Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation
A Research Division of Carnegie Mellon University

Hunt Institute Archives Text Discovery Platform

Search a large and growing portion of our online collections, including handwritten documents.
PROTOTYPE

This prototype uses state-of-the-art artificial intelligence, including a vision-language model (VLM) capable of reading handwritten documents as well as typed and printed text, to create searchable transcriptions of digitized materials in the Hunt Institute Archives. This makes it possible to search the textual contents of individual pages, including material that may not be described in the archival catalog.

Use Keyword search for specific words, names, dates, scientific names, or phrases. Try Semantic search (experimental) to describe a topic, question, or kind of material when you do not know the exact wording used in the documents.

About the AI-generated transcriptions

The transcriptions are generated automatically from page images and may contain errors, especially with difficult handwriting, unusual names, multiple languages, image-quality problems, or complex layouts. They are intended primarily as a discovery aid rather than authoritative transcriptions.

Each result provides the generated transcription and links to the original digitized material and associated archival description so that readings can be checked against the source. The transcription workflow uses AI models run locally by the Hunt Institute.

About Keyword and Semantic search

Keyword search is the default and matches the wording in the transcriptions. Results contain all your terms. Use quotes for an exact phrase. Substring matching is supported, so aceae can find plant-family names ending in -aceae.

Semantic search (experimental) is useful when you know what kind of material you are looking for but do not know the words used in the documents. It ranks transcribed passages by similarity of meaning, so relevant results may not contain the exact words in your query.

Semantic queries can be broad research topics, descriptions of activities or relationships, or natural-language questions. For example:

plant collecting and fieldwork in South America medicinal, culinary, or other traditional uses of plants chromosomes and plant classification early herbals and botanical illustrations botanical institutions exchanging plants, seeds, and specimens microscopy and photomicrography in botanical research How did botanists and gardeners introduce plants from one region to another? grafting, budding, and propagation of tropical fruit crops

Semantic search is not a chatbot: a question is used as a search query, and the system returns archival passages that appear conceptually related to it rather than generating an answer or summary. Short descriptions and ordinary research questions generally work better than lists of disconnected keywords. Quotation marks have no special meaning in Semantic mode. Cross-language matching may work in some cases, but it should not be treated as translation.

Keyword and Semantic search are complementary. Keyword search lets you require particular wording; Semantic search can surface differently worded passages about the same subject. Depending on the research question, trying both can reveal different useful material.

Open a result: use the prominent page-and-transcription link to see the metadata, PDF, and full transcription. Keyword-search terms are highlighted in the transcription.

Archives Collections Database (ArchivesSpace): the Collection, Item/Folder, and Digital Object links open the corresponding archival records. Collection-level dates describe the collection as a whole, not necessarily the specific item or page.

If a PDF does not load: on the detail page, use the Digital Object link, click “Go to file” in ArchivesSpace, and navigate to the page number shown here.

Current limitations
  • Automated transcriptions can contain missing or incorrect text or unintended repetition. Difficult handwriting, image quality, unusual layouts, and multiple languages can reduce accuracy. Always consult the original page image when an exact reading matters.
  • Semantic search remains experimental. Its rankings are an additional discovery aid, not a complete or definitive set of relevant results, and highly ranked pages can sometimes be only broadly related.
  • This is an active prototype. Search coverage, transcriptions, functionality, and the interface may continue to change as additional archival material is processed and the system is improved.

← Back to results

Page 67 · DO #4170 · 182_Goodspeed_Bx1FF8_r

Collection
Thomas Harper Goodspeed (1887–1966) papers
Item/Folder
Chardon–Coppinger, 1932–1958
Digital Object
DO #4170, page 67
Collection-level dates
1923–1963
Open PDF at page 67 ↗

Page transcription

February 2, 1940

Dr.: Prof. B. P. G. Hochreutiner
Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques
Université de Genève
Genève, Suisse

Dear Dr. Hochreutiner:

I have not replied to your kind letter of October 31, concerning the herbarium material which was collected under my direction in South America because I wished to have opportunity to complete the distribution into sets, start the determinations, etc. Since we hope to pay at least a small portion of the expenses of the expedition by the sale of these herbarium specimens, I would prefer, if possible, to arrange with you for purchase rather than exchange, although I know very well the exceedingly high quality of the material which you have available for exchange.

I am enclosing a map which indicates the very extensive route of the collecting parties in South America. Different parties were working simultaneously for a period of approximately nine months, and these parties included eight or more North American collectors and assistants, all of them trained botanists or collectors. I believe that from the point of view, particularly of showing the distribution of certain elements of the South American floras, our material is rather unique. We have still available one quite complete set for sale. The determinations are being made by Dr. Ivan Johnston, of the Gray Herbarium, who is also sending certain material to other experts. Based upon actual cost of the collecting and the value of the material, we have obtained 20c per sheet for the Central American, Peruvian, Bolivian and Chilean specimens, and 25c per sheet for the Patagonian material. I would estimate the set which we could offer you at approximately 5,000 numbers, of which approximately 800 would be from Patagonia. I would be glad to have your comment on these prices which other institutions appear willing to pay, because I am very anxious that a set of our plants should be in your herbarium where I have worked on more than one occasion and received very many kind courtesies. Please let me know as soon as convenient what your wishes are in this matter, and in the interim we will hold the remaining complete set for you.

With my best personal wishes, I am
Cordially yours,