/uncategorized/2010/03/22/rare-birds-sweet-rats-and-a-magic-school-busbr-2/

"MVZ Biographies." Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley. Accessed December 11, 2013. http://mvz.berkeley.edu/Biographies.html

Arrangement:

The collection has been arranged in the following series: Field notes and Correspondence. There are no subseries.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding aid prepared by Greg Borman
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection was made possible through funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, administered through the Council on Library and Information Resources' "Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives" Project.
Date Prepared:
December 2013
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2013-12-11T15:56-0800

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

Copyright restrictions may apply. All requests to publish, quote, or reproduce must be submitted to the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology Archives in writing for approval. Please contact the Museum Archivist for further information.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Chester C. Lamb papers, MVZA.MSS.0166, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology Archives, University of California, Berkeley.

Location of this collection:
3101 Valley Life Sciences Bldg, #3160
University of California Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720-3160, US
Contact:
(510) 642-3567
mvzarchives@berkeley.EDU
Website