Birds of Mexico

NTDMG233.xml Earl Junior Larrison papers Larrison (Earl Junior) papers Finding aid prepared by Judith Nielsen; modified by Megan Wood and Sara Szobody (2024). Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. University of Idaho Library, Special Collections and Archives 1990

libspec@uidaho.edu

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-04-29. Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard), 2nd Edition. University of Idaho Library, Special Collections and Archives Earl Junior Larrison papers Earl Junior Larrison, 1919-1987 MG 233 MG233 10 cubic feet 1915-1987 Journals, notebooks, research material, and typescripts of books and articles reflecting Larrison's zoological activities; his collecting of literary materials, particularly those relating to Sir Walter Scott; family papers, including photographs which belonged to his mother; and photographs, slides, and motion picture films of birds, animals, and wildlfowers. English

Earl Junior Larrison was born in Mabton, Washington on Mother's Day, May 11, 1919. He was the son of banker Earl and Anna Marie (Kuble) Larrison. During his public school years in Seattle he was active in scouting, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout, and as a result he developed a keen interest in natural science and the outdoors. Following his graduation from Lincoln High School in 1936 he attended the University of Washington, earning a bachelor's degree, cum laude, in 1941. During the early years of World War II he was employed at Boeing as a chemist, and then returned to the University of Washington where he earned a master's degree in zoology in 1946. His thesis was on the chipmunks of the central Cascade Mountains of Washington. In 1946 he accepted a fellowship in the Laboratory of Vertebrate Biology at the University of Michigan to work under Dr. Lee R. Dice. He continued work toward a doctorate in zoology at the university until February 1949 when he accepted a position at the University of Idaho.

An animal researcher and author, Larrison taught biology, zoology, mammalogy, and ornithology at the university for over 30 years. During his tenure at the school he established the skeletal and pelt museum and the Audubon Room for bird studies at his own expense. He developed the Animal Research Library, with over 12,000 volumes, including many original prints. He was also instrumental in establishing the Idaho Academy of Science. He was the first person to catalog the animals and plants of the Owyhee Mountains near Boise, a project he undertook from 1949 to 1950.

In addition to his writing and research he was a professional photographer, with a vast collection of movies, prints, and slides of his natural science research. He was frequently a visiting science teacher in public schools in Idaho and Washington as well as a recurring speaker at student and civic groups in the Palouse region.

He was an accomplished organist and was proficient in German, French, and Latin. He wrote poetry and short stories and became an authority on Sir Walter Scott. His interest in Scott developed when a friend loaned him a life of Scott to read during a summer spent at the forest lookout on Mount Pilchuck, near Everett, Washington. By 1962, when he donated his collection to the University of Idaho Library, he had accumulated more than 500 volumes by and about the author.

He was editor of the University Press of Idaho from 1982 to 1984. Following his retirement from the university in 1984 he moved to his cabin near Newport, Washington, where he died of a heart attack on October 21, 1987.

The papers of Earl J. Larrison span the years 1915 to 1985, although family papers in his possession which are included in this collection date to the 1880s. Included are typescripts of several books and articles, journals, notebooks and other research materials reflecting to his zoological activities. Also included are literary materials, particularly those relating to Sir Walter Scott, family papers, including photographs, which belonged to his mother, and other photographs, slides, and movie film which reflect his interest in birds and animals.

The papers of Earl J. Larrison were in no discernible order when received. Therefore a series order was imposed during processing.

The first series reflects Larrison's zoological interests and includes typescripts of several of his books which had earlier been donated to Special Collections plus typescripts of other books articles, notes from several field trips, and correspondence, much of it with Harry W. Higman with whom he wrote a book on the animals of Mount Pilchuck in the Washington Cascades.

The second series concerns Larrison's interest in the writer Sir Walter Scott and contains copies of student papers on Scott from a variety of colleges and universities, and articles about his collection of Scott's books. There are also programs and cassette tapes of a Scott Colloquium held at the University of Florida in 1979, and a chronological bibliography of Scott's works.

The third series comprises personal and family papers. Included are Larrison's baby book, his diplomas and certificates, clippings about him, his appointment books, and items relating to his parents and other relatives.

The final series contains a large collection of photographs, slides and movie film. There are many unidentified photographs which belonged to Larrison's mother Marie Kuble. Some are of her friends, others of the Kuble and Miller families. Later pictures in this group show Earl as a small child. Some of these are taken by professional photographers, others are snapshots. These have not been arranged in any way. Some of the snapshots Larrison had copied so they exist in three forms, original photograph, copy negative, and copy print, each type is located in a separate folder. There are also some old picture postcards, probably purchased on a family vacation along the Columbia River Highway in Oregon. The remaining photographs were taken by Larrison in connection with his research. Some envelopes containing prints and negatives were numbered; the prints were placed in archival envelopes and identified by the roll number, the negatives were placed in archival negative storage pages and also identified by roll number. There is a photo log in the collection but it does not cover the majority of these numbered rolls. The remaining prints were identified by broad subject, e.g. habitats/life zones, birds, mammals. Prints and negatives which were together were kept together in folders, other negatives were placed at the end of the subject file, no attempt being made to match them with prints.

The slides which were originally in metal slide storage cases were placed in archival slide storage pages. Larrison's identifications were retained throughout. Included are pictures of Larrison's trip to Nairobi, Kenya, visits to various museums, many scenes of Idaho, and illustrative plates from books. Some of the slides are commercially produced.

Where more than two typescripts, including galley proofs, for a single book existed only the earliest and latest were retained. Duplicate photographs, when easily identified, were discarded. This, coupled with the removing of slides from their original storage cases, reduced the bulk of this collection by 1.5 cubic feet.

The papers of Earl J. Larrison were donated to the University of Idaho Library between August 1988 and March 1990 by Don Johnson, who sorted them following Larrison's death. Other typescripts were transferred from previous holdings in the Special Collections Department. These materials were then combined. Brian and Don Johnson donated an additional scrapbook in March of 2015. It was passed along to Dean Lynn Baird.

Collection is open for research.

Photographer, "Title," date. Collection name, object ID. University of Idaho Library Special Collections and Archives, Moscow, ID.

Author, Description or "Title" of item, date. Collection name, collection number, box, folder. University of Idaho Library Special Collections and Archives, Moscow, ID.

Some of the materials in this collection were digitzed and added to the digital Idaho Forestry Research Collection.

Larrison, Earl Junior, 1919- --Archives. Scott, Walter, Sir, 1771-1832 Zoologists--Idaho--Moscow--Records and correspondence Idaho Science Literature Earl Junior Larrison (1919-1987) was animal researcher and professor of biology, University of Idaho, 1946-1982, and editor of the University of Idaho Press, 1982-1984. Zoology Material I 1915-1985 "Field guide to the birds of Washington," by Earl J. Larrison and Edward N. Francq. First preliminary draft 1 item 1962 1/1-2 "Field guide to the birds of Washington state." Final typescript, bound 1 item 1962 1/3 Field guide to the birds of Washington state, revision questionnaire 1 item undated 1/4 "Guide to Idaho birds," by Earl J. Larrison, Jerry L. Tucker, and Malcolm T. Jollie. Typescript, bound 1 item 1967 1/5 "Guide to Idaho Mammals," by Earl J. Larrison. Typescript, bound 1 item 1967 1/6 "Owyhee: the life of a northern desert," by Earl J. Larrison. Typescript, bound 1 item 1957 1/7 "Washington birds," first handwritten draft 1 item undated 1/8 "Washington birds; their location and identification" by Earl J. Larrison and Klaus G. Sonnenberg. Final typescript, bound 1 item 1968 1/9 "Washington birds," page dummy 1 item 1968 1/10-11 "Washington mammals; their habitats, identification, and distribution," by Earl J. Larrison. First typewritten draft 1 item 1970 2/12 "Washington mammals...," Page dummy 1 item 1970 2/13 "The shadow of the hills," by Harry W. Higman and Earl J. Larrison. Carbon typescript 1 item undated 2/14-15 "An ecological and taxonomic survey of the chipmunks (genus Eutamias) occurring in a transect through the central Cascade Mountains of Washington," by Earl J. Larrison. A thesis submitted for the degree Master of Science, University of Washington 1 item 1946 2/16-17 Correspondence concerning chipmunk thesis 7 items 1943-1944 2/18 Chipmunk variation papers 10 items undated 2/19 "Mount Pilchuck, the life of a mountain," by Earl J. Larrison and Harry W. Higman. Carbon typescript 1 item ca. 1949 2/20 Mount Pilchuck journal 1 item 1943 2/21 Mount Pilchuck book, notes 37 items 1947-1948 2/22 Mount Pilchuck book, correspondence, etc. 44 items 1949-1950 2/23 Coypu study 26 items 1942 2/24 Field guide to birds of the Seattle area, incomplete typescript 1 item undated 2/25 Green Lake waterfowl study, field notes and typescript article 3 items 1943-1944 2/26 James Hepburn research notes, including typed copies of James Hepburn's ornithological notebooks 19 items 1932-1947 2/27-28 Mountain animals of the Pacific Northwest, notes and outlines 24 items 1984-1985 2/29 "Vegetation as a factor influencing the distribution of the native land mammals of Washington," carbon typescript of article, and notes 13 items 1946 2/30 Reprints of articles by Earl J. Larrison 4 items 1940-1947 2/31 Correspondence 173 items 1945-1985 2/32 Correspondence, postcards 10 items 1915-1969 2/33 Correspondence with Michael Corry 3 items 1969 2/34 American Society of Mammalogists, annual meeting program 3 items 1948 2/35 Articles not by Larrison 10 items 1936-1946 2/36 Articles by Joseph Wood Krutch 2 items 1963 2/37 Bird watching Records 3 items 1939-1970 2/38 Field notes, Gold Basin 8 items 1946 2/39 Field notes, Hanson Lake 6 items 1946 2/40 Safari Journal 1 item 1975 2/41 Literary Material II 1951-1979 Scott papers 25 items undated 3/42-44 Articles about Larrison's Scott collection 11 items 1962 3/45 Articles about Sir Walter Scott 19 items 1960-1971 3/46 Bibliography of Sir Walter Scott 1 item undated 3/47 Sir Walter Scott Colloquium, University of Florida, program and tapes 11 items 1979 3/48-49 Notes on Thoreau 7 items 1951-1966 3/50 Personal and Family Papers III 1883-1987 Earl Junior Larrison. Baby book 1 item 1919 3/51 Certificates and diplomas 8 items 1936-1984 3/52 Clippings about Earl Larrison 10 items 1949-1981 3/53 Correspondence 2 items 1927 3/54 Larrison family book 1 item 1983 3/55 Library Associates Keepsakes 2 items 1971-1973 3/56 Appointment diaries 7 items 1960-1987 3/57-63 Memorial book for Earl Larrison, Sr. 1 item 1976 3/64 Marie Kuble's game book 1 item 1913 4/65 Other personal and family papers 45 items 1883-1949 4/66 Photographs and Slides IV ca. 1880-1987 Photographs A ca. 1880-1980 Copies of family photographs 269 items undated 4/67 Old family photographs 565 items ca. 1880-ca. 1940 4/68-73 Marie Kuble's photograph albums 2 items 1909-1913 4/74-75 Negatives for family photographs 400 items ca. 1880-ca. 1940 4/76 Picture postcards, mostly of the Columbia River Highway, Oregon 67 items undated 4/77 Photo log 1 item undated 4/78 Numbered rolls, 20-45 420 items 4/79-80 Numbered rolls, negatives 17 items undated 4/81 Birds 234 items undated 5/82-83 Field trips and field work 171 items 1959-1968 5/84 Pend Oreille County, Washington, workshop 7 items undated 5/85 Life zones/habitats 904 items 1940-1968 5/86-92 Mammals 84 items undated 5/93 "Mammals of Idaho," illustrations; mammal skull enlargements 38 items ca. 1980 5/94 People 3 items undated 5/95 University of Idaho and the Palouse region 131 items undated 5/96 Wildflowers 64 items undated 5/97 Zoology classes and activities 50 items 1955 5/98 Other photographs 214 items 1942-1959 5/99 Drawings by Bonnie Lustig 7 items 1970 5/100 Photograph album 1 item 1958-1968 5/101 Photographs of Earl Larrison and other personal photos 70 items 1952-1976 5/102 Slides B 1949-1987 Copies of illustrations from books (South American animals, Pheasants of the world, Primitive man) 130 items 1971 5/103 Illustrations for an unidentified article 23 items undated 5/104 Illustrations from Birds of Mexico, by Davis 56 items 1976 5/105 Alaska 100 items 1958-1965 6/106 Alaskan Animals (commercial) 35 items undated 6/107 Alta, Utah, Regional Audubon conference 80 items 1972 6/108 Animal geography - Plate tectonics (illustrations) 29 items 1974 6/109 Animal tracks in winter 56 items 1958-1964 6/110 Arizona trip 150 items 1980 6/111-112 Bird distribution graphics (illustrations) 32 items 1982 6/113 Bird photographs, Eastern Washington 20 items 1976 6/114 Birds, Aquatic 90 items 1964-1980 6/115 Bird prints (illustrations) 207 items 1973-1982 6/116-117 Chipmunk photographs 8 items undated 6/118 Columbia River Gorge 17 items 1974 6/119 Craters of the Moon area 57 items 1964-1968 6/120 Eclipse of the sun 5 items 1970 6/121 Ecology field trip, summer 35 items 1971 6/122 Glacier Park 140 items 1979 6/123 Great Britain 342 items 1978 6/124-126 Great Britain 144 items 1978 7/127 Habitats 198 items 1959-1966 7/128-129 Idaho Biotic areas 119 items undated 7/130 Idaho helicopter trip 38 items 1979 7/131 Idaho scenes 505 items 1950-1987 7/132-137 Southern Idaho scenes 375 items 1949-1952 7/138-140 Southern Idaho scenes 357 items 1958-1977 8/141-144 Juniper forest 16 items 1975 8/145 Kaslo, B.C. 40 items 1960-1963 8/146 Kootenai, Glacier Park, and the Selkirks 20 items 1961 8/147 Kootenai Pass, B.C. and bird sanctuary 53 items 1978 8/148 Lake Itasca Museum 24 items 1975 8/149 Mammal prints and drawings (illustrations) 320 items 1975 8/150-152 Mammals 63 items 1958-1980 8/153 Moscow, Idaho in winter 20 items 1975 8/154 Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens (commercial) 20 items 198- 8/155 Mt. Hood and Tillamook, Oregon 17 items undated 8/156 Mt. Rainier, Audubon field trip 18 items 1970 8/157 Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Rainier 11 items 1987 8/158 Mountain scenes 59 items undated 8/159 Museum field trip 100 items 1971 8/160 Museum field trips, Vancouver, B.C., museum 62 items 1973-1980 8/161 Museum field trips, Seattle 70 items 1976-1979 8/162 Museum in Florida 69 items 1979 8/163 Nairobi National Park 357 items 1975 9/164-166 Nairobi Museum 34 items 1975 9/167 New Mexico, Taos 37 items 1983 9/168 Olympic National Park (commercial) 40 items undated 9/169 Oregon chipmunk trip 38 items 1964 9/170 Owyhee photos 20 items undated 9/171 Pittock Bird Sanctuary, Oregon 32 items 1969 9/172 Prehistoric animals (commercial) 24 items undated 9/173 Priest Lake 104 items 1986 9/174 Project gopher 17 items 1973 9/175 Raft River 8 items 1960 9/176 Reptiles 6 items undated 9/177 Scenery 40 items 1970 9/178 Selway workshop 120 items 1973 9/179 Slides for caribou picture 7 items 1978 9/180 University of Idaho campus 4 items undated 9/181 University of Idaho museum 26 items 1973 9/182 Variations in birds and mammals 20 items undated 9/183 Victoria, B.C. Butchart Gardens 5 items 1965 9/184 Wemas (Audubon Society annual field trip) 236 items 1970-1986 9/185-186 Wildflowers 158 items 1953-1973 10/187-188 Wilderness workshop 120 items 1973 10/189 Woodland Park Zoo 20 items 1963-1966 10/190 Wyoming, Jackson Hole 16 items 1983 10/191 Yellowstone Park 292 items 1978-1980 10/192-195 Zoo scenes, Mt. Spokane 17 items 1965 10/196 Zoology 2 (commercial) 100 items undated 10/197 Family and other slides 32 items 1965-1975 10/198-199 Movie films C undated Scientific animal art (15mm) 1 item undated 200 Panhandle mammal study (15mm) 1 item undated 201 Mexico (8mm) 2 items undated 202-203 Bears (8mm) 1 item undated 204 Scrapbook V Scrapbook 1984 Scrapbook, full of correspondence, photographs, and various other papers. 11