Re: From Anner Whitehead

[Robert Pries <robertpries@embarqmail.com>]

A board member just tried to reach my by e-mail and they could not so they
called. I believe one of the problems may be people using the wrong e-mail
address. My address is robertpries@embarqmail.com

I welcome any members wishing to complain, comment or applaud what the board
has been, or is doing. I also accept phone calls up to 8:00pm EST. and
beginning at 9:am EST. This is your society and if you have ideas you should
be free to express them.

B 
----- Original Message -----
From: "John I Jones" <jijones@usjoneses.com>
To: aisdiscuss@aisboard.org
Sent: Friday, November 5, 2010 12:14:05 PM
Subject: [AISdiscuss] From Anner Whitehead





Begin forwarded message:



From: chatowhitehall@aol.com
Date: November 4, 2010 8:33:49 AM PDT
To: jijones@usjoneses.com
Subject: For AIS Discuss, Please




Greetings.

As some may be aware, I too, have taken a personal interest in the history and
evolution of the form of the AIS Seals.

I'd like to endorse what I understand to be Dr. Stahly's take on
theB intriguing issue of the incorrect date having appeared in
someB publications. I too, believe, it isB an aberration,B a clerical error of
no real grave or abiding import, which was corrected in dueB course.B I
thinkB it is oddB that it happened,B butB itB is only to be expected thatB in
nearlyB one hundred years of organizational history there will have been some
nonsenses made.B 

Since JohnB wants to document thisB matter, IB will
offerB aB fewB observations.

First, unless we find the original artwork somewhere we really don't know what
the BoardB accepted for the second Seal. The record is maddeningly vague on
this wholeB subject and I never could tell when I was researching the
matterB whether it was vague becauseB something hadB suddenly gotten awkward,
or vague because it was not considered important thatB the recordB be more
detailed. I believe this is not the only area in which the record
ofB organizational history gets vague during this period.

There is, frankly,B some question in my mind as to whether the Board ever
approved the first Seal, although they certainly never repudiated it, and they
did use it officially on publications. The designer of the first seal, B. Y.
Morrison, was, however,B alive and very prominent inB American horticulture
when the demand for a new Seal arose. That said,B I can't imagineB him being
devastated by replacement of his design so thatB theB new Seal design
processB probablyB became complicated because ofB unpragmatic overenthusiasm
in some quarters, indeed Fischer tells us as much.

Anyway,B to my knowledge,B the originalB artwork for the second seal as
approved by the Board is not extant, unless, it survives in the AIS Archives,
or was appended to the official minutes of the meeting in which it was
approved. Since there appears to be interest in pulling together all that is
known on this subject,B IB suggest youB investigate that possibility.

Second, if you willB  examine your copy of the Golden Anniversary Issue of the
Bulletin, which is Section One ofB  BAIS B 196, January 1970 withB Jesse Wills
as Guest Editor,B you will see on the front cover andB the inside cover that
in commemorationB of the 50th Anniversary of the Society,B an "Official Medal"
was struck and sold in versions silver and bronze. This medal wasB struck onto
a circular blank and one side offers irises and the anniversary date, while
the other side shows a version of the Seal adjustedB minimally toB the
circular format. The founding dateB is 1920. The copy on the insideB cover of
BAIS 196ii reads, "The obverse depicts the AISB Seal. The reverse symbolizes
the progress of the Society, and of the Iris during the half century." B B The
point of contact for ordering was Mr. Benson.B  So,
hereB weB haveB publication in the broader sense of the word,B in 1970, of
what is identified asB "the Seal,"B bearing the correct date.B  One more datum
for the collection.

I think, John, since you mention wanting to do something about this
information, were I in in your position, I'd simply pull together aB cogent
memo touchingB the points you wish to make about the history of the issue as
known to date, with citations to all primary documents, and photocopies or
scans ofB same, thenB submitB that to the Board as a Special Report and
Memorandum to the Minutes of the Meeting, to beB archived therewith. I would
suggest you also send a copy to the Library where there is a folder on AIS
Seal History, or so I presume, as IB sentB the Librarian aB copy ofB my
article on the subjectB which appears on the current AIS Web Page.

Cordially,

Anner M. Whitehead
Richmond, VA

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