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 161 · DO #1171 · 5-1-3

Collection
Peter René Oscar Bally (1895–1980) correspondence with Gilbert W. Reynolds (1895–1967), 1950–1967
Item/Folder
Correspondence 3, 1954–1967, n.d.
Digital Object
DO #1171, page 161
Collection-level dates
1950–1967
Open PDF at page 161 ↗

Page transcription

-2-
Mr P.R.O. Bally (contd.) 21.11.57.

occurred over such a wide area. But rigida is such
a fitting name that it would be much more suitable to
retain that name once and for all and, as you suggest,
name the sprawling Aloe from Sheikh Pass, Mait escarpment,
etc. after him. So let us decide that right away and be
done with it and I shall leave it to you to fix it up
with Glover.

Regarding the tree Aloe, I too would very much indeed like to see authentic material of the A.sabaea
from Yemen. You will remember I showed you photographs
of material that Kew has but it is not very helpful, and
the written description is nowhere near as complete as it
might be, while I would personally prefer to ignore Berger's
figure of flowers. From the printed descriptions, I do
think the Surud Tree Aloe is distinct from the Yemen species,
but I feel that until some responsible person can visit the
Yemen and see what grows there it will be difficult to decide.
I had hoped to fly to Aden and go up into the Yemen but that
was out of all question with fighting going on along the borders.

Re Aloe with marbled leaves near Tribe's house, I saw it
there and also in the Tug about half a mile away to the east
and it did strike me as being distinct but I saw no flowers.
I brought a fairly large specimen home with me which got rooted
quickly and is growing away merrily. It is almost in full
flower now and within a week I hope to draw up a full description,
make herb specimens and secure the necessary photographs.
I am most glad to have your own description and I
shall be grateful to receive photographs in black and white
and in colour also pickled flowers you have promised to send.

Instead of sending me all the herb sheets you have
and also in Greenway's herbarium, I would naturally be fully
prepared to accept a list from you of the various material
with full details which could be included in herbarium material.
This applies only of course to the Somaliland Aloe.

A point which I am sure will interest you is, I
have learnt from Paris that the type of A.tomentosa is in the
Museum in Paris and has already been sent out to me by Mr
Leandri. I am keenly looking forward to seeing this and
shall give you photographs and full details when the material
arrives. The description is hopeless as regards habit of
growth, precise details of leaves, and no mention at all is
made as to whether margins are dentate or entire. I have