Shortia Galacifolia, Oconee Bells (3.19476)
Date: 1940sCreator: Watts, May Theilgaard
Type: Drawing
Description:Illustration of Oconee bells plant with identifying text, depicting leaves, five flowers, and one bud. Writing in graphite underneath includes identifying text.
Text: Shortia galacifolia - Oconee bells
Extent: 1 sheet
Growth of Pond: Pioneer Tree Stage (3.19495)
Date: 1940 – 1950Creator: Watts, May Theilgaard
Type: Drawing
Description:Part of a series of illustrations about the stages of pond growth. This material includes an aerial view of a pond with trees and plants showing at its edges and bays, and an illustration of a tree and cross-section view of aquatic plants attached to pond bottom, with leaves and flowers of shallower plants extended up to and above the water's surface.
Header: PIONEER TREE STAGE / WILLOWS ARE FIRST TO ARRIVE
Drawings and text from top to bottom, left to right:
- Pond
- [divided into 4 sections]:
- TREE ZONE
- willows
- silver maples
- EMERGENT PLANT ZONE
- FLOATING-LEAVED ZONE
- SUMERGED PLANT ZONE
- TREE ZONE
Extent: 1 sheet
Winter Buds, #1 (3.19511)
Date: 1940 – 1950Creator: Watts, May Theilgaard
Type: Drawing
Description:Large poster depicting 16 types of winter buds, bound in green tape.
Illustrations and text, from left to right, top to bottom:
- white ash
- black ash
- blue ash
- red ash
- sugar maple
- Norway maple
- silver maple
- box-elder
- horse-chestnut
- ohio buckeye
- flowering dogwood
- catalpa
- ironwood
- gray birch
- European white birch
- European alder
Extent: 1 sheet
Forest Nature Trail Guide: Forest Nature Trail worksheet (3.24001)
Date: 1946Creator: Watts, May Theilgaard
Type: Document
Description:Commercial reproduction of the FOREST NATURE TRAIL worksheet planned to accompany The Morton Arboretum Forest Nature Trail Guide booklet. The worksheet was designed to be used along with the trail guide while walking the trail.
Instructions at the top read: FILL BLANKS AT RIGHT WITH LETTER YOU SELECT - Questions based on your observation and the Trail Guide Booklet
Left border is labeled "Posts" and has illustrations of numbered tree stumps 1- 46, ending with a marker that reads "End of Trail".
Left center panel includes text of questions that match up with single posts or groupings of posts to the left.
Right center panel includes letter choices with illustrations and names of various flora and fauna along the trail, such as leaves, rocks, flowers, seeds, animals, animals tracks, needles, and trees.
Right border is labeled "Answers" and has answer boxes to be filled in with appropriate letters, ending with the notation, "If you are successful, this will tell you so".
Extent: 1 sheet
Spring Wild Flowers of the Forest Floor At The Morton Arboretum: A Key To Identification, page 2 (3.24616)
Date: 1944Creator: Watts, May Theilgaard
Type: Drawing
Description:Illustrations of wild flowers with identification text, key on left and habitat border of leaves on right, created to accompany "Spring Wild Flowers Of The Forest Floor At The Morton Arboretum" article featured in Morton Arboretum Bulletin of Popular Information.
Illustrations and identifying text depicted, from top to bottom:
- Trout lily -- Erythronium albidum
- Wild garlic -- Allium canadense
- Wild leek -- Allium tricoccum
- Carrion flower -- Smilax herbacea
- Bellwort -- Uvularia grandiflora
- Small solomon seal -- Polygonatum biflorum
- Great solomon seal -- Polygonatum commutatum
- Starry solomonplume -- Smilacina stellata
- Feather solomonplume -- Smilacina racemosa
Extent: 1 sheet
Winter Twigs, page 3 (3.24632)
Date: 1943Creator: Watts, May Theilgaard
Type: Drawing
Description:Page 3 of 4, illustrations showing identifying characteristics of different types of winter twigs with identifying labels and text above each, created to accompany "Winter Twigs" article featured in Morton Arboretum Bulletin of Popular Information. Some original identifying text has detached and is no longer present.
Illustrations are divided into seven sections, depicted from top to bottom, left to right:
1) TREES WITH THORNS
- Honey locust -- Gleditsia triacanthos
- Black locust -- Robinia pseudo-acacia
- Osage orange -- Maclura pomifera
- Hawthorn -- Crataegus
- Wild crab -- Malus ioensis [and] Malus coronaria
- Wild plum : Prunus americana [and] Prunus nigra
- European larch -- Larix decidua
- Tamarack -- Larix laricina
- Ginkgo -- Ginkgo biloba
- Black Oak Group
- Red oak -- Quercus borealis maxima
- Northern pin oak -- Quercus ellipsoidalis
- Pin oak -- Quercus palustris
- White Oak Group
- Bur Oak -- Quercus macrocarpa
- White oak -- Quercus alba
- Swamp white oak -- Quercus bicolor
- Tulip [tree] -- Liriodendron tulipifera
- Sycamore -- Platanus occidentalis
- Kentucky coffee tree -- Gymnocladus dioicus
- Tree of heaven -- Ailanthus altissima
- Staghorn sumac -- Rhus typhina
- Smooth sumac -- Rhus glabra
- Willow -- Salix
Extent: 1 sheet
Forest Nature Trail Guide, page 6 illustrations and layout with preliminary sketches (3.24656)
Date: 1946Creator: Watts, May Theilgaard
Type: Drawing
Description:Sheet One: Original illustrations and layout for page 6, excluding text, for The Morton Arboretum Forest Nature Trail Guide booklet. Key lines included.
Illustrated stumps with numbers indicate points of interest along trail as seen on trail map.
Tree stump #10: Black Walnut
Identifying characteristics for leaves, seeds, and nuts illustrated to the right.
Tree stump #11: Red Oak Bark
Identifying characteristics for bark and leaves illustrated to the right.
Tree stump #12: H-A-M
Mnemonic device for remembering which common trees bear leaves opposite each other: H = horse-chestnut, A= ash, and M = maple. Identifying characteristics for leaves illustrated to the right labeled "alternate" and "opposite".
Tree stump #13: Who Planted These 4 Trees in a Row?
Generalized illustration of four trees with identifying characteristics for seeds illustrated to the right labeled "oak," "maple," "ash," and "oak".
Sheet Two: Preliminary sketch of green-colored illustrations.
Extent: 2 sheets
Evergreen Nature Trail Guide, page 4 illustrations and layout with preliminary sketches (3.24678)
Date: 1940sCreator: Watts, May Theilgaard
Type: Drawing
Description:Sheet One: Original illustrations and layout for page 4, excluding text, for The Morton Arboretum Evergreen Nature Trail Guide booklet. Key lines included.
Illustrated stumps with numbers indicate points of interest along trail as seen on trail map.
Tree stump #3: Colorado Green Spruce
Includes generalized identifying characteristics of tree illustrated below.
Tree stump #4: Norway Spruce
Includes generalized identifying characteristics of tree illustrated below.
Tree stump #5: Colorado Blue Spruce
Tree stump #6: White Spruce
Includes generalized identifying characteristics of tree illustrated below.
Several cutout illustrations depicting needle/cone characteristics originally adhered to board have detached and are no longer present. One detached cutout illustration of Colorado Green Spruce needles housed with art.
Sheet Two: Preliminary sketch of green-colored illustrations.
Extent: 2 sheets, 1 cutout
Leaf Prints: European Black Alder (3.27657)
Date: circa 1950Creator: Watts, May Theilgaard
Type: Print
Description:A white negative nature print of European Black Alder leaves, stems, buds, and fruit on a dark background with identifying text at bottom center handwritten by May T. Watts.
Identifying text:
- Alder
- Alnus glutinosa
Extent: 1 sheet
Leaf Prints: Catalpa (3.27673)
Date: circa 1950Creator: Watts, May Theilgaard
Type: Print
Description:A white negative nature print of catalpa leaves, stems, and flowers on a dark background with identifying text at bottom right handwritten by May T. Watts.
Identifying text:
- Catalpa
- Catalpa catalpa
Extent: 1 sheet
Leaf Prints: Slippery Elm (3.27689)
Date: circa 1950Creator: Watts, May Theilgaard
Type: Print
Description:A white negative nature print of slippery elm leaves and stems on a dark background with identifying text at bottom right handwritten by May T. Watts.
Identifying text:
- Elm slippery
- Ulmus rubra
Extent: 1 sheet
Leaf Prints: American Basswood (3.27705)
Date: circa 1950Creator: Watts, May Theilgaard
Type: Print
Description:A white negative nature print of American basswood, or American linden, leaves, stems, flowers, and fruit on a dark background with identifying text at bottom right handwritten by May T. Watts.
Identifying text:
- Linden American
- Tilia Americana
Extent: 1 sheet
Leaf Prints: White Oak (3.27721)
Date: circa 1950Creator: Watts, May Theilgaard
Type: Print
Description:A white negative nature print of white oak leaves and stems on a dark background with identifying text at bottom right handwritten by May T. Watts.
Identifying text:
- Oak white
- Quercus alba
Extent: 1 sheet
Leaf Prints: Canada Serviceberry (3.27737)
Date: circa 1950Creator: Watts, May Theilgaard
Type: Print
Description:A white negative nature print of Canada serviceberry leaves, stems, flowers, and fruit on a dark background with identifying text at bottom right handwritten by May T. Watts.
Identifying text:
- Service berry
- Amelanchier canadensis
Extent: 1 sheet
View of Thornhill (3.31060)
Date: 20th centuryCreator: Watts, May Theilgaard
Type: Drawing
Description:Illustration of view up the hill to the Thornhill Education Center at The Morton Arboretum, with bare trees and mushrooms in foreground, clouds and trees behind building in background, and an ink border.
Illustration used as image for printed notecards.
Extent: 1 sheet
Tree Portraits: Water Beech (3.31804)
Date: 1940 – 1950Creator: Watts, May Theilgaard
Type: Painting
Description:Color silhouette of a Water Beech tree, including a nature print outline of a leaf, a drawing of fruit with seeds, and descriptive text.
Header: WATER BEECH
Drawings and text from top to bottom, left to right:
- leaf [arrow pointing right to stem]: scarlet and orange in Autumn
- tree: bark with "muscles"
- fruit and seeds
Extent: 1 sheet
Tree Portraits: Red Oak (3.31827)
Creator: Watts, May Theilgaard
Type: Painting
Description:Color silhouette of a red oak tree, including a nature print outline of a leaf. Tab taped to bottom left corner includes descriptive text, a drawing of an acorn, and assigned letter.
Descriptive text in bottom left:
- leaf dull
- e
Extent: 1 sheet
Tree Portraits: White ash (3.31859)
Creator: Watts, May Theilgaard
Type: Painting
Description:Color silhouette of a white ash, or American ash, tree, including a nature print outline of a leaf. Tape adhered to bottom right corner indicates assigned letter.
Descriptive text in bottom right:
- S
Extent: 1 sheet
Tree Portraits: Shagbark Hickory 2 (3.31895)
Creator: Watts, May Theilgaard
Type: Painting
Description:Color silhouette of a shagbark hickory tree, including a nature print outline of leaves.
Extent: 1 sheet
May T. Watts lecturing at a Lunching and Learning class (3.34067)
Type: Photographic image
Description:May T. Watts giving a presentation for a Lunching and Learning class at The Morton Arboretum.
Extent: 1 slide
Students in a Junior Forestry class, using shovels (3.34124)
Type: Photographic image
Description:Schoolchildren participate in a Junior Forestry class with May T. Watts at The Morton Arboretum. Some use shovels to dig into the ground while others observe.
Extent: 1 slide
Leaf outline pinned to a woman's back (3.34140)
Type: Photographic image
Description:A silhouette of a leaf shape is pinned to a woman's back in a class with May T. Watts at The Morton Arboretum.
Extent: 1 slide
Students in a Junior Forestry class, using shovels to dig on the grounds (3.34156)
Type: Photographic image
Description:Schoolchildren participate in a Junior Forestry class with May T. Watts at The Morton Arboretum. Some use shovels to dig into the ground while others hold pruned trees.
Extent: 1 slide
May T. Watts, presenting her program for public television (3.34172)
Type: Photographic image
Description:May T. Watts presents her horticultural program at the studio of the Chicago public television station, WTTW. The camera crew is visible in the foreground.
Extent: 1 slide
Education charts: Beech-Maple Climax (3.34226)
Type: Photographic image
Description:An educational chart created by May T. Watts for The Morton Arboretum, depicting a beech-maple climax forest association. A detailed illustration of a single tree leaf is positioned at the center of the chart, surrounded by four vingnettes showing additional flora and fauna found within the ecological community.
Header: BEECH-MAPLE CLIMAX
Labels from top to bottom, left to right:
- wood sorrel
- oven bird
- beech
- chipmunk
- hemlock / sugar maple
Extent: 1 slide
Education charts: Pine-Oak Scrub Food Web (3.34242)
Type: Photographic image
Description:An educational chart created by May T. Watts for The Morton Arboretum, depicting various plants, insects, and animals that are part of a pine-oak scrub food web. The images in the chart are connected with arrows indicating the relationships between them in the web, labeled as follows:
- PRAIRIE WARBLER
- PITCH PINE
- FOWLER'S TOAD
- RED FOX
- SHARP-SHINNED HAWK
- CHICKADEE
- CATERPILLAR
- CENTIPEDE
- TOWHEE
- CHIPMUNK
- SCRUB OAK
- ORGANIC DEBRIS
- BEETLE GRUB
Extent: 1 slide
Stick figure sketch: gardener (3.34259)
Type: Photographic image
Description:A stick figure sketch created by May T. Watts for The Morton Arboretum, depicting a gardener with a shovel next to a row of potted plants and a planter box, while contemplating a plant "equation" in the depicting in the images in the row above.
Extent: 1 slide
Three sculptures (3.34282)
Type: Photographic image
Description:Three sculptures created by May T. Watts for The Morton Arboretum, which include an unidentified figure, a coiled snake, and a turtle.
Extent: 1 slide
Constellation figures: Pegasus (3.34337)
Type: Photographic image
Description:A poster depicting a drawing of the constellation figure Pegasus the winged horse, including some of the stars within the constellation pattern.
Extent: 1 slide
Farm Diorama: Poor farmer #2 (3.34353)
Type: Photographic image
Description:A diorama depicting a barn, a farmhouse, and crops planted on hills in the background.
Extent: 1 slide
Uses of Wood Exhibit: White Pine (3.34369)
Date: September 4 1974Creator: Stickney, William S.
Type: Photographic image
Description:A diorama from the Uses of Wood exhibit, depicting how white pine is used in doors and millwork.
Extent: 1 slide
Uses of Wood Exhibit: Bald-cypress (3.34388)
Date: September 4 1974Creator: Stickney, William S.
Type: Photographic image
Description:A diorama from the Uses of Wood exhibit, depicting an example of how bald-cypress wood is used in items such as shutters and siding.
Extent: 1 slide
Vegetable dyes: Goldenrod (3.34404)
Type: Photographic image
Description:A loosely woven swatch of threads dyed with goldenrod for a class taught by May T. Watts at The Morton Arboretum.
Label: Goldenrod
Extent: 1 slide
Illinois Prairie Path, first trip: Warren Keck, Erica Watts, Jane Moore, Ina Irmiter, Ruth Leedy, Helen Turner, and Lillian Lasch (3.34453)
Date: October 19 1963Type: Photographic image
Description:Warren Keck, Erica Watts, Jane Moore, Ina Irmiter, Ruth Leedy, Helen Turner, Lillian Lasch, an unidentified person, and a dog gathered for the initial survey of the land that would become the Illinois Prairie Path.
Extent: 1 slide
Illinois Prairie Path, first trip: Hikers walking on railroad ties (3.35254)
Date: October 19 1963Creator: Sobolik, A. A.
Type: Photographic image
Description:A group hikers along railroad ties that were part of the former Chicago, Aurora and Elgin railway, on land that would become part of the Illinois Prairie Path.
Extent: 1 slide
Illinois Prairie Path, second trip: May T. Watts giving a presentation at High Lake station (3.35270)
Date: May 9 1964Creator: Sobolik, A. A.
Type: Photographic image
Description:May T. Watts speaks to a group sitting on steps at the High Lake station along the Geneva branch of the former Chicago, Aurora and Elgin railway, on land that would become part of the Illinois Prairie Path.
Extent: 1 slide