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 105 · DO #4171 · 182_Goodspeed_Bx1FF9_r

Collection
Thomas Harper Goodspeed (1887–1966) papers
Item/Folder
Cordes–Cuatrecasas, 1933–1957
Digital Object
DO #4171, page 105
Collection-level dates
1923–1963
Open PDF at page 105 ↗

Page transcription

March 17, 1948
AIR MAIL

Dr. Jose Cuatrecasas
Chicago Natural History Museum
Roosevelt Road and Lake Shore Drive
Chicago 5, Illinois

Dear Jose:

I do not wish you to think that I am not enthusiastic about the possibility in the future of a relation between the University of California or some North American institution and Dr. Faust's botanical institution. At the moment, however, I am sure that you realize how difficult it would be in view of the serious situation in Europe to arouse sufficient interest in the proposal in this country, but I shall not forget it. Perhaps, if we go to Spain I may be able to see Dr. Faust and his property.

I am still more in doubt concerning the wisdom of my accepting the invitation of the Consejo in Madrid after reading your letter. I had suspected that the Consejo was not a representative of the University of Madrid but I did not know that it was purely a government body. I have asked the Department of State in Washington to give me their opinion, but I am afraid that it will be flavored by the current attitude of that Department toward Franco. It appears that the United States is looking for friends in Europe and that it does not care what kind of government they are so long as they are friendly.

As I said before, I was attracted by the invitation because I felt that, as in South America, I could be of service to those beginning to do research in fields where I have had long experience and, too, because of the war have almost no one in Europe to assist and advise them. In addition, my knowledge of Spanish, even if limited, would make it possible for me to accomplish more than could most other investigators from this country. On the other hand, I might be severely criticized by some of my United States colleagues for in any way seeming to give recognition or encouragement to Franco just as those who accepted invitations from Hitler, Germany, were criticized.

I am happy that you are looking at the Peruvian collection. If they prove to contain material of some special interest, I will try to obtain more money to permit Woytkowski to continue the work in northeastern Peru.

Madrid writes that Gutierrez, on his collecting trip during January, obtained some herbarium specimens but no living orchid plants. I cannot understand the situation except that perhaps the orchid sellers in Medellin complained about my receiving any wild plants and Madrid and Gutierrez were afraid to have them collected. I will ask Madrid to use up the remainder of the money I left with him in buying more plants and sending them to me. Then the whole matter will be at an end, --the only really disappointing and scientifically unprofitable experience I have ever had in South America.