Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation

Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213-3890
http://www.huntbotanical.org

E. Lucy Braun (1889–1971):
Field Notebooks and Other Materials, ca.1919–[1931–ca.1955]

HI Archives collection no. 181
2.5 linear feet (2 boxes)
Emma Lucy Braun (1889-1971)
E. Lucy Braun (1889–1971), Michigan State University, May 1964, 16.5 × 11.5 cm, photograph by Walter H. Hodge, HI Archives portrait no. 1.

Biographical Note

Emma Lucy Braun (1889–1971) was a renowned botanist and ecologist. Her best-known publication, the classic Deciduous Forests of Eastern North America (Philadelphia, Blakiston, 1950), is still the only work of its scope on the topic and is perhaps even more important today as the most thorough record of many forest areas that have been destroyed since she studied them. She also wrote The Woody Plants of Ohio (Columbus, Ohio State University Press, 1961) and The Monocotyledoneae (Columbus, Ohio State University Press, 1967).

Braun received her education at the University of Cincinnati, earning her Ph.D. in botany in 1914. A few years earlier her sister, Annette Braun (1884–1978), had been the first woman to receive a Ph.D. at the university. Lucy continued her career there, working her way up to professor of plant ecology in 1946 before retiring in 1948 to allow more time for her research.

Braun was a pioneer in the fields of plant ecology and conservation. Her Deciduous Forests was the result of 25 years of fieldwork and 65,000 miles of travel. She was the first female president of the Ecological Society of America (1950) and was listed by the Botanical Society of America as one of 50 outstanding botanists of the United States (1956).

Scope and Contents Note

The field notebooks in this collection are a record of the work Braun did that ultimately led to her publication of  Deciduous Forests of Eastern North America. They are divided into two sets: her "Deciduous Forest Notebooks," which cover her explorations throughout the region, and her "Kentucky Notebooks." The field notebooks are full of details regarding dates and locations of Braun's excursions, the routes she took, the plants she discovered and other observations about the forests that she believed to be important. 

Also included are card files of various references, which include deciduous forest literature and plant distribution maps. Braun also compiled her notebook information into the file "Forest Composition,” which gives the percentage composition of the tree species in the areas she studied.

Administrative Information

This finding aid was created by Nancy Janda and placed online by J. Dustin Williams in 2017.

Digital Materials Available

This collection was digitized by G. Boardman in 2013–2014.

Contents

Box 1 - Kentucky notebooks and related items

1931–1955


Index to Kentucky Notebooks, 3×5 cards  

1931–1944

view online

1) Kentucky and Virginia trip; Clements trip 

27 August–31 October 1931

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2) Lewis Co., Carter Co.; Elliot; Carter Co.; Kinniconick 

4 August 1931–16 October 1932

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3) Black Mt., Pikeville, Pine Mt., Menifee Co.

22–25 May 1932

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4) Summer I: McCreary Co., and Black Mountain

20 June–7 July 1932

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5) Summer II: Pine Mt., Collier's Creek, Gap Branch

1–9 July 1932

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6) Summer III: Virginia and West Virginia 

10–20 July 1932

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7) Stearns

6–9 April 1933

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8) Rockcastle River; Colliers Co.; Pine Mountain  

8–22 June 1932

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9) Line Fork and Perry Co. 

13–20 June 1933

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10) Joe Day Branch, Bad Branch, Cave Branch; High Rock

23 June–4 July 1933

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11) Hyden–Hindman, Red Bird River

30 June–10 July 1933

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12) Great Smokies and en route; Berea–Manchester– London–Corbin–Cumberland Falls; index to 1933 notebooks  

13 July–16 October 1933

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13) McCreary Co.  

1 April–7 September 1934

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14) Black Mountain etc.; Pine Mountain, Partridge 

3 May–11 September 1934

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15) Lewis Co., Gallipolis, Haverhill OH; Oldenburg IN; Crittenden  

27 May 1933–10 November 1934

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16) Campbell Co., Maysville, etc.   

18 November–2 December 1934

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17) Partridge, Joe Day Branch

2–6 May 1935

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18) Stearns, Monticello, en route to Middlesboro, Pine Mountain State Park 

13–22 June 1935

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19) Bell Co., Big Log Mountain, Pine Mountain 

23–26 June 1935

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20) Middlesboro–Black Mountain summit

28 June–9 July 1935

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21) Clover Fork; Leatherwood, Lynn Fork, Whitesburg 

10–13 July 1935

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22) Breaks of Sandy, West Virginia and en route to Kentucky; Franklin Co.; Lewis Co. 

15 July 1935–14 April 1936

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23) Flemming, Rowan, Carter Cos.; Lewis, Greenup Cos., Ashland, Carter, Elliot Cos. 

17 April–1 May 1936

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24) Warsaw, Ghent, Sanders etc.; London, Cumberland Falls; Society of American Foresters Trip, Laurel Co. 

1 June–27 September 1936

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25) Flemming Co.; Blue Lick; Brooklyn Bridge, Jessamine Co.; Rowan Co.

8 November 1936–23 May 1937

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26) Trip to Mullins 

7–11 May 1937

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27) Mammoth Cave, Elkton, Turkey Run 

13–18 June 1937

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28) Middlesboro, Henderson 

6–11 July 1937

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29) Pine Mountain USRA, Mullins, Joe Day Ridge 

12–19 July 1937

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30) Black Mountain 

19–22 July 1937

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31) Partridge–Hazard, Hyden, Big Creak, Cumberland Falls; Louisville; Oldham Co., Rowan Co. 

23 July–3 October 1937

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32) Carter Co., Flemingsburg; DeCoursey Pike; Rowan Co.; Fleming Co. 

16 October 1937–7 May 1938

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33) Rowan and Elliot Cos.; Ashland, Greenup Co., Carter

4–24 April 1938

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34) Fleming Co.; Morehead, Carter Co.; Mammoth Cave 

4 June–6 July 1938

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35) Boone Co.; Pike Co., Mt. Sterling; Flemingsburg, Red River, Glen Eden, Irvine

7 September–9 October 1938

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36) Warsaw, Carrolton etc.; Lewis Co., Trimble Co., Franklin Co., Bower’s Loop and Buck Bridge  

24 October 1938–28 April 1939

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37) Log Mountain, Corbin, Morehead etc., Rowan and Carter Co.; Trimble Co.; Cumberland Falls and Casey Co. 

8 May–8 September 1939

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38) Blue Lick; Red River Valley; Henry, Franklin, Gallatin Cos., Pulaski Co., Monticello 

22 September 1939–16 April 1940

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39) Mammoth Cave; Mt. Sterling, Menifee Co.

17 April–5 May 1940

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40) Bardstown, Glasgow, Metcalfe Co., Danville, Nicholasville 

18–22 May 1940

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41) En route to Cumberland Mountain; Wayne Co., Rockcastle Co.; Carrollton and Georgetown; Hart Co., Bardstown, Louisville; Critts and Kenton Co., Fleming Co., Oldham Co. 

19 June–27 September 1940

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42) Barrens, Mammoth Cave, etc. 

3–6 September 1940

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43) Barrens, Mammoth Cave, etc.  

7–12 September 1940

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44) Chaney Trip: TN, NC, VA 

19 October 1940–19 April 1941

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45) Local and Louisville, Mammoth Cave, Campbell Co., Taylor Co. 

26 April–4 May 1941

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46) Morehead, Local, and Mammoth Cave  

9 May–21 August 1941

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47) Mammoth Cave, Crossville Tennessee, Stearns  

2–28 August 1941

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48) Stearns; Red River, Rowan and Carter Cos.  

29 August–19 October 1941

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49) Lewis Co.; Jefferson Co., Lewis Co., Owen Co., etc.  

2 November 1941–29 June 1942

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50) Kenton; Lewis Co.; Red River, Morehead, Triflett Co.  

19 September 1942–20 October 1943

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51) Madison Co., London, Monticello  

23–27 April 1944

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52) Mammoth Cave  

3-8 May 1944

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Unlabeled notes  

undated and 1937–May 1955

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Unlabeled notes: Paris, Georgetown, etc. composition & location

undated

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Unlabeled notes: Livingston, McKee, Pine Mt. composition & location

undated

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Additional notes for notebook 24 and other (Licking River), includes composition & location 

25 June 1936, undated

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Additional notes for notebook 22, 23, 25, 27, 36; location notes and sketches, composition, costs 

1 July 1932–2 May 1937, undated

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Box 1 - Deciduous Forest Notebooks and notes

1919–1946


1) Great Smokies 

1927

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2) Virginia and West Virginia  (per Braun 3x5 card index [item below], this is Kentucky notebook 6 - link above)

10–20 July 1932

3) Missouri and Arkansas

6–15 July 1938

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4) Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina through Wilmington 

15–27 July 1938

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5) Great Smokies 

20–22 July 1938

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6) North Carolina and Virginia 

28 July–2 August 1938

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7) Pennsylvania and New York 

3–7 August 1938

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8) West Virginia  

17–24 September 1938

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9) West Virginia; Tennessee and North Carolina 

24 September 1938–7 May 1939

view online

Deciduous Forest Notes (loose pages), en route, to & from S.W.

18 June 1939–2 August 1939

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10) North Carolina and Virginia 

15–17 April 1941

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11) Ohio and Indiana, various trips to: Hueston’s Woods; Easter Run; Clifty Falls; Spring Mill; Marble Furnace 

12 September 1937–27 April 1948

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12) Michigan 

15–28 July 1942

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13) Michigan (II) 

31 July–3 August 1942

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14) Cincinnati, Bluffton, Berkey Woods, Oshtemo, Warren's Woods, Kalamazoo, Cadillac, Hartwich Pines

8–12 July 1943

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15) Grayling, Hulbert, Tahquamenon, Munising  

13–19 July 1943

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16) Miner’s Falls, Munising, Huron Mountain, Trout Lake, Mt. Lake, Conway Bay, Rush Lake

20–24 July 1943

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17) Huron Mountains: Conway Bay, Fisher Creek; Marquette, L’Anse 

25–30 July 1943

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18) L’Anse, Copper Harbor, Ontonagon, Black River, Presque Isle 

31 July–7 August 1943

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19) Ironwood, Gillen’s, Woodruff, Flambeau

8–11 August 1943

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20) St. Croix Falls, Red Wing, Winona, Madison

12–14 August 1943

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21) Morton Arboretum, Harm’s Woods, Bellville 

16–19 August 1943

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22) Cincinnati, Lisbon, Cooksburg, Cook Forest  

18–22 September 1943

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23) Cook Forest, Tionesta, Kane, Heart’s Content, Kinsman 

23–26 September 1943

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24) Kinsman, Chagrin Reservation, Wooster, Hocking Valley, Lancaster, Washington CH, Leesburg, Cincinnati 

27–30 September 1943

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25) New York, Pennsylvania, New England 

20 March–1 April 1944

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26) Versailles, Ault Peak IN; Tennessee

16 April 1943–3 May 1944

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27) Northern Pennsylvania, Wellsboro 

11–15 August 1945

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28) Ricketts Glen, State College, Black Moshannon

15–21 August 1945

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29) Westminster, Piedmont, Culpepper, Lexington 

22–28 August 1945

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30) Hartselle, New Orleans 

17–24 April 1946

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31) New Orleans, Baton Rouge 

18–22 April 1946

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32) Cincinnati, Syracuse, Wanakena 

10–15 June 1946

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33) Adirondacks, Wanakena, Blue Mountain, Ticonderoga 

16–20 June 1946

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34) Adirondacks, Lower Lake Placid; Green Mountains VT, White Mountains NH, Conway ME

21–30 June 1946

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35) Cambridge, Catskills, Carlisle, Lancaster OH

1–7 July 1946

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36) Miscellaneous and local, Carter Caves; Clack Mountain; Harrison 

5 June 1945–5 May 1946

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37) PA, NJ, MD, OH, DC

15–25 June 1948

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Notes for Ecological Report: A.F.B. Washington to Philadelphia

October 1945

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Cabin Run - loose sheet of location and composition notes

29 April 1934

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Colorado - location and composition notes

26 July–29 August 1919

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Hand-drawn map - area south of State College and Potter's Mills, PA

undated

view online

Mileage - loose sheets

1932–1946

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Pollen analysis - references and notes - 3x5 cards

1910–1939

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TN & KY - loose pages of location and composition notes

2–5 May 1947

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MN - loose sheets of location and composition notes

14 April 1952–12 April 1953

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3x5 cards - D.F. notebook index, travel & various notes

October 1948, undated

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loose sheet - composition notes

Undated

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OHFL trip - loose sheets of location and composition notes

19–26 June 1940

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WV, VA, KY, AR, IN, NC, NY - loose sheets of location and composition notes

Undated

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Ruidoso Canyon, NM - loose sheets of location and composition notes (may belong with "West", below)

1936 (1939?)

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Deciduous forest - loose sheet of general information and composition notes

Undated

view online

Ohio Acad. - loose sheet of composition notes

Undated

view online

West - trip notes, finances, log, location and composition notes

1934–1936 (1939?)

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Box 1 - Kentucky Material: References [the following categories are names of dividing tabs in the card file]

various dates


References - KY

U.C. Kentucky specimens

Miscellaneous

Books

Floristics

Pennell Scrophulariaceae

Kearney

Phlox-Wherry

Garman

University of Kentucky

Kentucky Exp. Sta.

Carex - from Mackenzie, N.A. Flora. vol. 18.

Hitchcock - Manual of Grasses of the U.S.

1947 Not Ident.

1947

In U. C. Herb.

Literature to cite

Distribution: Misc. sources, KY.

Heuchera

Seen in Gray Herbarium

Rhodora

Maps

Additional Data 


Miscellaneous - no spm. records or notes to use 

Box 2 - Forest Composition cards

1904–1955(?)


11 linear inches of 3×5 cards - information transfered from notebooks in Box 1 to create a reference file


Box 2 - Deciduous Forest Lit. / Areas

various dates

11 linear inches of 3×5 cards - literature references; notes on many locations


Box 2 - Published Distribution Maps. / Misc. Distribution Till Plains, etc. / Literature

8 linear inches of 3×5 cards - subject references; distribution map references and map cards, filed by species and by area 

various dates

Box 2 - Prairie Plants Distribution, OH, IN, KY, MO


7 linear inches of 3×5 distribution map cards including unused cards, a few hand-drawn maps

undated