Charles F. Saunders Papers and Addenda: Finding Aid
mssSaunders
Gayle Richardson
The Huntington Library
July 2022
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Business Number: (626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Charles F. Saunders papers and addenda
Creator:
Saunders, Charles Francis,
1859-1941
Identifier/Call Number: mssSaunders
Physical Description:
7.92 Linear Feet
(18 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1882-1966
Abstract: A collection of professional and
personal material related to Charles F. Saunders, California horticulturalist and
author.
Language of Material: Materials are in
English.
Conditions Governing Access
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at
the Huntington Library for more information.
Conditions Governing Use
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.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
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.
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.
Scope and Contents
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.
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.
General
Former call number: mssSaunders papers.
Related Materials
The photographs (Boxes 11-12) were transferred to the Photo Archive in 1994, and cataloged
as the Charles Francis Saunders and Mira Culin Saunders collection of photographs and
negatives (photCL 276).
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Authors, American -- California
Horticulture -- California
Horticulture -- Southwest, New
Horticulturists -- California
Indians of North America -- California
Indians of North America -- Southwest, New
Missions -- California
Missions -- Southwest, New
Peace movements
World War, 1914-1918
World War, 1939-1945
Ephemera -- California
Letters (correspondence) -- California
Letters (correspondence) -- Southwest, New
Manuscripts (documents) -- California
Manuscripts (documents) -- Southwest, New
Notebooks -- California
Notebooks -- Southwest, New
Personal papers -- California
Personal papers -- Southwest, New
Beard, Mary Ritter,
1876-1958
Eytel, Carl,
1862-1925
Flanner, Hildegarde, 1899-1987
Hallowell, Elizabeth M.
(Elizabeth Moore)
Rolle, Andrew F.
Saunders, Mira B.
Culin
Stevenson, Matilda Coxe,
1850-1915
Van Rensselaer, Maunsell,
1897-1972
Verdoorn, Frans,
1906-1984
World Center for Women's
Archives
Box 1, Folder 1-35
Correspondence: Charles Abenham-Lincoln W. Barnes
Box 2, Folder 1-78
P. D. Barnhart-Katherine Duncan
Box 3, Folder 1-75
Carmen D. Edgar-James Jordan
Box 4, Folder 1-69
Edward V. Keng-St. John O'Sullivan
Box 5, Folder 1-60
Pacific Monthly-Charles Francis Saunders
Box 6, Folder 1-51
Irene F. Saunders-Mira Barrett Saunders
Box 7, Folder 1-45
Marie Schimenti-University of Pennsylvania Museum
Box 8, Folder 1-38
Marion L. Vannier-Anne Zuker
Box 9, Folder 1-64
Articles by Charles Francis Saunders
Box 10, Folder 1-22
Typescripts and notebooks of Mira Barrett (Culin) Saunders
Box 11-12
Photographs
Scope and Contents
Transferred to Photo Archive.
Box 13, Folder 1-11
Miscellaneous notes and notebooks of Mira Barrett (Culin) Saunders
Box 14, Folder 1-7
Notebooks and personal belongings of Charles Saunders and Mira
Saunders
Box 15, Folder 1-5
Scrapbooks, ephemera, and obituaries of Charles Saunders and Mira
Saunders
Box 16, Folder 1-5
Clippings of Charles Saunders and Mira Saunders
Box 17
Clippings of Mira Saunders
Box 18, Folder 1-7
Addenda: correspondence, postcards, printed material, and inventory
Box 20, Folder 1-6
Addenda: A Byway of the Gods, poem, Elizabeth Hallowell Saunders diary, and
correspondence
