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 36 · DO #4207 · 182_Goodspeed_Bx2FF45_r

Collection
Thomas Harper Goodspeed (1887–1966) papers
Item/Folder
Van Shaack–Verdoorn, 1949–1959
Digital Object
DO #4207, page 36
Collection-level dates
1923–1963
Open PDF at page 36 ↗

Page transcription

Berkeley 4, California
October 16, 1950

Dr. Cesar Vargas C.
Apartado 302
Cuzco, Peru

Dear Cesar:

Your recent letter to Mr. Macbride came into my hands and I want
to thank you for your kind remarks concerning Mrs. Goodspeed.
Both she and I regretted that we could not have done more for
you when you were in Berkeley but I am glad that you have a happy
remembrance of your experience here.

At the time of the terrible earthquake in Cuzco Mr. Goodspeed was
very ill and I did not follow the course of events there as I
would otherwise have done. Indeed, until I read your letter and
saw your photographs I had no idea that the devastation had been
so serious.

In your letter you suggest that an effort be made to secure as-
sistance from North American institutions for replacing the sci-
entific material destroyed by the earthquake, such assistance to take
the form of a small contribution in money. I am sure that many will
wish to be of assistance but it will I think be necessary to be very
specific about the purposes for which contributions of any kind will
be used. To say only "for the encouragement of scientific research
in Cuzco" is not enough. For example, if you need replacement of
books and periodicals in the University Library that would be some-
thing specific; similarly, if you need replacement of scientific
apparatus or materials. There may be other specific needs and re-
quirements. Undoubtedly North American libraries could supply books
and perhaps manufacturers of scientific material would either make

In my own case I could send you $50.00 to permit you to make a col-
lecting trip which would provide specimens to replace those which
may have been destroyed by the understanding that you send me seeds,
bulbs or cuttings of species of combined scientific and ornamental
interest. Probably other botanical institutions would make donations
of money for similar purposes.

Sometime ago I sent you a list of numbers of your negatives of which
we have prints following your agreement to return the list with in-
formation concerning locality, species, etc. in each case. As yet
I have not received this annotated list.

I hope that you will let me know how you are getting along and c
upon me for any service which I can give you and the University
Cuzco. All your friends here join in greetings and best wishe

Cordially,

THG:T