Lois Crisler papers, 1940-1973

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Crisler, Lois
Title
Lois Crisler papers
Dates
1940-1973 (inclusive)
Quantity
3.09 cubic feet (12 boxes plus 3 items)
Collection Number
2060
Summary
Papers of a naturalist and author who wrote about the wildlife in the Olympic mountains and the Arctic
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

Open to all users.

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Lois Eula Brown Crisler, born in Hillyard, Washington on August 8, 1896, and raised in Spokane. She became an English teacher and taught at the University of Washington. She met Herbert B. Crisler and they were married on December 7, 1941. The Crislers made their home in the Olympic Mountains, and during World War II, they volunteered to occupy the Hurricane Hill lookout to watch for enemy aircraft. In June 1949, Lois began writing a weekly column for the Port Angeles Evening News, titled Olympic Trail Talk, which ran through the spring of 1951. Her column detailed life in the mountains, her observations on wildlife, the history of the Olympic Peninsula, and the Crislers' lecture tours, which resulted from Herb's filming of wildlife. Herb Crisler became associated with the Disney Studios in 1950 to film the elk herds of the Olympic Mountains; in 1951, the Disney Studios sent the Crislers to Colorado to film bighorn sheep and in the fall of 1952, they continued on to Denali National Park in Alaska to film grizzly and brown bears. The Crislers moved on to the Brooks Range within the Arctic Circle in April 1953 for 18 months, where Herb filmed the caribou and Lois kept journals of her observations of the wildlife and her surroundings. These observation resulted in her book, Arctic Wild (1958). In 1962, Lois received a one year Guggenheim Fellowship to study the wilderness behavior of certain North American mammals. The Crislers relocated to the Tarryall Mountains near Lake George, Colorado, where they continued to care for the wolves they had raised. Lois' book Captive Wild (1968) relates the story of her relationship with the wolves. The strain of protecting the wolves took a toll on their marriage, and the couple subsequently divorced. Lois died in Seattle, King County, Washington on June 3, 1971.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Correspondence, writings, list, clippings, snapshot negatives, photographs, literary manuscripts, notes, budgets, and a scrapbook.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Organized into 4 accessions:

  • Accession No. 2060-001, Lois Crisler papers, 1941-1958
  • Accession No. 2060-002, Lois Crisler papers, circa 1955-1961
  • Accession No. 2060-003, Lois Crisler papers, 1940-1973
  • Accession No. 2060-004, Lois Crisler papers, 1948-1972

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Accession No. 2060-001: Lois Crisler papers, 1941-1958Return to Top

2.67 cubic feet (10 boxes)

Scope and Content: Correspondence, literary manuscripts, notes, clippings of published articles, photographs.

Works about the Olympic Mountains in Washington and the Arctic.

Articles include nos. 1, 2, 5-9, 11, 13-26, 28-50, 52-68, 70-80, 82-100.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: Estate of Lois Crisler, 12/2/1971.

Container(s) Description Dates
Series 1: Letters
Box/Folder Accession
1/1 2060-001
Incoming Letters
2 letters
1952-1956
1/2-26 2060-001
Outgoing Letters
approximately 130 letters
1942-1957
Series 2: Literary Manuscripts
Box/Folder Accession
2/1 2060-001
Arctic Wild
344 pages
2/2 2060-001
Living with the Wilderness, Break-up on the Yukon
2 items
2/3 2060-001
From Break-up on the Yukon, fragment
1 item
2/4 2060-001
Notes on wolves
1 item
2/5 2060-001
Observations of Wolves Hunting Caribou, published article
1 item
2/6 2060-001
The Web of the Wilderness
1 item
2/7 2060-001
The Break-up on the Yukon, printed article
1 item
2/8-12 2060-001
The Ways of the Taklat Grizzly
2/13 2060-001
Unarmed Hunters
1 item
Series 3: Literary Manuscripts, Notes
Box/Folder Accession
3/1-11 2060-001
Literary Manuscript - Bighorn Sheep
3/12-15 2060-001
Miscellaneous Notes
3/16-20 2060-001
Notes - Olympic Peninsula
3/21-24 2060-001
Notes - Olympic Elk
3/25 2060-001
Notes, Miscellaneous
3/26 2060-001
Logbook of First Trips
1 item
1941
3/27 2060-001
Financial records
2 items
1954, 1961
Series 4: Clippings
Box/Folder Accession
4/1-3 2060-001
Olympic Trail Talks
approximately 100 items
4/4 2060-001
Xerox copies of Guggenheim Grant
1 item
4/5-9 2060-001
Duplicates of Olympic Trail Talks
approximately 80 items
4/10 2060-001
Alaska Series
6 items
4/11 2060-001
Bighorn Series
35 items
4/12 2060-001
Articles by Lois Crisler
approximately 20 items
4/13 2060-001
Articles by E. A. Kitchin
approximately 25 items
4/14-15 2060-001
Miscellaneous Clippings
approximately 20 items
4/16 2060-001
German Clippings
2 items
Series 5: Photographs
Box Accession
5-6 2060-001
Wolves (Colorado)
approximately 400 prints and negatives
7 2060-001
Alaska
approximately 100 prints
8 2060-001
Olympics Mountains
approximately 150 prints and negatives
9 2060-001
Bighorn Sheep
approximately 150 prints
10 2060-001
Portraits of Lois and Herb Crisler
approximately 100 prints

Accession No. 2060-002: Lois Crisler papers, circa 1955-1961Return to Top

3 items

Scope and Content: Letters, 1955, 1958; budget, ca. 1961 (xerox copies).

Originals are in Western History Center, Denver Public Library. Annotations added by donor, 1970s and 1980s.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: Donated by Ruby El Hult McAndrew, ½4/1986.

Accession No. 2060-003: Lois Crisler papers, 1940-1973Return to Top

.28 cubic foot (1 box)

Scope and Content: Correspondence, writings, list, clippings, snapshot negatives.

List is of dates her travel columns appeared in "Port Angeles Evening News." Folder of stories and poems are from Irving Petite, a former student of Lois Crisler.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: Donated by Ruby El Hult, 12/11/1986.

Accession No. 2060-004: Lois Crisler papers, 1948-1972Return to Top

.14 cubic foot (1 box)

Scope and Content: Scrapbook 1948-49, 1957; biographical clipping 1972; outgoing letters 1948-57, undated; photograph undated

The scrapbook is mostly clippings of Lois Crisler's writings which were published in newspapers. Outgoing letters are from Lois Crisler to members of the Jorden Family in New Hampshire.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: Received 10/29/1990.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Animal behavior--History--Sources
  • Naturalists--Washington (State)--Archives
  • Naturalists--Washington (State)--Olympic National Park
  • Nature writers--Washington (State)--Archives
  • Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)
  • Wolves--Behavior--History--Sources

Personal Names

  • Crisler, Herb--Sources
  • Crisler, Lois--Archives

Geographical Names

  • Olympic National Park (Wash.)

Other Creators

  • Personal Names
    • Hult, Ruby El, 1912-2008
    • Petite, Irving, 1920-