David Richards Collection on N.E. Hansen

1.89 linear feet (4 document cases, 1 half-document case), Photographs

The David Richards Collection on N.E. Hansen documents the extensive horticultural work and plant exploration of Niels Ebbesen Hansen (1866–1950), a pioneering plant breeder and professor of horticulture at South Dakota State College. Hansen was known for introducing hardy fruits, ornamental plants, and forage crops suitable for the Northern Great Plains. David Richards, a long-time admirer of Hansen, frequently visited him in his office. Following Hansen’s death in 1950, Richards received permission to preserve several items and salvaged numerous documents otherwise destined for disposal. These materials form the basis of this archival collection.

The collection includes Hansen’s bulletins and circulars for the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station, manuscripts and article drafts containing his handwritten notes and corrections, and correspondence with colleagues, friends, and customers interested in plant orders. Also present are catalog descriptions prepared for seed catalogs, transplanting cards documenting the propagation of hybrids, and research reports to the Agricultural Experiment Station and South Dakota State Horticultural Society. Additional materials include clippings, photographs, collected Russian publications, travel notes, international journals, seed catalogs, and multiple volumes of Seeds and Plants Imported from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Subjects covered in Hansen’s writings span apples, crabapples, apricots, cherries, currants, grapes, pears, plums, roses, alfalfa, trees, and topics in plant genetics and breeding.

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Copyright and Use Statement

In Copyright This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses, you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Materials in this collection may be subject to Title 17, Section 108 of the United States Copyright Act. Users are responsible for ensuring compliance with copyright, privacy, trademark, and other applicable rights for their intended use. Obtaining all necessary permissions is the user's responsibility. Written authorization from the copyright and/or other rights holders is required for publication, distribution, or any use of protected materials beyond what is permitted under fair use.