Fermen Layton Pickett Papers, circa 1912-1938

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Pickett, F. L. (Fermen Layton), 1881-1940.
Title
Fermen Layton Pickett Papers
Dates
circa 1912-1938 (inclusive)
Quantity
3 Linear Feet of Shelf Space, (6 boxes), (Approximately 3500 items)
Collection Number
Cage 87 (collection)
Summary
Fermen Layton Pickett (1881-1940) was a professor of botany at Washington State University from 1914 until his death. He was also a skilled photographer and one of the few in the 1920s who photographed a large number of natural features. The papers consists of Pickett's photographs and his botanical notes. Many of the photographs are of vegetation, both individual specimens and habitats. Others stress the natural features of Washington and Oregon, especially Eastern Washington. Pickett's botanical notes, consist of field and accession notebooks for his personal herbarium.
Repository
Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Terrell Library Suite 12
Pullman, WA
99164-5610
Telephone: 509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu
Access Restrictions

This collection is open and available for research use.

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Fermen Layton Pickett (1881-1940) was a professor of botany at Washington State University from 1914 until his death. He came from Indiana, his native state, shortly after receiving his Ph.D. at Indiana University. His major botanical interests were mosses and in plant physiology. He served as Chairman of the Botany Department and as Dean of the Graduate School for many years. Although his colleagues criticized him for his shortcomings as a botanist, his department educated several significant botanical scientists and sponsored many important research projects. His most important achievement may have been securing the herbarium of Wilhelm N. Suksdorf for the University (see Northwest Botanical Manuscripts: An Indexed Register, Pullman, 1976). He was also a skilled photographer and one of the few in the 1920s who photographed a large number of natural features (geological formations, vegetations, rivers, lakes, and mountains).

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The papers consists of Pickett's photographs and his botanical notes. Many of the photographs are of vegetation, both individual specimens and habitats. Others stress the natural features of Washington and Oregon, especially Eastern Washington. Sequences trace several rivers over hundreds of miles. Others record a number of lakes, coulees and mountains. Pickett's botanical notes, consist of field and accession notebooks for his personal herbarium, now among the collections of the Ownbey Herbarium at Washington State University.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Copyright restrictions may apply.

Preferred Citation

[Item Description] Fermen Layton Pickett papers, circa 1912-1938

Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The papers consists of two series: Pickett's photographs and his botanical notes. The photographs are arranged into two sub-series. The first consists of Pickett's prints, arranged in an alphabetical subject system he devised. The second consists of the copies made from the nitrate negatives, and contains some prints of photographs not included in the first sub-series; these represent materials apparently lost prior to transfer of the photographs to the Library.

Acquisition Information

The papers of Fermen L. Pickett (1881-1940), consisting of photographs and botanical notebooks, were acquired by the Washington State University Library in two installments. The first, the negatives of Pickett's photographs, came to the Library in 1960. As the negatives were of nitrate film base, a selection was made and copies of about 200 of the approximately 1200 photographs were printed prior to destruction of negatives. In 1975 the WSU Ownbey Herbarium transferred Pickett's print file, along with certain of his botanical notes. As these prints contained most of the photographs lost in the destruction of the nitrate negatives, the photograph collection was largely restored to completeness.

Processing Note

This collection was processed in July 1976 by Lawrence Stark.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series 1: PhotographsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description
Subseries 1.1: Print File
Box Folder
1 1
Almota Canyon
2 items
Animals
Box Folder
1 2
Domestic (s.a. [see also] Lakes, misc.)
10 items
1 3
Wild
39 items
1 4
Wild
55 items
Angiosperms
Box Folder
1 5
Amaryllidacae
3 items
1 6
Araceae
9 items
1 7
Araliaceae
2 items
1 8
Ascelepiadaceae
11 items
1 9
Begoniaceae
2 items
1 10
Betulaceae
3 items
1 11
Cactaceae
15 items
1 12
Campanulaceae
4 items
1 13
Capparidaceae
4 items
1 14
Caprifoliaceae
2 items
1 15
Caryophyllaceae
5 items
1 16
Chenopodiaceae
3 items
1 17
Commulinaceae
2 items
1 18
Compositeae
28 items
1 19
Compositeae
30 items
1 20
Convolvulaceae
4 items
1 21
Cornaceae
5 items
1 22
Crassulaceae
1 items
1 23
Cruciferae
12 items
1 24
Dicotyledones, misc.
12 items
1 25
Dipsaceae
5 items
1 26
Ericaceae
18 items
1 27
Euphoribiaceae
3 items
1 28
Gentainaceae
12 items
1 29
Gramineae
22 items
1 30
Hydrophyllaceae
1 items
1 31
Iridaceae
18 items
1 32
Leguminosae
41 items
1 33
Liliaceae
36 items
1 34
Liliaceae
9 items
1 35
Malvaceae
25 items
1 36
Menthaceae
25 items
1 37
Monocots, misc.
2 items
1 38
Nyctaginaceae
4 items
1 39
Nymphaceae
26 items
1 40
Oleaceae
3 items
1 41
Onagraceae
3 items
1 42
Orchidaceae
29 items
1 43
Orobanchaceae
2 items
1 44
Polemoniaceae
4 items
1 45
Polygonaceae
16 items
1 46
Portulacaceae
2 items
1 47
Primulaceae
2 items
1 48
Ranunculaceae
32 items
1 49
Rosaceae
22 items
1 50
Rosaceae
37 items
1 51
Rutaceae
3 items
1 52
Salicaceae
21 items
1 53
Sapindaceae
5 items
1 54
Sarraceniaceae
1 items
1 55
Saxifragaceae
15 items
1 56
Scrophulariaceae
38 items
1 57
Scrophulariaceae
28 items
1 58
Solonaceae
1 items
1 59
Umbellifererae
3 items
1 60
Ulmaceae
6 items
1 61
Violaceae
2 items
Box Folder
2 62
Bellingham, Washington
3 items
2 63
Birds
49 items
2 64
Blewett Pass
19 items
California
Box Folder
2 65
Pacific Ocean
2 items
2 66
Timber
14 items
Box Folder
2 67
Charts
2 items
2 68
Chinook Pass (s.a. Mt. Rainer)
36 items
2 69
Churches
2 items
2 70
Cities
12 items
2 71
Clouds (s.a. Chinook Pass, Sunrise/Sunset)
39 items
2 72
Clouds
34 items
2 73
U.S.S. Constitution
5 items
2 74
Copies of Old Drawings and Prints
40 items
2 75
Coulees and Coulee Country-Eastern Washington, near Palouse Falls
18 items
2 76
Coulees and Scab-lands, Eastern Washington
14 items
2 77
Creeks-Pataha
3 items
2 78
Crystals, Para-dischloro-benzene
50 items
2 79
DeSmet Mission, North Idaho
5 items
2 80
Dune Vegetation
21 items
2 81
Ecology (s.a. Dune Vegetation, Prairie, Erosion)
2 items
2 82
Epworth League
6 items
2 83
Epworth Institute (Twanoh Park?)
42 items
2 84
Equisetum
2 items
2 85
Erosion
4 items
2 86
Experiments
3 items
2 87
Ferns
35 items
2 88
Fish
6 items
Forest
Box Folder
2 89
Angiosperm Type
19 items
2 90
Angiosperm Type
51 items
2 91
Gymnosperm, Alpine
4 items
2 92
Gymnosperm, East of the Cascades (s.a. Gymnosperms, Grand Ronde)
14 items
2 93
Gymnosperm, Oregon (s.a. Gymnosperms, Grand Ronde)
14 items
2 94
Gymnosperms, Western Washington
28 items
Box Folder
2 95
Fort Simcoe
1 items
2 96
Frost
2 items
2 97
Fungi
23 items
2 98
Gardens, Ornamental
9 items
2 99
Geological Formations (s.a. Grand Coulee, Coulees, Snake River)
2 items
2 100
Glaciers (s.a. Mountains, Mt. Rainer, Glacier Peak)
1 items
Grand Coulee
Box Folder
2 101
General (s.a. Rivers-Columbia-Grand Coulee, Coulees)
26 items
2 102
Dry Falls
13 items
2 103
Steamboat Rock
8 items
2 104
Grand Coulee Dam
39 items
Box Folder
2 105
Grand Ronde and Neighboring Country
37 items
2 106
Grand Ronde and Neighboring Country (forests)
5 items
Gymnosperms
Box Folder
2 107
Pinaceae (s.a. Forests-Gymnosperms, Mt. Rainer, Washington-Yakima Co., Clallam Co., Jefferrson Co., Yakima River)
33 items
2 108
Pinacea (s.a. Forests)
37 items
2 109
Taxaceae
1 items
Box Folder
3 110
Historical Places (s.a. DeSmet Mission, Oregon)
31 items
3 111
Idaho, Northern (s.a. Lakes, Lewiston, Mountains-Thatuna Hills, Rivers-Clearwater)
47 items
3 112
Idaho (s.a. Forests, Ferns)
16 items
3 113
Indiana (s.a. Erosion, Ferns, Forests)
11 items
3 114
Indians
12 items
3 115
Irritability
2 items
3 116
Kansas City
7 items
Lakes
Box Folder
3 117
Alta Lake
10 items
3 118
Bonnie Lake
7 items
3 119
Crater Lake
1 items
3 120
Chelan Lake
31 items
3 121
Kahlotus Lake
16 items
3 122
Miscellaneous
48 items
3 123
Moses Lake (both modern and geologic; s.a. Douglas Co., Franklin Co.)
35 items
3 124
Rock Lake
23 items
Box Folder
3 125
Leaves
3 items
3 126
Lewiston and Highway Grade
6 items
3 127
Lumbering, destructive
1 items
3 128
Microscopes
12 items
3 129
Mississippi (s.a. Animals)
1 items
3 130
Monuments
10 items
3 131
Mosses
69 items
Mountains
Box Folder
3 132
Adams (s.a. Washington-Yakima Co.)
9 items
3 133
Baker
3 items
3 134
Glacier Peak (s.a. Washington-Snohomish Co.)
53 items
3 135
Kamiak Butte
31 items
3 136
Rainier, Misc.
10 items
3 137
Rainier, from Chinook Pass-the Peak
14 items
3 138
Rainier, from Chinook Pass-Winter
1 items
3 139
Rainier, from Chinook Pass-General
22 items
3 140
Rainier, from Yakima Park and Sunrise Lodge
12 items
3 141
Steptoe Butte
10 items
3 142
Thatuna Hills
5 items
Box Folder
3 143
Naches Valley
1 items
3 144
North Dakota
1 items
3 145
Oregon (s.a. Lakes-Crater, Forests-gymnosperm, Ferns, Forest-Angiosperm, Grand Ronde)
39 items
3 146
Palebotany
3 items
3 147
Palouse Country-Hills (s.a. Washington-Whitman County)
1 items
3 148
People-Miscellaneous
7 items
Photomicrographs
Box Folder
3 149
General
3 items
3 150
Algae
25 items
3 151
Ferns
18 items
3 152
Fungi
6 items
3 153
Leaves
42 items
3 154
Misc.
5 items
3 155
Mitosis
1 items
3 156
Mosses
1 items
3 157
Parasites
2 items
3 158
Roots
16 items
3 159
Stems-dicots
32 items
3 160
Stems-gymnosperms
11 items
3 161
Stems-monocots
8 items
3 162
Stems-pteridophytes
16 items
Box Folder
3 163
Portraits
1 items
4 164
Prairies
5 items
4 165
Pullman, Washington
1 items
4 166
Reforestation
2 items
Rivers
Box Folder
4 167
General
1 items
4 168
Clearwater
26 items
4 169
Columbia, General
34 items
4 170
Columbia, Kettle Falls
4 items
4 171
Columbia, Grand Coulee
2 items
4 172
Columbia, Yakima
3 items
4 173
Columbia, Wallula
16 items
4 174
Columbia, Bingen
30 items
4 175
Columbia, Columbia River Highway
4 items
4 176
Palouse, Above Colfax
1 items
4 177
Palouse, Below Colfax
9 items
4 178
Palouse, Middle and Upper Falls
9 items
4 179
Palouse, Big Falls
18 items
4 180
Palouse, Below Big Falls
5 items
4 181
Snake, Above Lewiston
66 items
4 182
Snake, Below Lewiston
14 items
4 183
Snake, Granite Point Area
27 items
4 184
Snake, Geological Formations
12 items
4 185
Snake, Near Highway with Bridge
6 items
4 186
Snake, Near Mouth
15 items
4 187
Yakima
items
Box Folder
4 188
Seedlings
22 items
4 189
Seeds
3 items
4 190
Snow
66 items
State College of Washington
Box Folder
4 191
Botanical Staff
8 items
4 192
Buildings
19 items
4 193
Campus Views
14 items
4 194
Class Activities
15 items
4 195
Silver Lake
3 items
Box Folder
4 196
Stems, Modified
23 items
4 197
South Dakota
16 items
4 198
Sunrise/Sunset (s.a. Clouds)
3 items
4 199
Teratology, angiosperms
53 items
4 200
Trees
20 items
4 201
Vegetative Propagation
2 items
Washington
Box Folder
4 202
Eastern-Misc.
8 items
4 203
Asotin County
1 items
4 204
Clallam County (s.a. Monuments)
16 items
4 205
Columbia County (s.a. Creeks, Forests-gymnosperm)
6 items
4 206
Douglas County (s.a. Moses Lake, Grand Coulee, Coulees)
7 items
4 207
Ferry County (s.a. Forest-angiosperm, Lakes)
14 items
4 208
Franklin County (s.a. Dune vegetation)
1 items
4 209
Garfield County
1 items
4 210
Grant County
1 items
4 211
King County (s.a. Erosion)
1 items
4 212
Kitsap County (s.a. Ferns, Forest-angiosperm)
4 items
4 213
Kittitas County
1 items
4 214
Klickitat County (s.a. Dune vegetation, Ferns, Gardens)
2 items
4 215
Pend Oreille County (s.a. Forest-angiosperm, Forest-gymnosperm)
1 items
4 216
Skagit County
2 items
4 217
Snohomish County (s.a. Forest-alpine, Forest-gymnosperm, Mountains-Glacier Peak)
16 items
4 218
Spokane County
3 items
4 219
Stevens County
9 items
4 220
Walla Walla County (s.a. Dune vegetation, Forest-angiosperm, Monuments)
10 items
4 221
Whitman County, Water ways
13 items
4 222
Whitman County, Palouse Hills
20 items
4 223
Whitman County, Breaks of the Snake
4 items
4 224
Yakima County (s.a. Forest-angiosperm, Fort Simcoe, Gardens, Mountains-Adams, Naches Valley)
5 items
Box Folder
4 225
Waves
8 items
4 226
Weeds
8 items
4 227
Winter
4 items
4 228
Yakima Park
2 items
4 229
Young Men's Christian Association
2 items
4 230
Zea
1 items
4 231
Strays and Unidentified
8 items
Subseries 1.2: Selections from the negatives, stressing photographs of the campus of Washington State University
approx. 200 items
Box Folder
5 232
WSU: new women's dormitory, 1937 May
5 233
Pullman: elevator fire, 1921
5 234
WSU: President's mansion, 1921
5 235
WSU: campus through Maiden Lane arch, 1921 April
5 236
WSU: YMCA, 1921
5 237
Pullman: concrete bridge, 1921
5 238
WSU: women's gymnasium under construction, 1937 May
5 239
WSU: Silver Lake, 1915-1916
5 240
WSU: Stimson Hall, 1935 May
5 241
Barker family, 1915
5 242
WSU: new science building, 1935 May
5 243
WSU: icicles on old gymnasium, 1929 January
5 244
WSU-Oregon football game, 1921
5 245
WSU: "West along the walk from Wilson Hall," 1927 December
5 246
WSU: McCroskey Hall, Music Hall, Morrill Hall; 1923
5 247
WSU: Science Hall from Ferry Hall, 1927
5 248
Harvesting, 1921 August
5 249
WSU: "Looking across the Lake," 1923 December
5 250
WSU: The Path and "The Rustic Bridge," 1923
5 251
WSU: "The Pond," 1923 June
5 252
WSU: gymnasium, 1921
5 253
WSU: "Athletics" (high school track and field), 1915
5 254
WSU: Community Hall, 1922 January
5 255
WSU: new science building, 1936
5 256
Pullman: "Birches," 1923 December
5 257
Pasco-Kennewick bridge, 1922 August
5 258
WSU: McCroskey Hall, 1922 January
5 259
WSU from the southwest, 1923
5 260
WSU: "The Bell," 1917
5 261
WSU: Plant History laboratory scene, 1921
5 262
WSU: new men's dormitory, 1923 June
5 263
View of Pullman from WSU, 1923
5 264
WSU: Mechanical Arts building, 1924
5 265
Unidentified Washington landscapes, undated
5 266
Miscellaneous unidentified WSU photographs: laboratory, athletics, WSU buildings and surroundings, male student in military uniform; undated
5 267
WSU delegation to Seabeck, 1918
5 268
WSU: Maiden Lane arch, undated
5 269
Pullman views, 1933 January
5 270
Views of WSU, undated
5 271
WSU: Campus Day, 1917 May 10
5 272
WSU: cyclone damage, 1925
5 273
WSU: E.O. Holland's Armistice Day speech, 1920 November 11
WSU: "Trees," undated
5 274
WSU: Bryan Hall, 1921 and 1923
5 275
WSU: "Live Question Class," 1917 and 1921
5 276
WSU: buildings, 1939. Includes women's gymnasium, Van Doren Hall, men's gymnasium, Ferry Hall, Administration Building, new dormitory, Old Science
5 277
WSU-Idaho football game, 1921 October 22
5 278
Pullman: M. E. (Methodist) Church, 1924 January
5 279
WSU: "Open House Demonstration: 'Flesh-Eating Horse,'" 1930
5 280
Juliaetta Grade: view of Potlatch Creek Valley, 1933
5 281
Rosalia: harvesting, 1921
5 282
WSU: ROTC inspection, 1918
5 0
WSU: Taxonomy class (students doing fieldwork near campus), undated

Series 2: Botanical NotesReturn to Top

Container(s) Description
Box Folder
6 283
Moss descriptions
approx. 50 items
6 284
Moss accessions, specimen numbers 1-855, notebook
1 items
6 285
Moss accessions, specimen numbers 1-164, notebook
1 items
6 286
Moss accessions, specimen numbers 165-405, notebook
approx. 140 items
6 287
Lichen accessions, specimen numbers 1-114, notebook
1 items
6 288
Vascular Plants, specimen numbers 1-1100, notebook
1 items
6 289
Vascular Plants, specimen numbers 1100-1699, notebook
1 items
6 290
Moss and Lichen Lists, notecards and loose papers, Includes some correspondence which includes lists
approx. 65 items
7
Moss notecards
approx. 500+ items

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Angiosperms -- Photographs.
  • Botanists ǂz Washington (State) -- Archives.
  • Botany -- Research -- Archives.
  • Gymnosperms -- Photographs.

Corporate Names

  • Washington State University -- Buildings -- Photographs.
  • Washington State University -- Faculty -- Archives.

Family Names

  • Pickett, F. L. (Fermen Layton), 1881-1940 -- Archives

Geographical Names

  • Grand Coulee Dam (Wash.) -- Photographs.
  • Inland Empire (Pacific Northwest) -- Photographs.
  • Washington (State), Eastern -- Photographs.