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Permissions, Licensing, Imaging Services
Photographs and images from the collection may be reproduced only with written permission.
Lilac Collection AA [Title from recto of slide.] Bird’s-eye view. Looking west. 35 mm. slide. Emulsion on polyester.
Alternate Title: Lilac (Syringa) Collection in bloom with Bussey Hill Road on the right.
Photograph by Richard E. Weaver (1943 -), United States
Lilac Collection, Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, United States
May 15, 1981
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
Richard E. Weaver joined the Arnold Arboretum in 1970 as horticultural taxonomist and held various positions including editor of Arnoldia and acting director before his departure in 1983. Weaver worked closely with the living collections, directing planting for many years and organizing collecting expeditions to South America, Asia, and the Soviet Union.
In addition to many images of Syringa and other taxa, the Archive Collection of the Arnold Arboretum holds the Richard Edwin Weaver (1943-) papers, 1971-1983.
In celebration of Lilac Sunday taking place at the Arnold Arboretum on May 12, 2013, we invite you to view another fascinating image of the lilacs in full splendor in May 1908, captured along Bussey Hill Road looking east. Note the impeccable fashions of the day!
Also remember to visit our Lilac Collection.
Copyright © 2003, President and Fellows of Harvard College; all rights reserved.
Salix – Meadow [Title from recto of mount.] / Salix in Meadow [Title from verso of mount.] / Color photography on paper.
Title: Willows (Salix) in the North Meadow.
Photograph by Pamela Bruns (n.d.), United States
North Meadow, Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, United States
1972
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
Also remember to visit our Image Collection.
Copyright © 2003, President and Fellows of Harvard College, Arnold Arboretum Archives; all rights reserved.
Centre Street Path in June [Title from recto of mount.] / Centre Street Path in June. Spiraea nipponica, Deutzia collection and Laburnum Watereri [Title from verso of mount.] Gelatin silver process on paper.
Alternate Title: Nippon Spiraea (Spiraea nipponica), Deutzia and Waterer Laburnum (Laburnum Watereri) in bloom by the Centre Street Path.
Photograph by Walter R. Merryman (ca. 1926), United States
Hickory Path, Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, United States
1926
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
Also remember to visit our Image Collection.
Copyright © 2003, President and Fellows of Harvard College, Arnold Arboretum Archives; all rights reserved.
35 mm. slide.
Photograph by David E. Boufford (1941- )
Daxue Mountains, Sichuan Sheng, China
Elevation: 4,500 m.
July 23-28, 1998
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
David Boufford is a Senior Research Scientist at Harvard University Herbaria, a visiting scientist at the Arnold Arboretum, and a specialist on vascular plants of Asia. Read more about David, his contributions to Arnoldia, and this interview in Silva (Fall 2005).
Copyright © 1998-2003 David E. Boufford; all rights reserved.
China-Peling Range. Ravine leading to Peling range. Photo by Wm. Purdom, 1909-1911. [Information from label on verso of photo mount.] Gelatin silver process on paper.
Alternate Title: Snow covered ravine with a stream flowing at its base.
Photograph by William Purdom (1880-1921)
Gansu Sheng, China
Xiqing Shan, Qinghai Sheng, China
1911
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
Read more about the life and travels of William Purdom and other plant explorers in our Image Collection.
The Archive Collection of the Arnold Arboretum also holds the William Purdom (1880–1921) papers, 1909-1912.
Copyright © 2003, President and Fellows of Harvard College, Arnold Arboretum Archives; all rights reserved.
Thuja orientalis. China, Shansi, (Tsin tze) This is one very famous Chow dynasty Thuja. Photo by Joseph Hers, Oct. 1923. [Information from label on verso of photo mount.] Gelatin silver process on paper.
Alternate Title: Tree trunk with a signboard in front and a wall behind.
Photograph by Joseph Hers (1884-1965), United States, Belgium
Subject: Platycladus orientalis (L. f.) Franco / Cupressaceae
Changchi, Shanxi Sheng, China
October 1923
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
Many thousands more Botanical and Cultural Images of Eastern Asia, details on the life and travels of Joseph Hers, and of other plant explorers are available in our Image Collection.
The Archive Collection of the Arnold Arboretum also holds the Joseph Hers (1884-1965) papers, 1919-1992.
Copyright © 2003, President and Fellows of Harvard College, Arnold Arboretum Archives; all rights reserved.
Forest Hills gate entrance Malus micromalus [Title from card index.] Emulsion on polyester.
Alternate Title: Forest Hills Gate with crabapples (Malus micromalus) in bloom
Photographer unknown
Forest Hills Gate, Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, United States
May 1940
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
Also remember to visit our Image Collection, in addition to the Arnold Arboretum’s Crabapple Collection [Malus].
Copyright © 2003, President and Fellows of Harvard College, Arnold Arboretum Archives; all rights reserved.
Bag of 52 ordinary pheasants (Phasianus decollatus, David.) with self [Wilson] and boy. Phyllostachys mites Riv. behind. Altitude 4500 ft. [Information from label in photograph album.] Emulsion on glass.
Alternate Title: Wilson and man with pheasants hanging from rack
Photograph by Ernest Henry Wilson (1876-1930), United States, England
Subject: Phyllostachys edulis (Carr.) Houz. / Gramineae / moso bamboo
Changyang, Hubei Sheng, China
January 1909
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
In December 1906, Wilson signed an agreement to collect plants in China for the Arnold Arboretum. The main objective for this expedition was to collect seeds and herbarium specimens of as many woody plants as possible, but Wilson was also assigned to collect more broadly for private subscribers to the expedition. When Arnold Arboretum Director Charles Sprague Sargent (1841-1927) instructed Wilson to document the expedition with photographs he set the precedent of asking all his future explorers to do so as well. Field cooperation was arranged with the United States Department of Agriculture, through David Fairchild, who had sent Frank Meyer to China in 1905 as an agricultural plant explorer for the Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction. Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology sent Walter Reaves Zappey (1878-1914), a trained collector and museum preparator to accompany Wilson and collect bird skins and animal pelts. Wilson’s photographs of these specimens can be viewed here.
Many thousands more Botanical and Cultural Images of Eastern Asia, details on the life and travels of Ernest Henry Wilson, and of other plant explorers are available in our Image Collection.
The Archive Collection of the Arnold Arboretum also holds the Ernest Henry Wilson (1876-1930) papers, 1896-1952.
This finding aid contains links to digitized versions of Wilson’s field notes and travel diaries.
Copyright © 2006, President and Fellows of Harvard College, Arnold Arboretum Archives; all rights reserved.
Chinese view – Two of the San t’ah or three pagodas. Talifu, Yunnan, China. Photo by J.F. Rock, May 4, 1922. [Information from label in photograph album.] Gelatin silver process on paper.
Alternate Title: Two pagodas
Photograph by Joseph Francis Charles Rock (1884-1962), United States, Austria, photographer
Yunnan Sheng, China
May 4, 1922
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
Many thousands more Botanical and Cultural Images of Eastern Asia, details on the life and travels of Joseph Rock, and of other plant explorers are available in our Image Collection.
The Archive Collection of the Arnold Arboretum also holds the Joseph Francis Charles Rock (1884-1962) papers, 1922-1962.
Copyright © 2005, President and Fellows of Harvard College, Arnold Arboretum Archives; all rights reserved.
Gelatin silver process on paper.
Alternate Title: Red Maple (Acer rubrum) in the snow in the North Meadow
Photographer unknown
North Meadow, Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, United States
ca. 1980
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
Also remember to visit our Image Collection.
Copyright © 2003, President and Fellows of Harvard College, Arnold Arboretum Archives; all rights reserved.
Salix urbaniana. Japan, Sapporo. Prof. Miyabe standing. Photo by J.G. Jack, August 21, 1905. [Information from label on verso of photo mount.] Series: Eastern Asian Historical Photograph Collections, Arnold Arboretum. Gelatin silver process on paper.
[Title from recto of mount.]
Alternate Title: Tree trunk with Professor Kingo Miyabe
Photograph by John George Jack (1861-1949), United States, Canada
Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
Hokkaido ken, Japan
August 21, 1905
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
Kingo Miyabe (1860–1951) was one of the foremost Japanese botanists of his generation. He was a member of the second class admitted to the Sapporo Agricultural College (now Hokkaido University) which also included the future educator and diplomat Inazo Nitobe, and the theologian and pacifist Uchimura Kanzo, with whom he became close friends. In 1883, he was appointed Assistant Professor at the Agricultural College and began work to establish a botanical garden there. Three years later he came to America to study at Harvard University and received a D.S. for his thesis The Flora of the Kurile Islands. In 1889, he returned to Hokkaido and was appointed Professor of Botany at the Sapporo Agricultural College. He retired in 1927. In 1946, he was awarded the Order of Culture for his contributions to botanical science. Three years later, the City of Sapporo made him an honorary citizen.
Professor Miyabe’s contacts with Arnold Arboretum staff go back to Charles Sprague Sargent’s expedition to Japan in 1892. They subsequently became regular correspondents and Sargent requested plant material from him on several occasions. John George Jack called upon him and they explored Hokkaido together in 1905. Likewise, Ernest Henry Wilson visited Miyabe both on his 1914 and 1917-19 trips to Japan.
The Archive Collection of the Arnold Arboretum also holds the John George Jack (1861-1949) papers, 1887-1990.
Read and view more in Botanical and Cultural Images of Eastern Asia, 1907-1927.
Pinetum/snow [Title from recto of slide.] Emulsion on polyester.
Alternate Title: Man cross-country skiing through the Conifer Collection
Photograph by Corliss Knapp Engle (1936-2009)
Conifer Collection, Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, United States
January 1983
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
Corliss Knapp Engle (1936-2009) was a longtime friend of the Arnold Arboretum and a dedicated volunteer. Her beautiful color photographs of the landscape can be seen in The Arnold Arboretum Captured in Time: 1982-1987. Also remember to visit our Image Collection.
Copyright © 2003, President and Fellows of Harvard College, Arnold Arboretum Archives; all rights reserved.
Pinus parviflora S + Z The famous Ship Pine in the garden of KinKaKuji Temple, Kyoto, Japan. [Information from label on verso of photo mount.] Gelatin silver process on paper.
[Title from recto of mount.]
Alternate Title: Tree in the garden of a temple trained into the shape of a ship
Photograph by Ernest Henry Wilson (1876-1930)
Subject: Pinus parviflora Sieb. & Zucc. / Pinaceae / Japanese White Pine
Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion), Kyoto, Japan
Kyoto fu, Japan
ca. 1915
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
See this related article in Arnoldia about the The Ship Pine of Kyoto, in addition to recent photographs of the Gold Pavilion.
Many thousands more Botanical and Cultural Images of Eastern Asia are available in our Image Collection.
Copyright © 2003, President and Fellows of Harvard College, Arnold Arboretum Archives; all rights reserved.
Alnus hirsuta var. sibirica Schneid. Near Hakone, Hondo, Japan. Height 25 ft. Circumference 5 ft. Prunus Lannesiana f. albida Wilson behind. [Information from label on verso of photo mount.] Emulsion on glass.
[Title from recto of mount.]
Alternate Title: Habit of two trees with man.
Photograph by Ernest Henry Wilson (1876-1930), United States, England
Near Hakone, Hondo, Japan
April 17, 1914
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
Many thousands more Botanical and Cultural Images of Eastern Asia, details on the life and travels of Ernest Henry Wilson, and of other plant explorers are available in our Image Collection.
The Archive Collection of the Arnold Arboretum also holds the Ernest Henry Wilson (1876-1930) papers, 1896-1952.
Copyright © 2006, President and Fellows of Harvard College, Arnold Arboretum Archives; all rights reserved.
Juglans mandshurica. Shing lung shan, Chili Prov., China. Various forms of nuts of a wild walnut, occuring in Manchuria and North China, which grows into a stately tree. The young foliage unfortunately is very sensitive to frosts and the tree has been difficult to grow in the Eastern United States on that account. Chinese name Shan Ho tao, the last meaning mountain walnut. December 4, 1916. [Information from label on verso of photo mount.] Gelatin silver process on paper.
[Title from recto of mount.]
Photograph by Frank Nicholas Meyer (1875-1918), Netherlands, United States
Xinglong, Hebei Sheng, China
Hebei Sheng, China
December 4, 1916
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
Many thousands more Botanical and Cultural Images of Eastern Asia, details on the life and travels of Frank Nicholas Meyer, and of other plant explorers are available in our Image Collection.
The Archive Collection of the Arnold Arboretum also holds the Frank N. Meyer (1875-1918) papers, 1906-1914.
Copyright © 2004, President and Fellows of Harvard College, Arnold Arboretum Archives; all rights reserved.
Dwarf Conifers Dana Greenhouse Area [Title from recto of enclosure.] / Dana Greenhouse Area [Title from verso.] / Bird’s-eye view.Gelatin silver process on paper.
Photograph by Alfred James Fordham (1911-2000), United States
Arnold Arboretum
ca. 1968
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
Read more in Arnoldia about Dana Greenouse, the Herbaria of the Arnold Arboretum, and the Dwarf Conifers of the Leventritt Garden.
The Archive Collection of the Arnold Arboretum also holds the Alfred J. Fordham (1911-2000) papers, 1943-2000, which reflect his contribution to horticulture, botany, and the Arnold Arboretum as a plant propagator, lecturer, teacher, and author of over 50 published papers.
Copyright © 2013, President and Fellows of Harvard College, Arnold Arboretum Archives; all rights reserved.
Muriel in front of a mirror wearing a kimono Tokyo 1914 [Information from verso of photograph.] Gelatin silver process on paper.
[Title from recto of sleeve.]
Alternate Title: Muriel in kimono looking at reflection
Photograph by Ernest Henry Wilson (1876-1930), United States, England
Muriel Primrose Wilson Slate (1906 -), United States, England, subject
Tokyo, Japan
1914
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
Many thousands more Botanical and Cultural Images of Eastern Asia, details on the life and travels of Ernest Henry Wilson, and of other plant explorers are available in our Image Collection.
The Archive Collection of the Arnold Arboretum also holds the Ernest Henry Wilson (1876-1930) papers, 1896-1952.
Copyright © 2006, President and Fellows of Harvard College, Arnold Arboretum Archives; all rights reserved.
China, Kan-su (A[n]kur). The Living Buddha of Labrang photographed at A[n]kur Gomba. Photo by J. F. Rock, May 28, 1925. Diary, vol. III, pp. 11, 95. [Information from label on verso of photo mount.] Gelatin silver process on paper.
[Title from recto of photo mount.]
Photograph by Joseph Francis Charles Rock (1884-1962), United States, Austria
Ang ‘khor dgon pa, Ang ‘khor, Gansu Sheng, China
May 28, 1925
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
Excerpt from Joseph Francis Charles Rock diary, May 28, 1925:
“I was ushered into the little room where he receives visitors of note. They were just dressing him up, a little boy of 10 years of age. We arranged a place in the main room which was full of guilded [sic] statues of Buddhas and Fuyes…They arranged him on a chair or low stool on a yellow carpet. He was carefully dressed in a gold brocade jacket, red mantle and large Tibetan boots. He sat very quietly while I took many photos of him…They changed his ja[c]kets and placed a yellow mitre on his head. I then photographed the old father, a tall Tibetan. They are Litang people from Sze-chuan…” (10-11)
[Citation/References: Rock, Joseph Francis Charles, Diary, 1924-1927, vol. 3, Archives, Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh Library.]
Many thousands more Botanical and Cultural Images of Eastern Asia, details on the life and travels of Joseph Rock, and of other plant explorers are available in our Image Collection.
The Archive Collection of the Arnold Arboretum also holds the Joseph Francis Charles Rock (1884-1962) papers, 1922-1962.
Copyright © 1924-2003, President and Fellows of Harvard College; all rights reserved.
Looking up lilac path [Title from recto.] / Looking up lilac path [Title from verso.] / Lilac Path, Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, United States. 11.5 x 16.5 cm. Gelatin silver process on paper.
Alternate Title: Lilac Path in the snow
Photograph by Donald Wyman (1903-1993), United States
Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts
1949
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
Donald Wyman (1903-1993) was the Arnold Arboretum horticulturist from 1935-1969. His papers reflect his years of dedication to the study and advancement of horticulture within the academic community and in service of the gardening public. In 2004, a collection of plant records pertaining to genera grown in the living collections, which included files created by Donald Wyman and by succeeding horticulturalists Gordon P. DeWolf, Robert Hebb, and Gary Koller, was discovered and deposited in the archives. These plant records are arranged alphabetically by genera and are available in the Office of the Horticulturist records, 1938-1996.
Copyright © 2003, President and Fellows of Harvard College; all rights reserved.
Ulmus pumila var pendula. A very rare form of the drought-resistant Chinese elm, found growing upon an old grave near Fengtai, said to be the only specimen in existence in North China. Fengtai, near Peking, China. March 27, 1908. [Information from label on verso of photo mount.] (Gelatin silver process on paper.)
[Title from recto of mount.]
Photograph by Frank Nicholas Meyer (1875-1918)
Fengtai, Beijing Municipality, China
March 27, 1908
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
Read more about the life and travels of Frank Nicholas Meyer and other plant explorers in our Image Collection.
The Archive Collection of the Arnold Arboretum also holds the Frank Nicholas Meyer (1875-1918) papers, 1906-1914.
Copyright © 2004, President and Fellows of Harvard College, Arnold Arboretum Archives; all rights reserved.
Japan – Lumbering. Yoshino. Track and kind of sledge (Kimma) used in getting out timber in Japanese forest, 1904. Photo gift of J.G. Jack, Jan., 1935. [Information from label on verso of photo mount.] (Gelatin silver process on paper.)
[Title from recto of mount.]
Photograph by John George Jack (1861-1949)
Yoshino, Nara, Japan
1905
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
Read more about the life and travels of John George Jack and other plant explorers in our Image Collection.
The Archive Collection of the Arnold Arboretum also holds the John George Jack (1861-1949) papers, 1887-1990.
Copyright © 2003, President and Fellows of Harvard College, Arnold Arboretum Archives; all rights reserved.
Qamdo Xian, Changdu Xian, Tibet, China / Mekong River, Tibet, China. Elevation: 3,130 m. (35 mm. slide).
Photograph by David E. Boufford (1941- )
Mekong River, Tibet, China.
August 5, 2000
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
David Boufford is a Senior Research Scientist at Harvard University Herbaria, a visiting scientist at the Arnold Arboretum, and a specialist on vascular plants of Asia. Read more about David, his contributions to Arnoldia, and this interview in Silva (Fall 2005).
Copyright © 2000-2003 David E. Boufford; all rights reserved.
China. Strong men at August games (Mongol). Photo by William Purdom, 1909-1911. [Information from label on verso of photo mount.] (Gelatin silver process on paper.)
[Title from recto of mount.]
Alternate Title: Six strong men in traditional dress.
Photograph by William Purdom (1880–1921)
Weichang Xian, Hebei Sheng, China, 1909.
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
Read more about the life and travels of William Purdom and other plant explorers in our Image Collection.
The Archive Collection of the Arnold Arboretum also holds the William Purdom (1880–1921) papers, 1909-1912.
Copyright © 2003, President and Fellows of Harvard College, Arnold Arboretum Archives; all rights reserved.
Mrs. E. H. Wilson, Muriel, and Amah. Karasawa, Kyoto, Japan. 1914 [Title from verso of photograph.] (Gelatin silver process on paper.)
[Title from recto of sleeve.]
Alternate Title: Mrs. Wilson in rickshaw with Muriel to left and woman in traditional dress to right.
Photograph by Ernest Henry Wilson (1876-1930)
Kyoto, Japan. 1914
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
Read more about the life and travels of Ernest Henry Wilson and other plant explorers in our Image Collection.
The Archive Collection of the Arnold Arboretum also holds the Ernest Henry Wilson (1876-1930) papers, 1896-1952.
Copyright © 2006, President and Fellows of Harvard College, Arnold Arboretum Archives; all rights reserved.
Japan – Lumbering. Etchu [Province], [t]he same. Protectors for banks made of bamboo filled with stones. Photo gift of J.G. Jack, Jan., 1935. [Information from label on verso of photo mount.] (Gelatin silver process on paper.)
[Title from recto of mount.]
Large openwork baskets filled with stones on a riverbank with squared lumber in the foreground.
Photograph by John George Jack (1861-1949), United States, Canada
Kurobe River, Toyama, Japan
1905
The large cylindrial baskets in this photograph are called “jakago” and were used to reinforce riverbanks during flooding.
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
Read more about the life and travels of John George Jack and other plant explorers in our Image Collection.
The Archive Collection of the Arnold Arboretum also holds the John George Jack (1861-1949) papers, 1887-1990 .
Copyright © 2003, President and Fellows of Harvard College, Arnold Arboretum Archives; all rights reserved.
Phyllostachys sp. The large bamboo shoot which the little boy in the center holds, weighs 16 lbs. & comes from mao tsoh variety. The small ones held by the largest boy came from the Hua Roh poo chi variety. Both important foods in central Asia. Tangshi. April 20, 1908. [Information from label on verso of photo mount.] (Gelatin silver process on paper.)
[Title from recto of mount.]
Two men in traditional dress and 3 boys, two of whom are holding bamboo shoots and are in western dress.
Photograph by Frank Nicholas Meyer (1875-1918)
Tangqi, Zhejiang Sheng, China
April 20, 1908
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
Read more about the life and travels of Frank Nicholas Meyer and other plant explorers in our Image Collection.
The Archive Collection of the Arnold Arboretum also holds the Frank N. Meyer (1875-1918) papers, 1906-1914.
Copyright © 2004, President and Fellows of Harvard College, Arnold Arboretum Archives; all rights reserved.
China, Tibet (Koko Nor region). Lammergeier of a very large size caught in the Koko Nor region. Photo by J. F. Rock, Oct. 1925. [Information from label on verso of photo mount.] (Gelatin silver process on paper.)
[Title from recto of photo mount.]
Photograph by Joseph Francis Charles Rock (1884-1962), United States, Austria
China, Tibet (Koko Nor region)
September 27, 1925
“After leaving the dunes…we reach a grassy plain…here I spied a huge bird (Lammergeier: Gypaetus barbatus grandis Storr. see birds p. 328) feeding on a cadavar. A well-directed bullet made an end to its existence. I took 3 photos of the bird with spread out wings held by my Moslem soldiers. The wings measured ten feet from tip to tip. The outer part of the eye was a beautiful orange, the iris was a pale drab color and the pupil black.”
–Rock, Joseph Francis Charles, Diary, 1924-1927, vol. 4, Archives, Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh Library. / Excerpt from September 27, 1925.
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
Read more about the life and travels of Joseph Rock and other plant explorers in our Image Collection.
The Archive Collection of the Arnold Arboretum also holds the Joseph Francis Charles Rock (1884-1962) papers, 1922-1962.
Copyright © 1924-2003, President and Fellows of Harvard College; all rights reserved.
Nyssa sylvatica Tree in autumn color [Title from card index.] (Emulsion on glass.)
Rehder Pond, Arnold Arboretum
October 14, 1936
“Nyssa sylvatica Tree in autumn color.” [Title from card index.]
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
Copyright © 2003, President and Fellows of Harvard College; Arnold Arboretum Horticultural Library Historical Collections; all rights reserved.
China — Peling Range Tibetan woman [Title from recto of mount.] Photograph by William Purdom. From the Arnold Arboretum Horticultural Library’s Eastern Asian Historical Photograph Collections. (Gelatin silver process on paper.)
Photograph by William Purdom (1880-1921)
Xiqing Shan, Qinghai Sheng, China
1911
“Tibetan woman from South Peling range, showing method of hair dressing. Photo by William Purdom, 1909-1911.” [Information from label on verso of photo mount.]
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
Many thousands more Botanical and Cultural Images of Eastern Asia, details on the life and travels of William Purdom, and of other plant explorers are available in our Image Collection.
The Archive Collection of the Arnold Arboretum also holds the William Purdom (1880-1921) papers, 1909-1912.
Copyright © 2003, President and Fellows of Harvard College, Arnold Arboretum Archives; all rights reserved.
Red Maple (Acer rubrum ‘Schlesingeri’) in fall color in the North Meadow beside Meadow Road, Arnold Arboretum. (Emulsion on glass).
October 18, 1936
Bird’s-eye view. Read more about this tree and its history at the Arnold Arboretum.
A larger version of this image is available
in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
Copyright © 2003, President and Fellows of Harvard College; Arnold Arboretum Horticultural Library Historical Collections; all rights reserved.
Cymbidium sinensis Tientsin, China. Cylindrical baskets with openwork tops. Photograph by Frank Nicholas Meyer. From the Arnold Arboretum Horticultural Library’s Eastern Asian Historical Photograph Collections. (Gelatin silver process on paper.)
Photograph by Frank Nicholas Meyer (1875-1918)
Tianjin Municipality, China
March 31, 1907
“Cymbidium sinensis. Baskets with Cymbidium sinensis which are greatly valued by the Chinese as flowering plants. Said to come from Canton and Swatow.” [Information from label on verso of photo mount.]
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
Many thousands more Botanical and Cultural Images of Eastern Asia, details on the life and travels of Frank Nicholas Meyer, and of other plant explorers are available in our Image Collection.
The Archive Collection of the Arnold Arboretum also holds the Frank N. Meyer (1875-1918) papers, 1906-1914.
Copyright © 2004, President and Fellows of Harvard College, Arnold Arboretum Archives; all rights reserved.
Natives listening to a phonograph. Photograph by Joseph Francis Rock. From the Arnold Arboretum Horticultural Library’s Eastern Asian Historical Photograph Collections. (Gelatin silver process on paper.)
Photograph by Joseph Rock (1884-1962)
China, Kan-su (Ch’ing-shui)
April 11, 1925
“A mob in front of my inn at the village of Ch’ing-shui, between Kai-chow and Min-chow, listening to my phonograph.” [Information from label on verso of photo mount.]
Excerpt from Joseph Rock’s Diary, April 11, 1925:
“We go to an inn about the second house to the left, where I stop in a room containing the family shrine, grains, etc. I opened the phonograph and gave the people of Ch’ing-shui a concert. They had never seen such a thing as a phonograph and stood in amazement massed around the music box listening to Caruso’s “Celeste Aida,” the Quartet of “Rigoletto,” etc. I took several pictures of the mob while they listened to the phonograph. I then took the phonograph to the top of the roof and photographed the throng that gathered on the roofs of the houses across the narrow dirty street.”
[Citation/References: Rock, Joseph Francis Charles, Diary, 1924-1927, vol. 2, Archives, Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh Library.]
A larger version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
Many thousands more Botanical and Cultural Images of Eastern Asia, details on the life and travels of Joseph Rock, and of other plant explorers are available in our Image Collection.
The Archive Collection of the Arnold Arboretum also holds the Joseph Francis Charles Rock (1884-1962) papers, 1922-1962.
Copyright © 1924-2003, President and Fellows of Harvard College; all rights reserved.
E. H. Wilson (front row, center) with reformed headhunters and armed policemen in the mountains of Formosa, 1918. From the Arboretum Library’s Eastern Asian Historical Photograph Collections. (Emulsion on glass.)
Photograph by Ernest Herny Wilson (1876-1930)
Formosa (Taiwan/Republic of China)
1918
Between 1907 and 1922, Ernest Henry Wilson photographed 2,488 images for the Arnold Arboretum. He used a large format, Sanderson wholeplate field camera, complete with bellows, a cumbersome wooden tripod, and crates of heavy, fragile, glass-plate negatives that captured both breathtaking detail and broad, undistorted perspectives. These photographs provide a rare visual record of China before its revolution, highlighting not only plants but also documenting elements of cultural heritage including temples, houses, boats, and people going about their daily lives.
A larger, interactive version of this image is available in Harvard University’s Visual Information Access (VIA) catalog.
Many thousands more Botanical and Cultural Images of Eastern Asia, Ernest Henry Wilson, and other plant explorers are available in our Image Collection and archives.
The Archive Collection of the Arnold Arboretum also holds the The Archive Collection of the Arnold Arboretum also holds the Ernest Henry Wilson (1876-1930) papers, 1896-1952.
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