Connecticut Botanical Society records

Collection

Identifier: MS-003

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The records of the Connecticut Botanical Society documents the activities of the Connecticut Botanical Society from its establishment in 1903 to the present. The collection contains correspondence, minutes, notebooks, financial records, biographical member files, publications, incorporation documentation (by-laws, articles of incorporation), photographs, and digital files produced by the Connecticut Botanical Society. The bulk of the material dates from 1903 to 2000. These materials document the work of the Connecticut Botanical Society to increase knowledge of the state's flora, accumulate a permanent botanical collection, and promote conservation education and the state's natural resources. Of particular interest is the administrative documentation of the Connecticut Botanical Society in the secretary's ledgers and minutes as well as the documentation of its educational activities, including the herbarium, fieldtrips, and publications.

In addition to the records of the society, the personal papers of the Harger family are also included in this collection. These papers primarily document the extensive correspondence of Edgar Burton Harger (1867-1946), land surveyor, botanist, and a founder of the Connecticut Botanical Society. In addition are research files and personal material on other Harger family members. This includes diaries and correspondence from the middle of the 19th century between various family members. These documents provide insight into the family's personal and domestic experience primarily in the Naugatuck Valley and in New Haven, Connecticut.

Dates

1846 - 2016
Majority of material found within 1903 - 2003

Creator

Connecticut Botanical Society (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Access to digital files will require consultation with the archivist.

Biographical / Historical

The Connecticut Botanical Society was established in 1903 to bring together amateur and professional botanists who shared a common interest in the plants of Connecticut and the surrounding region. Currently, the Connecticut Botanical Society increases the knowledge of the state's flora, accumulates a permanent botanical collection, promotes conservation, and raises public awareness on the botanical riches of Connecticut. The Connecticut Botanical Society conducts annual meetings, organizes botanical fieldtrips for members throughout the state, maintains a herbarium for the study of flora held at the Yale Herbarium at the Peabody Museum, and publishes semi-annual newsletters, annual yearbooks, and significant works on the flora of Connecticut.

Extent

4 Linear Feet (4 cartons)

0.79297 Gigabytes (64 files)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Overview

This collection documents the activities of the Connecticut Botanical Society and contains correspondence, minutes, notebooks, financial records, member information, publications, incorporation documentation, and photographs. The bulk of the material dates from 1903 to 2000.

Arrangement

This collection is organized into six series and subseries:

Series I. Administrative Records, 1903-2003 Subseries A. General, 1928-2003 Subseries B. Minutes, 1903-1994 Subseries C. Financial records, 1903-2003 Series II. Biographical members files, 1906-2009 Series III. Photographs, ca. 1910-2000 Series IV. Educational initiatives and events, 1877-2016 Subseries A. Fieldtrips, 1903-2016 Subseries B. Herbarium, 1877-2005 Series V. Publications, 1918-2015 Series VI. Harger family papers, 1846-1993

Processing Information

Collection followed the original arrangement of the material and most folder titles were retained. The collection contained digital material on media containing photographs, video, and word files. This material was migrated from the media and preservation actions applied.