Inventory of the Kendall Laughlin Papers, 1941 – 1962
Descriptive Summary
Abstract: Kendall Laughlin, a tree enthusiast from Chicago, Illinois, was one of the most active early participants in the American Forestry Association's National Register of Big Trees project, begun in 1940.
The collection includes the correspondence, writings, and photographs of Kendall Laughlin. Materials consist largely of correspondence, 1941-1962, between Laughlin and various staff members at the American Forestry Association (AFA), including Erle Kauffman, A. G. Hall, Fred Hornaday, and Dorothy Dixon, regarding his numerous nominations for the National Register of Big Trees as well as his suggestions, corrections, and critiques of the organization's publications and editorial practices. The 230 photographs, taken and captioned by Laughlin, document his nominated tree specimens, all located in midwestern states, mostly Illinois; about half of the 230 are photo "collages," where he would place multiple photographs of various parts of an individual tree and paste them together on backing board to show a complete view of the specimen. Also included are a few foliage cuttings collected in the 1940s-1950s; copies of a 1954 article from the Kansas City Star about Laughlin and his big tree hobby; and copies of a few articles written by Laughlin in the 1940s-1950s about the trees of the Midwest.
Title: Kendall Laughlin Papers, 1941 - 1962
Creator: Laughlin, Kendall
Repository: Forest History Society Library and Archives
Call Number: 3233.1
Language of Material: Material in English
Extent: 1.0 linear feet (2 archival boxes)
Biographical Note
Kendall Laughlin, a tree enthusiast from Chicago, Illinois, was one of the most active early participants in the American Forestry Association's National Register of Big Trees project. Since 1940, citizens have helped the AFA (later American Forests) find the largest of 826 species of trees in the United States, termed national champions.
Collection Overview
The collection includes the correspondence, writings, and photographs of Kendall Laughlin. Materials consist largely of correspondence, 1941-1962, between Laughlin and various staff members at the American Forestry Association (AFA), including Erle Kauffman, A. G. Hall, Fred Hornaday, and Dorothy Dixon, regarding his numerous nominations for the National Register of Big Trees as well as his suggestions, corrections, and critiques of the organization's publications and editorial practices. The 230 photographs, taken and captioned by Laughlin, document his nominated tree specimens, all located in midwestern states, mostly Illinois; about half of the 230 are photo "collages," where he would place multiple photographs of various parts of an individual tree and paste them together on backing board to show a complete view of the specimen. Also included are a few foliage cuttings collected in the 1940s-1950s; copies of a 1954 article from the Kansas City Star about Laughlin and his big tree hobby; and copies of a few articles written by Laughlin in the 1940s-1950s about the trees of the Midwest.
Collection Arrangement
- Correspondence, Writings, and Photographs, 1941-1962
Subject Headings
- American Forestry Association
- Laughlin, Kendall
- Trees -- Illinois -- Photographs
- Trees -- Middle West -- Photographs
Related Material
American Forestry Association Records
Detailed Description of the Collection
1. Correspondence, Writings, and Photographs, 1941-1962.
- Box 1 Folder 1-4
American Forestry Association: Correspondence, 1941-1961 - Box 1 Folder 5
Writings, 1947-1958 - Box 1 Folder 5
Foliage Specimens - Box 1 Folder 6-8
Loose Photographs- Includes images of tree specimens nominated by Kendall Laughlin to the National Register of Big Trees. All were located in midwestern states, mostly Illinois.
- Box 2
Mounted Photographs- Includes chiefly mounted photographs of Big Trees, with information printed on back. Kendall Laughlin created photo "collages" by placing multiple photographs of various parts of an individual tree and paste them together on backing board to show a complete view of the specimen. All were located in midwestern states, mostly Illinois.
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
No restrictions.
Copyright Notice
The nature of the Forest History Society's archival holdings means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The Forest History Society claims only physical ownership of most archival materials.
The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Kendall Laughlin Papers, Library and Archives, Forest History Society, Durham, NC, USA.
Processing Information
Processed by Staff, and Amanda Ross, June 2009
Encoded by Amanda Ross, June 2009
Funding from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission supported the encoding of this finding aid. Support for digitization and outreach provided by the Alvin J. Huss Endowment.
