a deep dive into botanical correspondence and research

the world of botany is illuminated through the meticulous correspondence and dedicated research of individuals passionate about the plant kingdom. this exploration delves into a rich collection of letters, offering insights into the scientific pursuits and personal connections of botanists across various regions and eras.

the materials gathered span a considerable period, primarily focusing on the latter half of the 19th century, with some earlier academic documents and later correspondence, all stemming from the dedicated work of george engelmann and those who collaborated with him.

engelmann's extensive network of correspondents facilitated a broad exchange of knowledge and specimens.

his interactions were not confined to a single geographical area; he maintained contact with individuals in paris and berlin, as well as throughout the united states. this global reach allowed for comprehensive botanical surveys and the sharing of discoveries made during expeditions.

the scope of engelmann's collections

the archive meticulously details the contents of engelmann's collection, which was assembled by his son, george julius.

this collection includes a wealth of letters, published materials, engelmann's dissertation, and notes from his medical school days. the correspondence itself is a treasure trove, covering a wide array of botanical subjects, including surveys, expeditions, and detailed plant descriptions.

these exchanges were conducted in english, french, and german, reflecting the international nature of scientific discourse at the time.

the expeditions referenced in these letters were often sponsored by institutions like the smithsonian institution. notable among them are the emory expedition in new mexico, the fremont expedition in the rocky mountains and california, and the hayden expedition on the upper missouri river and colorado.

other significant expeditions include those led by nicollet, powell, simpson, wheeler, whipple, and wilkes.

many of these letters offer not only scientific observations but also valuable commentary on the local and national political landscapes of the periods in which they were written.

organization and accessibility of the archive

the papers are structured into three primary groups: correspondence, botanical notebooks, and miscellaneous bound volumes.

within the correspondence, letters are meticulously arranged alphabetically by correspondent and then chronologically within each correspondent's folder. this organization is further detailed in a hyperlinked finding aid that specifically covers the correspondence series.

additional finding aids provide access to the botanical notebooks and miscellaneous materials.

the collection's journey to its current state of organization involved several stages. following engelmann's death in 1881, the missouri botanical garden became the custodian of his papers.

with financial and advisory support from prominent figures like henry shaw and william trelease, the garden undertook the significant task of editing and publishing engelmann's collected botanical works. this involved utilizing his notebooks and previously published papers as the foundation for the comprehensive publication.

over the years, the papers underwent various storage and classification methods, including interfiling with other botanical materials in the garden's library and placement with herbarium specimens.

in the 1950s, a significant undertaking involved separating most of the correspondence from the notebooks.

this effort led to the correspondence being filed alphabetically by correspondent, with an index appended to the inventory. within the correspondence, letters are sorted chronologically under each correspondent's name, housed in vertical and oversized boxes.

the description of each folder within the correspondence is limited to major subjects, plant names (genus only), individuals discussed, collection sites, inclusive dates, and places of origin for the letters. important information for historians, botanists, ecologists, and meteorologists is briefly highlighted.

an asterisk following a plant name, person, or place indicates that more than a casual mention is provided, such as exact collection sites, blooming dates, diagrams, extensive descriptions, species distinctions, or other significant details.

the arrangement of the notebooks was likely completed by engelmann himself, with minor modifications made by william trelease and george julius engelmann during the preparation of the collected works. each notebook is treated as its own series, with an order maintained except where divisions of single species seemed arbitrary.

key correspondents and their contributions

the archive features correspondence from a vast network of individuals, each contributing unique perspectives and data.

a selection of these correspondents and their areas of focus include:

• henry l. abbot: correspondence regarding requests for geographical information for north american profiles.
• j. abert: messages related to topographical engineering and surveys.
• john adair: messages concerning requests for information on yucca species variation and acknowledgments of received material.
• jean louis rudolph agassiz: correspondence discussing the variation of opuntias and cereus sp.

  on different islands.

• james thomas allen: messages related to the planting of various pine, fir, and spruce species and their adaptation to different locales, including Cheyenne pass.
• john alphonse allen: requests for identification of undetermined picea and juncus, including extensive descriptions of juncus.
• thomas allen: a request for engelmann to write memoirs or essays about missouri plants.
• timothy field allen: correspondence with individuals like braun, cassino, eaton, hooker, helmaier, and gray.
• benjamin alvord: discussions on silphium lacinatum and its characteristics, as well as lactuca with similar traits.
• william alvord: information on yucca macrocarpa seeds germinating at golden gate park.
• charles lewis anderson: requests for information on yucca junci of north america, and specimens of pinus insignis sent from monterey, california.
• nils johan andersson: exchanges of galapagos islands plants for american plants.
• geo.

  andrews: engelmann's query about dr. rugel's plant collection, particularly isoetes from texas, and the discovery of rugel's birthplace.

• joseph charles arthur: discussions on the publication of a catalogue of iowa phanerogams and identification of plants for the centennial, including information on sagittaria.
• paul ascherson: exchanges of publications, comparisons of hungarian cuscuta fragments, and classification of zostera, phyllospadix, and thalassia.
• charles m.

  atwood: correspondence related to botanical specimens.

• coe finch austin: extensive discussions and field notes on callitriche, findings on juncus, and discussions on lemna and wolffia from various locations. includes detailed notes on hepaticae and their publication.
• e.

  austin: sending specimens of pinus banksiana and presinosa, with descriptions of cones and field notes.

• alexander dallas bache: requests for geographical information for north american profiles.
• spencer f. baird: extensive correspondence regarding the procurement of specimens, limitations on purchasing books, potential for exchanges, engelmann's role in collecting for the smithsonian, financial and transportation arrangements, expeditions, and numerous collectors.
• charles henry baker: requests for information on localities where nelumbium luteum may be found.
• john gilbert baker: discussions on refrugium botanicum, bankruptcy, dispersal of collections, and extensive study of yucca and related plants in england.
• adolph francis alphonse bandelier: meteorological observations, receipt of cacti, mexican monograph, archaeological studies, and expeditions.
• frederick augustus porter barnard: design for the seal of the national academy of sciences.
• george william barnes: discussion on the relationship between tree and forest culture and rainfall.
• gregorio corbalan barroeta: field notes on opuntia tunicata, sending of seeds, descriptions of lechuguilla and palma, uses of 'amollia, and results of snow on vegetation.
• john h.

  bartholf: sending seeds and specimens of ranunculus and viola with field notes and soil conditions, and climate conditions.

• edward hall: climate and meteorological conditions in new orleans, including reports for the smithsonian.
• de bary: discussions on cythis biology, yucca pollination, specimen exchanges, university rebuilding, and health issues.
• edison sewell bastin: identification of cactus from pine station in northwestern indiana.
• l.

  baston: receipt of plant collections from the west.

• edwin baush: correspondence related to locating mineral phosphate in the west.
• albert baum: receipt of cacti and requests for information on cultivating pecan and black walnut trees in germany.
• michael schuck bebb: discussions on quercus hybridization experiments, engelmann's trip to san francisco, and collections in northern illinois.

  includes questions regarding juncus determinations.

• oloyardo beccari: correspondence regarding agave, yucca, and wild vines from america, and his resignation as director of the museum.
• charles martindale beck: propagation of agave and offers of specimens.
• edward griffen beckwith: discussion of an error in engelmann's report for the pacific rr.
• hans herman behr: inability to furnish native california plants due to various constraints, problems with the natural history society, and discussions on numerous plant genera and locations.
• charles bendire: descriptions and collections of plants at various locations, including detailed descriptions of locales and events like the nez perce campaign.
• mrs.

  charles h. bennett: sending cactus specimens in response to a request.

• james lawrence bennett: delays in determinations of collected material and discussions on collections for his work.
• george bentham: discussions on north brazil and venezuela plant collections, hooker's notes on hong kong plants, and extensive discussions on coniferae.
• ernst von berge: prospective negotiations for cacti as a commercial venture.
• francis jacob bernays: correspondence regarding glycine chinensis and other plants.
• robert morris bertolet: collections of agave and quercus for engelmann.
• charles edwin bessey: requests for material on dr.

  engelmann for a planned publication on the progress of botany in the u.s.

• john milton bigelow: extensive collections as part of surveys, including plants sent to various renowned botanists. later correspondence discusses the publication of reports on southwest collections, difficulties encountered, maps of cacti, and the process of rewriting reports, including discussions on echinocactus and opuntia.

  also includes meteorological observations.

• john a. bingham: collections of water plants, particularly water lilies, for the lake survey, and collections of john a. paine.
• isaac h. bradley: correspondence related to the lake survey, focusing on water plants and juncaceae.
• james nathaniel bishop: collections for engelmann and information on cactaceae.
• a.

  archibald ray black: correspondence related to botanical specimens.

• lorin blodget: correspondence from the office of the board of trade.
• h. böcking: exchange of north american plants for alpine flora of pennsylvania.
• edmond pierre boissier: correspondence with prominent botanists regarding plant studies.
• henry nicholas bolander: extensive correspondence regarding his work as a teacher and botanical specimen collector for botanists in the eastern u.s., including preparation of catalogues and distribution maps.

  discusses numerous plant genera and locations in california.

• carl bolle: discussions on his work with gramineae and exchanges of plants, including picea and yucca from serbia.
• john cornelius booth: request for publication information about douglas pine and american trees.
• f.

  decaisne: correspondence regarding collections in antibes and nice, france.

• clothar böttcher: shipment of snakes to engelmann and requests for cactus seeds.
• felix bracht: a photograph is included with his correspondence.
• townshend stith brandegee: extensive correspondence relating to collections in the southwest, including detailed field notes and diagrams, and discussions on various plant species and geological reports.
• alexander carl heinrich braun: help with identification of characeae, and a brief discussion of lemna and equisetum sp.
• friedrich brendel: discussions on his medical practice, geographical distribution of plants, and collections of reptiles and fish.

  also references the work of other botanists.

• thomas mayo brewer: a collector friend's difficulties with indigenous people in indian valley, idaho.
• william henry brewer: extensive correspondence regarding his employment by the state geological society, the effects of altitude and temperature on plants, the publication of floras, and requests for help with microscopic fungi.

  discusses numerous collectors and locations.

• thomas d. briscoe: requests for plants, particularly azolla.
• nathaniel lord britton: discussions on opuntia and juncus collected by professors and individuals.
• garland carr broadhead: geologist working on state surveys and collecting for engelmann, providing blooming dates and meteorological observations.

  discusses the effects of weather and climate on plants and substrata on plant distributions. includes collections from missouri, kansas, illinois, colorado, and new mexico with specific locale information.

• adolphe theodore brongniart: brief description of cacti, gramineae, and cuscuta, and requests for seeds.
• addison brown: work with adventive botany.
• alfred brown: criticism of a book on mollusks.
• benjamin boyer brown: collections in california, and purchase and sale of medical instruments.
• john croumbie brown: development of forest sciences.
• thomas aquina bruhin: requests for aid with euphorbia and cuscuta in preparation of a flora, and discussions on nebraska plants.
• ovide brunet: discussions on abies species and correspondence with other botanists.
• franz georg philip buchenau: flora of bremen and east friesland islands, desire for specimen exchange, and discussions on elodea problems.

  includes extensive notes on various plant families and correspondence with numerous scientists.

• samuel botsford buckley: desire for specimen exchange, particularly fossils and shells for plant specimens, and discussions on collections in texas.
• joseph budd: correspondence regarding north american abies.
• frederick william thomas burbidge: correspondence related to agave.
• justin herbert burdick: requests for identification of leek and nevada specimens.
• issac burk: correspondence related to plant specimens.
• benjamin franklin bush: collections for engelmann and possible publication of a missouri flora, with descriptions of new species and habitats.
• isidor bush: agreement to use engelmann's classification in a catalogue, and development of stock with different rootstock.
• george dexter butler: discussion of disagreements within the botanical community and collection lists with dates and descriptions of locations and plants.

botanical notebooks and ongoing research

the collection also houses engelmann's botanical notebooks, which represent meticulous records of his studies.

the arrangement of these notebooks was carefully executed, likely by engelmann himself, with subsequent minor adjustments. each notebook is considered a distinct series, reflecting focused research on specific plant families or genera. in cases where engelmann conducted extensive studies on a particular family, multiple notebooks might be dedicated to it, each detailing a specific aspect or genus within that family.

conversely, for families receiving less attention, a single notebook might encompass several.

when describing the notebooks for the finding aid, the focus was on plant family or genus names, providing direct access to the material based on these classifications rather than including detailed collection sites or dates within the notebook descriptions themselves.

historical context and significance

the endeavor to inventory and describe this collection was completed in october 2000 with the support of a grant from the national historical publications and records commission (nhprc).

this significant undertaking was carried out by barbara mykrantz, dorothy fleshman, james hammerschmidt, and clara n. szabados, under the supervision of james r. reed. further assistance with translations was provided by carla lange and jules gewinner. in subsequent years, additional translations were systematically conducted by edgar denison, manfred thurmann, and sven eliasson.

in 2015, the missouri botanical garden's staff revisited and updated the correspondence series, digitizing it with support from the institute of museum and library services, administered by the missouri state library.

the comprehensive nature of these papers, from detailed scientific observations to personal reflections and discussions of societal issues, offers a rich tapestry of 19th-century botanical exploration and the personal dedication required to advance scientific understanding.

the ongoing accessibility of this material, through digitization and updated finding aids, ensures its continued value for researchers and enthusiasts alike.