Scope and Contents
This collection contains correspondence, manuscripts, lecture notes, clippings, photographs, and a photocopy of Richardson's 1955 Wasson Expedition diary. The collection is primarily about R. Gordon Wasson and his publications on psychedelic fungi.
Dates
- Creation: 1957-1989
Creator
- Richardson, Allan B., 1899-1990 (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is available by appointment for research. Researchers must register and provide one form of valid photo identification. Please contact botref@oeb.harvard.edu for additional information.
Extent
0.2 linear feet (1 half width document box)Biographical note
Allan B. Richardson was born on July 7, 1899. He attended Princeton University and married Mary M. Hyde on June 24, 1937. Richardson was a society photographer and also taught photography at The Brearley School in New York City. Starting in 1954, Richardson accompanied R. Gordon Wasson, a banker and amateur ethnobotanist, on several expeditions to investigate and photograph the sacred mushroom ceremonies of the indigenous people of Mexico. Many of Richardson’s images were featured in Wasson’s publications including the Life Magazine article “Seeking the Magic Mushroom” from 1957, in which Wasson discussed the discovery of hallucinogenic mushrooms in Mexico. Richardson moved to Winchester, Virginia, later in life and died on April 22, 1990.
Sources
1957. Class Notes. Princeton Alumni Weekly. February 15:26.
Wasson, R. Gordon. 1957. Seeking the Magic Mushroom. Life Magazine. May 13: 100-120.
U.S. Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
Provenance
Forms part of the Julio Mario Santo Domingo Collection.
Deposit, Julio Santo Domingo III, April 2012.
Processing Information
Processed by Danielle Castronovo, 2017.
Creator
- Richardson, Allan B., 1899-1990 (Person)
Subject
- Richardson, Allan B., 1899-1990 (Person)
- Wasson, R. Gordon (Robert Gordon), 1898-1986 (Person)
- Title
- Richardson, Allan B., 1899-1990. Allan B. Richardson papers, 1957-1989: A Guide.
- Status
- completed
- Author
- Botany Libraries, Economic Botany Library of Oakes Ames, Harvard University.
- Description rules
- dacs
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- ecb00007
Repository Details
Part of the Botany Libraries, Economic Botany Library of Oakes Ames, Harvard University Repository
The Harvard University Herbaria houses five research libraries that are managed collectively as the Botany Libraries.The Economic Botany Library specializes in materials related to economic botany or the commercial exploitation of plants. The Archives of the Economic Botany Herbarium of Oakes Ames houses unique resources including personal papers, institutional records, field notes and plant lists, expedition records, photographs, original artwork, and objects from faculty, curators, staff, and affiliates of the Economic Botany Herbarium.
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