Life Histories of North American Birds

mums413 Arthur Cleveland Bent Ornithological Papers, 1880-1942 Finding Aid Finding aid prepared by Linda Seidman. Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, MA

2003

Finding aid encoded using Perl scripts and edited in XMetal 2.0. Encoded by Eric Steven Cartier. 2003-04-22 Finding aid written in English. 2005-09-23 mu1 converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02-5c.xsl (sy2003-10-15). Fitted to UMass stylesheets, entities removed, dsc corrected, October 2006. Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst Arthur Cleveland Bent Ornithological Papers, 1880-1942 Finding Aid Manuscript Number413 Compiled byLinda Seidman Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Bent, Arthur Cleveland, 1866-1954 Arthur Cleveland Bent Ornithological Papers 1880-1942 MS 413 8 boxes (5.5 linear ft.) Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst Ornithologist; author of Life Histories of North American Birds and other titles; fellow and active member of American Ornithologists' Union. Contains Owen Durfee's field notebooks (1880-1909), Bent's journals (1887-1942), photographs, catalog of negatives (1896-1930), correspondence concerning photographs (1925-1946), mimeographed and printed material. Includes lists of nest observations, egg measurements, bird sightings, as well as records pertaining to negatives and specimens provided to organizations such as the Massachusetts Audubon Society, the Bristol County Agricultural School, and the United States National Museum. English. 1866 Born November 25, Taunton, Massachusetts. 1889 A.B. Harvard University 1891 Agent, Safety Seamless Pocket Company 1893 Treasurer, Plymouth Electric Light Company 1894 Treasurer, Atlantic Covering Company 1900-1931 President and Treasurer, Plymouth Electric Light Company 1900-1914 General Manager, Mason Machine Works 1914 Married Madeleine Vincent Godfrey, January 20 1919-1942 Author, Life Histories of North American Birds, and other titles totaling over 20 volumes. 1919-1942 Associate in Ornithology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University 1919-1942 Collaborator, Smithsonian Institute 1954 Died

Professional Activities:

Fellow, American Ornithologists' Union (Vice Pres. 1929-1934, Pres. 1934); member National Audubon Society, Bristol County Academy of Sciences (Pres. 1915), Nuttall, Wilson, and Cooper ornithological clubs.

The Arthur Cleveland Bent Ornithological Papers (1880-1942) consist mainly of Owen Durfee's pocket size field notebooks (1880-1909) and Bent's own journals (1887-1942) which detail Bent's daily ornithological activities, including photographs from trips to Arizona, California, and Florida; also, photographs, some numbered and some unnumbered, of birds, nests, and eggs by various photographers, and other materials relating to photographs; lists of bird, nest, and egg observations, eggs wanted by and shipped to museums; and a few mimeographed and printed materials.

Some of the material provided data for Bent's volumes of Life Histories of North American Birds published between 1919 and 1942 and other titles.

Materials are arranged into six series: Field Notebooks, Journals, Photographs, Lists, Mimeographed and Printed Materials, and Handwritten index cards for books in Bent's collection.

Field notebooks and journals are arranged chronologically, the photographs are by plate number when applicable, and the lists are alphabetical by topic.

Organization of the Collection

This collection is organized into six series:

Series 1. Field Notebooks, 1880-1909 Series 2. Journals, 1887-1942 Series 3. Photographs Series 4. Lists Series 5. Mimeographs and Printed Materials Series 6. Handwritten index cards for books in Bent's collection Information on Use

The collection is open for research.

Cite as: Arthur Cleveland Bent Ornithological Papers (MS 413). Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst.

The papers of Arthur Cleveland Bent (1866-1954), which were given to the University in 1959 by Mrs. Bent with a collection of Mr. Bent's books, remained in the possession of Professor Lawrence Bartlett of the Zoology Department until they were received in the Archives in 1983 after Professor Bartlett's death. Books have been cataloged and incorporated into the Du Bois Library's circulating collection.

Processed by Linda Seidman, 2003.

Additional information Additional Finding Aids Available

Cards to book collection available on level 25.

Bent, Arthur Cleveland, 1866-1954--Notebooks, sketchbooks, etc. Bent, Arthur Cleveland, 1866-1954--Library Bent, Arthur Cleveland, 1866-1954. Life Histories of North American Birds Durfee, Owen--Notebooks, sketchbooks, etc. Ornithologists--Massachusetts Birds Birds--Nests Birds--Eggs Birds--Photographs Birds--Nests--Photographs Birds--Eggs--Photographs Massachusetts Audubon Society Bristol County Agricultural School (Bristol County, Mass.) United States National Museum American Ornithologists' Union Field notes Photographs Series 1. Field Notebooks1880-1909 1 Field notes1880/1881/1882 1 Field notesJan. 8, 1892-Oct. 1, 1893 1 Field notes1883/1884 1 Field notesJan. 6, 1894-May 11, 1896 1 Field notesJan. 2, 1885-May 12, 1887 1 Field notesMay 11, 1896-May 30, 1897 1 Field notesFeb. 19, 1888-May 31, 1888 1 Field notesMay 31, 1897-Dec. 1, 1900 1 Field notesJune 1, 1888-Apr. 26, 1890 1 Field notesDec. 1, 1900-Apr. 15, 1902 1 Field notesApr. 29, 1890-Apr. 17, 1891 1 Field notesApr. 18, 1902-May 7, 1904 1 Field notesApr. 18, 1891-Dec. 31, 1891 1 Field notesMay 7, 1904-Dec. 2, 1906 1 Field notesDec. 5, 1906-Feb. 27, 1909 Series 2. Journals1887-1942

Some volumes are entitled "Field Notes."

2-4 Journal1 Jan. 1887 - 16 Oct. 1897 287 pp. bound 2-4 Journal8 Mar 1898 - 3 Dec 1900 280 pp. bound 2-4 Journal5 Jan 1901 - 26 Oct 1901 114 pp. ring 2-4 Journal22 Mar 1902 - 29 Nov 1903 256 pp. ring 2-4 Journal19 Apr 1904 - 10 Aug 1904 108 pp. ring 2-4 Journal1 Apr 1905 - 5 Aug 1905 140 pp. ring 2-4 Journal3 Mar 1906 - 7 Sep 1907 240 pp. string 2-4 Journal24 Mar 1908 - 20 Dec 1908 152 pp. string 2-4 Journal7 Feb 1909 - 15 Apr 1911 172 pp. string 2-4 Journal29 Apr 1911 - 4 Jul 1911 222 pp. ring 2-4 Journal3 Jun 1912 - 10 Dec 1913 214 pp. ring 2-4 Journal24 Apr 1915 - 12 Jul 1919 160 pp. ring 2-4 Journal10 Apr 1920 - 24 Jun 1920 50 pp. ring 2-4 Journal4 Apr 1922 - 6 May 1922 84 pp. ring

Includes Arizona trip, 80 photographs

2-4 Journal7 May 1922 - 1 Jun 1922 106 pp. ring

Includes Arizona trip, 66 photographs

2-4 Journal4 May 1923 - 26 Apr 1925 166 pp. ring 2-4 Journal10 Feb 1929 - 1 May 1929 80 pp. ring

Includes California trip, 53 photographs

2-4 Journal12 Jan 1930 - 21 Mar 1930 52 pp. ring

Includes Florida trip, 9 photographs

2-4 Journal2 Apr 1936 - 22 Apr 1936 20 pp. ring Journal5 Apr 1942 - 12 Jun 1942 9 pp. ring Series 3. Photographs 5 Photographs numbered as Plates 1-15, 16-30, 32-42, 2-34 (from Bent's folder labeled "unsorted", 37-81 (from same folder), and unsorted. 5 Catalog of Negatives, May 17, 1896-June 4, 1930 5 Lists of negatives given to Massachusetts Audubon Society and the U.S. National Museum. 5 Letters (3) from photographers, 1925-1946, and lists of available prints or negatives. Series 4. Lists 6 Bird sightings reported in print by others 1801 (1879-1900) 6 Bird specimens? Eggs? shipped to Bristol County Agricultural School, 1926-1928 6 Distribution, Part 19: Warblers (typescript). 6 Eggs of North American birds wanted by National Museum, Pre-1931 to 1934; n.d. 6 Egg measurements (handwritten notes). 6 Nest observations by many collectors (notebook), 1862-1934 6 Nests shipped, 1931 and 1934 Series 5. Mimeographed and Printed Materials 6 Mimeographed job completion reports for Massachusetts Wood Duck Project. C. Barlow, The Story of the Farallones, 1897 Series 6. Handwritten and typed index cards for books in Bent's collection 7-8 Handwritten and typed index cards for books in Bent's collection