Saunders (Charles F.) Papers and Addenda, 1882-1966

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Summary

Title:
Charles F. Saunders papers and addenda
Dates:
1882-1966
Creators:
Saunders, Charles Francis, 1859-1941
Abstract:
A collection of professional and personal material related to Charles F. Saunders, California horticulturalist and author.
Extent:
7.92 Linear Feet (18 boxes)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Charles F. Saunders papers and addenda, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

A collection of approximately 1,500 items from 1882 to 1966, which consists of correspondence, manuscripts, articles, 28 notebooks, printed material, and ephemera related to the life and work of Charles F. Saunders and Mira B. Culin Saunders. The collection includes material on horticulture, Native Americans, California Missions, the Southwest, and the World Wars. Also included is a diary of Elizabeth H. Saunders, letters related to peace movements, women's rights and the World Center for Women's Archives. Correspondents in the collection include, among others: Mary Ritter Beard, Carl Eytel, Hildegarde Flanner, Andrew F. Rolle, Matilda C. Stevenson, Maunsell Van Rensselaer, and Frans Verdoorn.

Biographical / historical:

Charles Francis Saunders (1859-1941) was a horticulturalist and author. Saunders was born in Pennsylvania of Quaker ancestry; he was educated at the Friends Central School in Philadelphia, where he edited "The United Friend" from 1894 to 1897, engaged in commerce from 1875 to 1903, and studied botany. His interest in botany dated from 1888, when he formed part of a small nature walking group which included Elizabeth Moore Hallowell, an artist and botanist, whom Saunders married in 1902. The couple traveled to California that same year, where they tell in love with the desert, and decided to move to Southern California, which they did in 1906, settling in Pasadena. Thereafter, Saunders dedicated himself to nature study, the desert, and California history, especially of the Native Americans and early missions. He wrote articles and books, illustrated by Elizabeth Saunders, about California flowers: "In a Poppy Garden" (1904), and "California Wildflowers" (1905). Elizabeth Saunders died in 1910, and he continued writing on California and the Southwest, extending his publications to the Native Americans and the missions: "The Indians of the Terraced Houses" (1912) and "Under the Sky in California" (1913), as well as other books about trees, shrubs, and wildflowers. In 1921, Saunders married Mira Barrett Culin (1876-1968) who was a writer about gardens and a resident of Pasadena. They shared many interests, including gardens, botany, the Southwest, and photography. They traveled extensively throughout California and the Southwest, photographing all of the California Missions, Native Americans, and the regions' natural wonders and flora. Charles Saunders died in 1941, and Mira continued to write and publish articles about plants, as well as working for women's rights, Native American rights, and pacifist movements before her death in 1968.

Acquisition information:
Gifts of Mira B. Culin Saunders, 1952-1966; Edna Neugebauer, December 1975; Mrs. Lelia Hughes, 1989-1996; H. N. Tyson, Jr., December 1990; Andrew Rolle, 1991-2002.
Processing information:

Processed by Huntington Library Staff, circa 1980-2004. In 2022, Gayle Richardson created the finding aid derived from a legacy summary report.

Arrangement:

Arranged by subject and format.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Gayle Richardson
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2022-07-08 08:47:59 -0700 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Terms of access:

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Charles F. Saunders papers and addenda, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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