Harold and Maude Lyon Papers
Scope and Contents
The Harold and Maude Lyon Papers have been divided into two series: Correspondence and Stereo Photographs. The “Correspondence” series contains personal correspondence from Harold Lyon and Maude Lyon to Gertrude Lyon, Mabel Lyon and Mary Lyon, Sisters, Sister and Brother, Ma, Family and Folks Back Home, Minoru Hiraga, and Ella Butters. No attempt was made to identify the recipient of every letter. The correspondence is in manuscript format, some with envelopes, and dates range from 1902-1953. An additional two items were noted: Bond. J.D. 1949. Memorandum to all Experiment Station, HSPA Employee re: a meeting on the Dangers of Communism. American Legion, June 25, 1949. Speakers: Dr. Judd, Wm. B. Johnstone, Dr. J. B. Matthews. 10 p. typescript. 2. Lalakea, Tom. 2000. Presidents Message. In The Kukui Leaf. Sept, 2000, vol. 27, no.4., A publication of the Lyon Arboretum Association. 2p. typescript. The subject of this newsletter is the provenance of the letters: they were a gift of Lyon’s great nephew and his wife Dave and Patti Bremer of Lake City, Minnesota to the Lyon Arboretum. The correspondence is from the Lyon home in Honolulu, Hawaii as well as the Lyon family’s travels including: Trinidad, Europe, Rome, Naples, Switzerland and Indonesia. Topics include: family life, current events as well as writings typical of a travel journal: food, accommodations, local customs, general amazement. Topics relating to Harold Lyon’s professional accomplishments include: pineapple and sugar cultivation, plant disease control, hybrid orchids, rare plants, reforestation, and watershed protection.
The “Stereo Photograph” series consists of 50 black and white print stereo photographs and 104 color stereo transparencies. An annotated list in a folder identifies Harold Lyon as the photographer for stereo transparency sets: Foster Botanical Gardens; House at 1328 Matlock Ave., Honolulu HI; Honolulu from Punchbowl; and Maunakea, Manoa Valley, Foster Gardens, Uluwehiwehi. Fred Rackle is credited as the photographer for the two Hawaii Lava sets of stereo transparencies. The black and white stereo photographs are undated and the photographer is unknown. Some of the prints may be settings outside of Hawaii. The stereo photographs are of tropical scenery, Hawaiian scenes, lava, plants and a few people.
Dates
- Creation: 1902 - 1955
Conditions Governing Access
The Harold and Maude Lyon Papers are accessible to the general public in the Moir Reading Room, Hamilton Library, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, 2550 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu, HI 96822 (808) 956-6047. Policies and procedures for working with archival materials apply.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright is retained by the authors of items in this collection, their descendants, or the repository if copyright has been signed over, as stipulated by United States copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user to determine any copyright restrictions, obtain written permission, and pay any fees necessary for the reproduction or proposed use of the materials. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the University of Hawaii Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must be obtained by the researcher.
Biographical / Historical
Harold Lyon (1879-1957) was a Botanist working for the Hawaiian Sugar Planter's Association at the Department of Plant Pathology, Experiment Station, HSPA (1907-1948). He travelled widely together with his wife Maude (nee. Maude Rena Fletcher, m. 1905, d. 1951), and was credited for establishing sugar cane plantings that were resistant to the attacks of diseases that were threatening the sugar cane crop in Hawaii and worldwide. From 1931 to 1957 Lyon was director of the Foster Botanical Gardens and was active in reforestation efforts that eventually became the Honolulu Forest Watershed Reserve, with experimental plantings in Manoa Valley at what would become the Lyon Arboretum. During WW II Harold Lyon was in charge of emergency food production for Hawaii.
Extent
2 Linear Feet (Four legal size manuscript cases and one 6X4X12" archival box with lid.) : Manuscript letters with envelopes and stamps. Stereo photograph prints and transparencies.
Language
English
Overview
The Harold and Maude Lyon Papers consist of the personal correspondence of Harold L. and Maude Lyon dating from 1902-1953, together with stereo photographs and transparencies from 1953-1955 of Hawaiian subjects. Harold Lyon was a prominent botanist in Hawaii and the Lyon Arboretum in Honolulu Hawaii is named for him. The collection has historical, evidential and informational value.
Arrangement
The Harold and Maude Lyon Papers are arranged in two series: 1. Correspondence: Box 1 folders 1-18, and Box 2 folders 1- 25, letters, addressed and stamped envelopes. Original order was maintained and the correspondence is not arranged alphabetically or chronologically, 1902-1953. Box 2 folders 26-27 meeting transcript, newspaper clippings and newsletter, 1949-2000. 2. Photographs; stereo photographs and stereo transparencies: Box 3 stereo photographs, no date, annotated list of stereo transparencies. Box 4 stereo transparencies, in original order not chronological or alphabetical, in folders (sets), 1953-1955.
Physical Location
Harold and Maude Lyon Papers University of Hawaii at Manoa 2550 McCarthy Mall Honolulu, HI 96822 Email: archives@hawaii.edu Phone: (808) 596-3767
Custodial History
The provenance and history of the Harold and Maude Lyon Papers are unknown at this time. Box 2 folder 27 has a two page newsletter describing the custodial history of some letters describing them as a gift of Lyon’s great nephew Dave Bremer and his wife Patti Bremer of Lake City, Minnesota to the Lyon Arboretum (no date). No data appear to link the materials in this collection to this gift but it is likely. No record was found on how they were acquired by the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Archives and Manuscripts Department.
Physical Description
The Harold and Maude Lyon papers are 2 linear feet extant, and arranged in folders in 3 manuscript cartons and one archival box. The collection contains personal correspondence dating from 1902-1953 and consists of approximately 100 letters, many with envelopes and stamps. A few items related to the correspondence were noted including: two single pages of scientific data notes, one typescript meeting transcript, a news clipping and a newsletter. The collection includes a .5 linear foot extent series of 50 stereo photographs and 104 stereo transparencies in good condition. An annotated manuscript list describes some of the stereo photos and transparencies.
Condition Description
The papers, photographic prints and transparencies are in good condition and the very few newspaper clippings show acid damage, but are not yet brittle.
Processing Information
Processing was begun by an unknown archivist who boxed and foldered the materials. Processing was completed by Wendy Camber, LIS652 student, who labeled the folders and boxed the stereo transparencies. Completed December, 2016
Source
- LIS 652 (Arranger, Organization)
- Title
- Harold and Maude Lyon Papers
- Subtitle
- Correspondence from Harold and Maude Lyon 1902-1955 and photographic materials 1953-1955
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Wendy Camber
- Date
- 2016/12/01
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the University of Hawaii at Manoa Libraries Repository