Description
The Charles Francis and Mira Culin Saunders Collection of Photographs and Negatives consists of 5826 black and white photographs,
68 glass plate negatives, 3832 film negatives, 10 photographs albums, 261 lantern slides,
and related ephemera, ca. 1871-1965 (bulk 1910s-1920s), collected and created by Charles Francis Saunders, Elisabeth Hallowell
Saunders, and Mira Culin Saunders. The collection provides a comprehensive overview of Charles
Saunders' activities as a naturalist and travel writer.
Background
Charles Francis Saunders (1859-1941) was born to Quaker parents in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He and his first wife, Elisabeth
Hallowell Saunders (d. 1910), were both avid naturalists; Charles began publishing essays on botany as early as the 1890s.
Charles and Elisabeth also collaborated on a number of publications, he as author, she as illustrator. After a honeymoon trip
to California and the Southwest in 1902, the couple moved permanently to California in 1906 and settled in a Craftsman bungalow
on North Lake Avenue in Pasadena, where Charles devoted himself full time to writing. He eventually published more than a
dozen books inspired by California and the Southwest. Both Charles and Elisabeth were amateur photographers, and many of their
photographs were used to illustrate Saunders' books, The Indians of the Terraced Houses (1912) and Under the Sky in California (1913).
Extent
approximately 10,000 photographs in 58 boxes (24.98 linear feet)
Restrictions
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.
Availability
Advance arrangements for viewing unprinted negatives must be made with the Curator of Photographs. The collection is open
to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information,
please visit the Huntington's website: www.huntington.org.