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.

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Page 6 · DO #4217 · 182_Goodspeed_Bx3FF57_r

Collection
Thomas Harper Goodspeed (1887–1966) papers
Item/Folder
South American Expedition, 1957–1958
Digital Object
DO #4217, page 6
Collection-level dates
1923–1963
Open PDF at page 6 ↗

Page transcription

Progress Report
Sixth University of California Botanical Garden
Expedition to the Andes
Peru, August 1 to December 15, 1957

Personnel in Peru -- Paul C. Hutchison, Senior Botanist, University of California Botanical Garden; William H. Marshall, collector and photographer (both during the above period); T.H.Goodspeed, Director of the Expedition, (October 15 to November 20)

Areas of collection -- As shown by the attached map the entire coast of Peru has been traversed. This is botanically a unique area because during the Peruvian winter (June to October) heavy fogs on the coastal mountains produce a distinctive flora, in what during the remainder of the year is a desert of maximum aridity. In addition to an arid coast Peru consists -- topographically, climatically and vegetationally -- of two other zones, the Andean ranges with high plateau floras and the tropical rain forests (Amazonian) east of the Andes. The map shows that both of these interior zones were explored botanically, particular areas being selected for study because of lack of knowledge of their vegetation. Each of the numerous incursions into the interior was made over extremely bad roads which entered or crossed the Andes often at altitudes of approximately 15,000' with very steep ascents and descents. The Ford truck, with auxiliary transmission, was able quite successfully to meet the transportation problems; total mileage was approximately 11,000.

Accomplishments
1) Over 1100 different plant collections, certain of them representing species previously unknown, were made, as living plants to be grown in the University of California Botanical Garden or as pressed specimens to enrich the representation of South American floras in the University Herbarium. Usually a considerable number of duplicate specimens were pressed for purposes of exchange by the Herbarium with scientific institutions throughout the world. The total number of living and dried collections was approximately 11,000. In terms of scientific significance this is one of the outstanding collections of plants that has been made in Peru.
2) Evidence was obtained which will solve problems of classification in certain plant groups especially well represented in the Peruvian floras. Particularly in the Caeti it was possible to verify or disprove by evidence in the field published statements concerning the proper status of all the major subdivisions and of the majority of the individual species.
3) From the collections of living plants there will be introduced for the first time into cultivation in California a considerable number of orchids, ferns and cacti of potential scientific and ornamental importance. In the seed collections there should be additional introductions of similar importance.
4) Certain areas were discovered which, previously unknown botanically, proved to be exceedingly rich in new or little known species. When more thoroughly explored these areas should provide evidence bearing upon problems of plant distribution in the Andes and adjacent regions.

The success of the Peruvian section of the Expedition was due to the untiring efforts of Mr. Hutchison and Mr. Marshall. They were forced to remain for considerable periods in regions subjected to extremes of altitude and temperature where accommodations were lacking or extremely primitive.