Records of the American Iris Society (RA)The American Iris Society

Records of the American Iris Society (RA)

Archives, The LuEsther T. Mertz Library
The New York Botanical Garden
200th Street and Kazimiroff Boulevard
Bronx, New York 10458-5126
Phone: 718-817-8604
URL: http://library.nybg.org/

This finding aid was produced in English.

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	Collectors:	The American Iris Society
	Title:	Records of the American Iris Society (RA)
	Dates:	1909-1934
	Abstract:	Contains incoming and outgoing correspondence, photographs, meeting minutes, newspaper clippings, iris catalogs, drawings, horticultural checklists, policies, bulletins, and manuscript drafts.
	Quantity:	10 linear inches; 3 boxes.
	Call Phrase:	American Iris Society (RA)

The American Iris Society

Founded in 1920 and incorporated in 1927, the American Iris Society was established for the purpose of promoting and sharing information about Iridaceae . The Society's bulletin provided its members with specific information about cultural and historical issues, proposed projects, and identified various officers and directors. At the time, it's members included nurserymen, horticulturists, and avid gardeners, and botanists.

The New York Botanical Garden acted as sponsor in establishing the Society and received assistance from Dr. A.C. Beal, head of the Department of Horticulture for NYBG, in drafting a constitution for AIS that provided a framework for the establishment of six regional groups with their own Vice Presidents. Others involved in this drafting included Robert Swan Sturtevant, the first Secretary of AIS, and Professor A.P. Saunders, a chemistry teacher from Hamilton College.

Scope and Content

This collection consists primarily of the correspondence files of Robert Swan Sturtevant, the first Secretary of the American Iris Society. Principal correspondents include John C. Wister and Harry H. Everett. Also included are minutes, bulletins, a scrapbook, and photographs of various members and specific Society events. There are loose seed catalogs devoted entirely to the Iris as well as an index of seed catalog pages created by a member of the AIS.


Arrangement
	The collection is organized into four series:

		Series 1: Seed Catalogs. 1913-ca. 1921.
		Series 2: Correspondence. 1928-1934.
		Series 3: Subject Files. 1920-1933.
		Series 4: Photographs/Scrapbooks. 1919-1922.

Restrictions

Access restrictions

This collection is open for research with permission from Mertz Library staff.

Copyright

Requests for permission to publish material from the collection should be submitted in writing to the LuEsther T. Mertz Library of the New York Botanical Garden.


Indexing Terms
	The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
	Persons
		Everett, Harry H.
		Sturtevant, Robert Swan.
		Wister, John C.
	Subjects
		Botany--Societies, etc.
		Iridaceae.
		Seeds--Catalogs and collections--North America.
		Horticulture--Societies, etc.
	Organizations
		American Iris Society.
		New York Botanical Garden.
	Document Types
		catalogs.
		correspondence.
		manuscripts.
		photographs, black and white.
		scrapbook.

Series 1. Seed Catalogs.

Scope and Content: This series contains seed catalogs from various suppliers throughout the country, including several from Europe. Some are loose and foldered separately, while the specific catalogs collected by the American Iris Society have been indexed by a member. The index is available in the folder.
Folder	Title	Date
1.1	Collected Seed Catalogs; Vol. III, A-M.	1915-1922
1.2	Collected Seed Catalogs; Vol. IV, P-Z.	1915-1922
1.3	R. Wallace & Co., Ltd.	1913-1914/1917-1921/n.d.
1.4	Wellesley Nurseries, Wellesley Hills, MA.	ca. 1916
1.5	G.G. Whitelegg & Company	1920-1921/undated
1.6	The Wing Seed Co., Mechanicsburg, OH.	undated

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Series 2. Correspondence.

Scope and Content: This series contains correspondence between Robert Sturtevant, John C. Wister, Dr. Harry H. Everett, and others regarding administrative matters of AIS including membership information, the content of publications, exchange of minutes, board membership appointments, article preparations, and exhibit preparations.
Folder	Title	Date
1.7	Sturtevant-Wister	1928-1934
1.8	Sturtevant-Everett	1933-1934
1.9	Sturtevant-General	1933-1934/undated

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Series 3. Subject Files.

Scope and Content: This series includes general information about AIS such as meeting minutes, an unbound copy of an iris checklist of species and cultivars, manuscripts and drafts of proposed articles, outlines of awards policies, and pencil sketches of a proposed society emblem.
Folder	Title	Date
2.1	Checklist-Species and Cultivars	January 1, 1922
2.2	Drawings	undated
2.3	Manuscripts and notes	1931-1933/undated
2.4	Meeting minutes and bulletins	1932-1933
2.5	Policy of awards	1920-1933

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Series 4. Photographs/Scrapbook.

Scope and Content: This series includes photographs from the New Rochelle Iris Show, June 1923, and an album containing photographs of iris gardens in various locations. There is also a selection of group photos that include members of the American Iris Society. The scrapbook consists of clippings of newspaper, seed catalog, and journals of AIS along with announcements of Society activities.
Folder	Title	Date
3.1	Photographs	June, 1923
3.2	Scrapbook	1920-1922
3.3	Album	1919-1922

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