Marian Field Collection, 1933-1982

Collection Overview

Title: Marian Field Collection, 1933-1982

Predominant Dates: 1933-1941

ID: MSS Field

Primary Creator: Field, Marian

Extent: 3.0 cubic feet. More info below.

Arrangement: The Marian Field Collection is comprised of two series: Series 1. Illustrations for Trees and Shrubs in Winter, 1936-1982 and Series 2. Illustrations of Oregon Fungi, 1933-1934. All illustrations are organized by species name.

Languages of Materials: English [eng]

Abstract

The Marian Field Collection is comprised of botanical illustrations produced by Marian Field, an Oregon artist and botanical illustrator. The illustrations in the collection appear to have been generated by Field between 1933 and 1941 in collaboration with faculty at the University of Oregon and the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The collection includes approximately 250 illustrations of plants and fungi, materials from an exhibit of Field's works, photographs, correspondence, and a short biography of Field's life and work.

Scope and Content Notes

The Marian Field Collection is comprised of nearly 250 botanical illustrations created by Field between 1933 and 1941, as well as a small collection of photographs and textual documents.

The bulk of the collection is comprised of nearly 200 illustrations created for use in Trees and Shrubs in Winter, a book written by University of Oregon botany professor Frank Sipe and supported by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Though the book was never published, the University of Oregon Herbarium exhibited Field's illustrations in the 1980s and the collection includes text panels from that exhibit. The collection also includes colorized photos of 15 of Field's illustrations and a small body of correspondence between Sipe and potential publishers.

The collection also includes more than 50 illustrations of Oregon fungi created by Field in 1933-1934. These illustrations were likely created in cooperation with Louis Henderson, curator of the University of Oregon Herbarium. A small number of reference photographs of fungi is also extant.

Biographical / Historical Notes

Marian Field (née Rorapaugh) was born in the Dakota Territory on November 7, 1885. She attended the Cincinnati Art Institute and, in 1902, married musician William B. Field. In 1905, she took a position as head of the University of North Dakota Art Department where she stayed until 1909. After leaving the University of North Dakota, she attended the Minneapolis School of Fine Arts.

The Field family moved to Eugene, Oregon in 1910. She attended the University of Oregon and earned a B.A. in fine arts in 1930 and took graduate coursework through 1933. From 1929 to 1933, Field worked at the University's art and architecture library. During this time, she also worked closely with Dr. Louis Henderson, curator of the University of Oregon Herbarium, for whom she made numerous botanical illustrations. Beginning in the mid-1930s, Field also did extensive illustrative work for botany professor Frank Sipe.

In 1939, Field became director of the Salem Art Center, a Works Project Administration (WPA) project. After the Salem Art Center was defunded in the early 1940s, she moved to Corvallis, Oregon and taught in the Oregon State College Art Department until her retirement in 1948. Field died in 1957 at the age of 72.

Author: Trevor Sandgathe

Administrative Information

More Extent Information: 6 oversize boxes including 250 illustrations and 23 photographic prints

Statement on Access: The collection is open for research.

Acquisition Note: Field's illustrations and other materials related to Trees and Shrubs in Winter were held by the University of Oregon Herbarium until 1993 when the University of Oregon and Oregon State University herbariums were combined on the Oregon State University campus. The Marian Field Collection was then transferred to the OSU Archives in December 1998. The Applegate Art Guild donated Illustrations and photographs of Oregon fungi to the Special Collections and Archives Research Center in March of 2015. The collection now resides in the Special Collections and Archives Research Center.

Related Materials: Photographs of Marian Field are available in Harriet's Photograph Collection (P HC) and the President's Office Photographs (P 092). Other botanical illustrations can be found in the Helen M. Gilkey Papers (MSS GilkeyH) and the Watercolor Society of Oregon Records (MSS Watercolor). Records of the OSU Art Department are available in the College of Liberal Arts Records (RG 143). Materials documenting the history of the OSU Herbarium are located in the Herbarium Records (RG 117) and the Herbarium Photographs (P 093).

Preferred Citation: Marian Field Collection (MSS Field), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

Processing Information: The Marian Field Collection was processed in 1999. The collection was reprocessed in 2018 to bring it into compliance with current processing standards and include recently accessioned materials.

Box and Folder Listing

Series 1: Illustrations for Trees and Shrubs in Winter, 1936-1982

Series 1 is comprised predominately of 193 pen and ink botanical illustrations of woody plants produced by Marian Field between 1936 and 1941. The drawings were originally intended to illustrate Trees and Shrubs in Winter by Frank Sipe, a botany professor at the University of Oregon. The series also includes a small quantity of correspondence documenting Sipe's efforts to publish the book, colorized photographs of 15 of Field's illustrations, and reprints of her illustrations of Acer macrophyllum and several species belonging to genus Arctostaphylos. The project, which was supported by the Works Project Administration (WPA), was defunded prior to publication.

Following the discontinuation of the book project, the illustrations were held and exhibited by the University of Oregon Herbarium. Twelve text panels from this exhibit are included in the series and provide details about the life and work of Marian Field, context for the production of the illustrations, and information about the process of plant identification. The source of some of the exhibit text, a manuscript biographical sketch of Marian Field produced by Mary Field Etter in December 1982, is also present along with a partial inventory of the illustrations.

Box-Folder 1.1: Abies Amabilis - Ceanothus velutinus, 1936-1941

Item 1: Abies amabilis. Amabilis fir. Lovely fir. Red silver fir, 1937
Item 2: Abies concolor. White fir, undated
Item 3: Abies grandis. Lowland fir, 1941
Item 4: Abies grandis. Giant fir. White fir, 1936
Item 5: Abies lasiocarpa [?], undated
Item 6: Abies lasiocarpa. Alipine fir, 1941
Item 7: Acer circinatum. Vine maple, 1936
Item 8: Acer circinatum. Vine maple, 1938
Item 9: Acer macrophyllum. Large-leaf maple, 1936
Item 10: Acer macrophyllum. Large-leaf maple, 1936
Item 11: Acer macrophyllum. Large-leaf maple, 1936
Item 12: Acer macrophyllum. Large-leaf maple, 1936
Item 13: Acer macrophyllum. Large-leaf maple, 1936
Item 14: Acer macrophyllum var. Kimballi. Kimball's maple, 1941
Item 15: Alnus oregona. Red alder, 1936
Item 16: Alnus oregona. Red alder, 1938
Item 17: Alnus sinuata. Sitka alder, 1940
Item 18: Alnus sinuata. Sitka alder, 1940
Item 19: Alnus sinuata. Sitka alder, 1941
Item 20: Amelanchier alnifolia. Service berry, 1936
Item 21: Arbutus menziesii. Madrona, undated
Item 22: Arctostaphylos columbiana. Hairy manzanita, 1936
Item 23: Arctostaphylos columbiana. Hairy manzanita, 1937
Item 24: Arctostaphylos columbiana. Hairy manzanita, 1938
Item 25: Arctostaphylos patula, 1938
Item 26: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi. Kinnikinnic, 1936
Item 27: Artemisia tridentata. Sagebrush, 1936
Item 28: Baccharis pilularis. Coyote brush. Chaparral broom. Kidneywort, undated
Item 29: Berberis aquifolium. Oregon grape, 1936
Item 30: Berberis aquifolium. Oregon grape, 1936
Item 31: Berberis aquifolium. Oregon grape, 1937
Item 32: Berberis nervosa. Mountain Oregon grape, 1937
Item 33: Berberis nervosa. Mountain Oregon grape, 1939
Item 34: Castanopsis chrysophyll. Chinquapin. Golden-leaved chestnut, 1937
Item 35: Castanopsis chrysophyll. Chinquapin. Golden-leaved chestnut, 1939
Item 36: Ceanothus cordulatus. Snow bush, 1937
Item 37: Ceanothus cuneatus, 1938
Item 38: Ceanothus cuneatus. Buckbrush. Greasewood, 1938
Item 39: Ceanothus cuneatus. Buckbrush. Greasewood, 1938
Item 40: Ceanothus sanguineus. Oregon tea. Buckbrush. Wild lilac, 1937
Item 41: Ceanothus velutinus. Cinnamon bush. Snow bush, 1940

Box-Folder 2.1: Cercocarpus ledifolius - Micromeria douglasii, 1936-1941

Item 1: Cercocarpus ledifolius. Mountain Mahogany, 1939
Item 2: Chamaecyparis Lawsoniana. Lawson cypress. Port Orford cedar, undated
Item 3: Chamaecyparis nootkatensis. Yellow cypress. Alaska cypress. Yellow cedar, 1937
Item 4: Cornus Nuttallii. Dogwood, 1936
Item 6: Cornus occidentalis. Creek dogwood, 1936
Item 5: Cornus occidentalis. Creek dogwood, 1936
Item 7: Cornus occidentalis. Creek dogwood, 1938
Item 8: Corylus californica. Hazel, 1939
Item 9: Crataegus Douglasii. Hawthorn, 1936
Item 10: Crataegus Douglasii. Hawthorn, 1938
Item 11: Crataegus Douglasii. Hawthorn, 1939
Item 12: Cytisus scoparius. Scotch broom, 1936
Item 13: Cytisus scoparius. Scotch broom, 1936
Item 14: Cytisus scoparius. Scotch broom, 1936
Item 15: Cytisus scoparius. Scotch broom, 1936
Item 16: Euonymus occidentalis. Western burning bush, 1941
Item 17: Euonymus occidentalis. Western burning bush, 1941
Item 18: Fraxinus oregona. Oregon ash, 1936
Item 19: Fraxinus oregona. Oregon ash, 1936
Item 20: Fraxinus oregona. Oregon ash, 1936
Item 21: Fraxinus oregona. Oregon ash, 1936
Item 22: Fraxinus oregona. Oregon ash, 1936
Item 23: Gaultheria shallon. Salal, 1936
Item 24: Gaultheria shallon. Salal, 1937
Item 25: Gaultheria shallon. Salal, 1938
Item 26: Holodiscus discolor. Ocean spray, 1937
Item 27: Holodiscus discolor. Ocean spray, 1938
Item 28: Juniperus occidentalis. Western juniper, 1936
Item 29: Ledum columbianum. Labrador tea, 1936
Item 30: Libocedrus decurrens. Incense cedar, 1936
Item 31: Libocedrus decurrens. Incense cedar, undated
Item 32: Lithocarpus densiflora. Tan oak, 1940
Item 33: Lonicera ciliosa. Climbing honeysuckle, 1936
Item 34: Lonicera ciliosa. Climbing honeysuckle, 1937
Item 35: Lonicera hispidula. Pink honeysuckle, 1936
Item 36: Lonicera involucrata. Bush honeysuckle, 1939
Item 37: Lonicera involucrata. Bush honeysuckle, undated
Item 38: Menziesia ferruginea. Fool's huckleberry. Rusty leaf, undated
Item 39: Menziesia ferruginea. Fool's huckleberry. Rusty leaf, 1937
Item 40: Micromeria douglasii. Yerba buena. Oregon tea, 1938

Box-Folder 3.1: Myrica californica - Rhamnus purshiana, 1936-1940

Item 1: Myrica californica. Wax myrtle. California myrtle, 1937
Item 2: Myrica californica. Wax myrtle. California myrtle, 1937
Item 3: Myrica californica. Wax myrtle. California myrtle, 1937
Item 4: Oplopanax horridum. Devil's club, 1936
Item 5: Oplopanax horridum. Devil's club, 1940
Item 6: Osmaronia cerasiformis. Oso berry. Indian peach, 1936
Item 7: Osmaronia cerasiformis. Oso berry. Indian peach, 1938
Item 8: Osmaronia cerasiformis. Oso berry. Indian peach, 1938
Item 9: Pachistima myrsinites. Mountain lover, 1938
Item 10: Philadelphus gordonianus. Mock orange. Syringa, 1938
Item 11: Phoradendron villosum. Mistletoe, 1937
Item 12: Phyllodoce empetriformis. Heather, 1937
Item 13: Physocarpus capitatus. Nine bark, 1936
Item 14: Physocarpus capitatus. Nine bark, 1936
Item 15: Picea sitchensis. Sitka spruce. Tideland spruce, 1938
Item 16: Pinus albicaulis. White-bark pine, 1936
Item 17: Pinus albicaulis. White-bark pine, 1937
Item 18: Pinus contorta. Lodge pole pine, 1937
Item 19: Pinus ponderosa. Western yellow pine, 1936
Item 20: Polygonum paronychia. Sand knotweed. Dune knotweed, 1937
Item 21: Populus trichocarpa. Cottonwood, 1936
Item 22: Prunus demissa. Wild cherry, 1936
Item 23: Pseudorsuga taxifolia. Douglas fir, 1938
Item 24: Purshia tridentata. Antelope brush, 1937
Item 25: Pyrus rivularis. Wild crab apple, 1936
Item 26: Pyrus rivularis. Wild crab apple, 1939
Item 27: Quercus chrysolepsis. Canyon live oak. Mountain holly. Maul oak. Golden leaf oak, 1937
Item 28: Quercus chrysolepsis. Canyon live oak. Mountain holly. Maul oak. Golden leaf oak, 1937
Item 29: Quercus garryana. White oak. Garryana. Garry oak, 1936
Item 30: Quercus garryana. White oak. Garryana. Garry oak, 1936
Item 31: Quercus garryana. White oak. Garryana. Garry oak, 1939
Item 32: Quercus Kelloggii. California black oak, 1936
Item 33: Quercus Kelloggii. California black oak, 1936-1939
Item 34: Quercus Kelloggii. California black oak, 1937
Item 35: Rhamnus Purshiana. Cascara. Chittim, 1936
Item 36: Rhamnus Purshiana. Cascara. Chittim, 1936
Item 37: Rhamnus Purshiana. Cascara. Chittim, 1936
Item 38: Rhamnus Purshiana. Cascara. Chittim, 1936-1938

Box-Folder 4.1: Rhododendron albiflorum - Salix sitchensis, 1936-1941

Item 1: Rhododendron albiflorum, 1940
Item 2: Rhododendron californicum, 1936
Item 3: Rhododendron californicum, 1936-1939
Item 4: Rhododendron occidentale. Azalea, 1937
Item 5: Rhus diversiloba. Poison oak, 1939
Item 6: Ribes bracteosum. Stink currant, 1938
Item 7: Ribes bracteosum. Stink currant, 1939
Item 8: Ribes cereum. Squaw currant, 1937
Item 9: Ribes cruentum. Shiny leaved gooseberry, 1938
Item 10: Ribes divaricatum. Coast black gooseberry. Straggly gooseberry, 1938
Item 11: Ribes lacustre, 1938
Item 12: Ribes menziesii, 1938
Item 13: Ribes sanguineum. Red-flowering currant, 1936
Item 14: Ribes sanguineum. Red-flowering currant, 1936
Item 15: Ribes sanguineum. Red-flowering currant, 1936
Item 16: Ribes sanguineum. Red-flowering currant, 1938
Item 17: Rosa gymnocarpa. Wood rose, 1936
Item 18: Rosa nutkana, 1936
Item 19: Rosa pisocarpa, 1936
Item 20: Rosa rubiginosa. Sweet briar, 1936
Item 21: Rosa rubiginosa. Sweet briar, 1937
Item 22: Rubus laciniatus. Evergreen blackberry, 1936
Item 23: Rubus leucodermis. Black-cap, 1937
Item 24: Rubus macropetalus. Wild blackberry, 1936
Item 25: Rubus parviflorus. Thimble berry, 1936
Item 26: Rubus parviflorus. Thimble berry, 1938
Item 27: Rubus spectabilis. Salmon berry, 1938
Item 28: Rubus Coulteri. Coulter's willow, 1941
Item 29: Salix Hookeriana. Coast willow, 1938
Item 30: Salix lasiandra. Yellow willow. Red willow, 1938
Item 31: Salix mackenziana. Mackenzie black willow, 1938
Item 32: Salix melanopsis. Dusky willow, 1938
Item 33: Salix Piperi. White willow. Dune willow. Piper willow, 1938
Item 34: Salix scouleriana. Nuttall willow. Scouler willow, 1938
Item 35: Salix sessilifolia, 1938
Item 36: Salix sitchensis. Satin willow. Silky willow, 1939
Item 37: Salix sitchensis. Satin willow. Silky willow, 1940
Item 38: Salix sitchensis. Satin willow. Silky willow, 1941

Box-Folder 5.1: Sambucus - Viburnum pauciflorum, 1936-1941

Item 1: Sambucus, 1938
Item 2: Sambucus, 1938
Item 3: Sambucus glauca. Blue elderberry, 1936
Item 4: Sambucus glauca. Blue elderberry, 1936
Item 5: Sambucus racemosa. Red elderberry, 1938
Item 6: Sequoia sempervirens. Redwood, 1938
Item 7: Spirea densiflora, 1941
Item 8: Spirea Douglasii. Hardhack spirea, 1936
Item 9: Symphoricarpos albus. Snow berry, 1939
Item 10: Symphoricarpos albus. Snow berry, 1939
Item 11: Taxis brevifolia. Western, 1937
Item 12: Thuja plicata. Red cedar. Canoe cedar. Giant cedar, 1937
Item 13: Tsuga heterophylla. Western hemlock, 1937
Item 14: Tsuga Mertensiana. Mountain hemlock, 1937
Item 15: Tsuga Mertensiana. Mountain hemlock, 1937-1941
Item 16: Ulex europaeus. Gorse. Whin, 1937
Item 17: Umbellularia californica. California laurel. Oregon myrtle, 1938
Item 18: Umbellularia californica. California laurel. Oregon myrtle, 1938
Item 19: Vaccinium caespitosum. Dwarf bilberry, 1938
Item 20: Vaccinium caespitosum. Dwarf bilberry, 1939
Item 21: Vaccinium membranaceum. Mountain huckleberry, 1938
Item 22: Vaccinium occidentale. Western huckleberry, 1941
Item 23: Vaccinium ovalifolium. Tall blue huckleberry, 1938
Item 24: Vaccinium ovatum. Common evergreen huckleberry, 1936
Item 25: Vaccinium ovatum. Common evergreen huckleberry, 1937
Item 26: Vaccinium ovatum. Common evergreen huckleberry, 1937
Item 27: Vaccinium Oxycoccos. Small cranberry, 1939
Item 28: Vaccinium parvifolium. Red huckleberry, 1936
Item 29: Vaccinium parvifolium. Red huckleberry, 1936
Item 30: Vaccinium parvifolium. Red huckleberry, 1938
Item 31: Viburnum ellipticum. Western way-faring tree, 1936
Item 32: Viburnum ellipticum. Western way-faring tree, 1938
Item 33: Viburnum ellipticum. Western way-faring tree, 1938
Item 34: Viburnum ellipticum. Western way-faring tree, 1938
Item 35: Viburnum ellipticum. Western way-faring tree, 1938
Item 36: Viburnum pauciflorum. High bush cranberry. Squash berry. Pimpina, 1938

Box-Folder 6.1: Panels from Winter and Spring Twigs of Oregon Woody Plants exhibit, undated

Box-Folder 6.2: Photographs and reprints of illustrations for Trees and Shrubs in Winter, 1936

Box-Folder 6.3: Correspondence re: Trees and Shrubs in Winter, 1938-1941

Box-Folder 6.4: Partial inventory of illustrations for Trees and Shrubs in Winter, circa 1982

Box-Folder 6.5: Biographical sketch of Marian Field by Mary Field Etter, 1982

Series 2: Illustrations of Oregon Fungi, 1933-1934

Series 2 is comprised of 54 illustrations of fungi created between 1933 and 1934. These illustrations were produced in a variety of sizes and mediums and include pencil drawings, oil paintings, and watercolors. Some illustrations depict the subjects in various life stages and sometimes contain notes on the origin of the reference specimen. It is likely these illustrations were produced in collaboration with Louis Henderson, curator of the University of Oregon Herbarium.

The series also includes 8 matted photographs of assorted species of mushrooms that may have been used as reference images for Field's illustrations. Many of the photographs are colorized and all but one include handwritten notes identifying the species.

Box-Folder 6.6: Botanical Illustrations

Item 1: Alurea aurantia. Orange cup, undated
Item 2: Amanita calyptrata, 1933
Item 3: Amanita calyptrata pk., 1934
Item 4: Amanita muscaria, undated
Item 5: Amanita muscaria, undated
Item 6: Amillaria, 1934
Item 7: Amillaria, undated
Item 8: Armillaria mellea / Cantharellus floccosus Schw. Long tubed chanterelle, 1933
Item 9: Boletus eximius Peck., undated
Item 10: Boletus luridus Schaeff var. Rubeolarius [?], undated
Item 11: Cantherellus cibarius Fr. Chanterelle, undated
Item 12: Cantherellus cibarius Fr. Chanterelle, undated
Item 13: Clavaria, undated
Item 14: Clavarias, undated
Item 15: Clilocybe laccata, 1934
Item 16: Clitocybe laccata Scop., undated
Item 17: Coprinus atramentarius (Bull.) Fr., 1934
Item 18: Coprinus comatus, 1934
Item 19: Coprinus micaceus [?], undated
Item 20: Cortinarius violaceus, undated
Item 21: Gomphidius oregonensis, 1934
Item 22: Heboloma pracox, 1934
Item 23: Helvella lacunos Afzel, undated
Item 24: Helvella lacunosa Afzel, undated
Item 25: Hygrophorus pratensis var. meisneriensis. Meadow hyprophorus / Hygrophorus flammans [?]. Little glassy top, 1934
Item 26: Hypholoma fasciculare. Sulphur cap, 1934
Item 27: Hypholoma fasciculare. Sulphur cap, undated
Item 28: Hypholoma fasciculare. Sulphur cap, undated
Item 29: Inocybe abundans [?], 1934
Item 30: Inocybe geophylla var. Violacea, undated
Item 31: Lactarius deliciosus Fr., 1933
Item 32: Lactarius deliciosus Fr., undated
Item 33: Lactarius rufus, undated
Item 34: Lepiota, 1934
Item 35: Lepiota, undated
Item 36: Lycoperdon. Puffball, 1933
Item 37: Marasmius siccus, 1934
Item 38: Morchella esculenta Pers., undated
Item 39: Paxilus involus (Batsch) Fr., 1933
Item 40: Pholiota adiposa Fr., undated
Item 41: Pholiota adiposa Fr., undated
Item 42: Pleurotus ostreatus. Oyster mushroom / Schizophyllum commune. Split leaf, 1934
Item 43: Pluteolus expansis, undated
Item 44: Polyphorus picipes, undated
Item 45: Polyphorus sulphureus Fr., 1933
Item 46: Polyphorus sulphureus Fr., undated
Item 47: Polystictus, undated
Item 48: Russula alutacea Fr., 1933
Item 49: Russula nigricans Bull. / Clitocybe laccata Scop., 1933
Item 50: Russula roseipes, undated
Item 51: Russula roseipes, 1934
Item 52: Tricholoma equestre, 1934
Item 53: Tricholoma personatum, 1934
Item 54: Untitled, undated

Box-Folder 6.7: Specimen Photographs

Item 1: Armillaria mellea [?]
Item 2: Amanitopsis raginata
Item 3: Cantharellus floccosus
Item 4: Gomphidius
Item 5: Hypholoma
Item 6: Mycena
Item 7: [Nidulariaceae]. Bird's nest fungus
Item 8: Untitled