Guide to the Frank and Verna Pratt papers
1967-2010
Collection number: HMC-1276.
Creator:
Pratt, Frank G.
Pratt, Verna E.
Title: Frank and Verna Pratt papers.
Dates: 1967-2010.
Volume of collection: 3.8 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Materials in the collection are in English.
Collection summary: Slides and papers relating to native plants of Alaska.
Biographical note:
Frank and Verna Pratt were born in Massachusetts in 1930 and got married after graduating from high school. They moved to Alaska in 1966, when Frank was stationed at Fort Richardson as an Army Intelligence Officer. After leaving the Army, Frank spent 34 years working as a pharmacist in Anchorage. Verna developed an interest in gardening and plants native to Alaska. She became a respected amateur botanist and master gardener. The Pratts published several guides to Alaskan wildflowers and berries, with many of the photographs taken by Frank. Verna also taught classes and led hiking tours at the University of Alaska Anchorage, Denali National Park, Alaska Botanical Garden, and Anchorage Public Schools. She co-founded the Alaska Native Plant Society and was a featured speaker at the International Rock Garden Plant Conference in Scotland in 2001. In 2009, the Pratts were awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Anchorage Chapter of the Alaska Master Gardeners. Frank Pratt died in Anchorage in 2012. Verna Pratt died in 2017.
Collection description:
The collection consists of slides taken by Frank and Verna Pratt, as well as papers relating to native plants of Alaska. Subjects of the slides include various plants native to Alaska; Alaskan animals; gardens in Alaska and in the United States and Canada; and travel photos from various locations in Alaska, including Denali National Park, Juneau, Skagway, the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska National Heritage Park, Hatcher Pass, Chugach Mountains, Seward Highway, Glenn Highway, Richardson Highway, Anchorage, Nome, St. Paul Island, Dutch Harbor, Southeast Alaska as well as some photographs taken in Canada and Scotland. The papers include administrative and other papers relating to the Alaska Native Plant Society; lists of plants by location; informational resources created or collected by Verna Pratt about growing and identifying plants native to Alaska; and information about events relating to Alaskan plants.
Arrangement: The collection is arranged into two series:
Series 1: Slides; 1967-2010
Series 2: Papers; 1982-2010
Digitized copies: This collection has not been digitized. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact Archives and Special Collections.
Rights note: Archives and Special Collections owns copyright to materials created by Frank and Verna Pratt. Materials not created by Frank or Verna Pratt may be subject to copyright not held by Archives and Special Collections.
Preferred citation: Frank and Verna Pratt papers, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.
Works used in preparation of inventory:
“Obituaries: Frank Gardner Pratt Jr.” Anchorage Daily News, December 20, 2012.
“Wildflower wizard Verna Pratt dies in Anchorage.” Anchorage Daily News, January 9, 2017. https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2017/01/09/wildflower-wizard-verna-pratt-dies-in-anchorage/
Separated materials: Alaska Native Plant Society newsletters have been removed and added to the Alaska Native Plant Society newsletters ephemera collection (EPH-0188).
Custodial history: Following Verna Pratt’s death, materials in the collection were transferred to Alaska native Plant Society President, Beth Baker.
Acquisition note: The collection was donated to Archives and Special Collections by Beth Baker and Frank G. Pratt III in January 2018. A deed of gift was signed by Frank G. Pratt III in December 2017.
Processing information: This collection was described by Gwen Higgins in 2018.
Container list:
Series 1: Slides; 1967-2010. 3.5 cubic feet.
This series consists of slides taken by Frank and Verna Pratt, depicting Alaskan plants and animals, gardens, and scenery from Alaska and elsewhere. Slides originally housed in numbered binders are arranged by binder number (binder 2 was not included in the collection.). The binders were, for the most part, arranged alphabetically by scientific names of plant families. Other slides are arranged alphabetically by subject.
| Box/
Folder |
Description | Date |
| 1/1 | Binder 1: Adoxaceae, Apiacea, Apocynaceae | 1984-2002 |
| 1/2 | Binder 1: Araceae, Araliaceae, Asteraceae (through Arnica) | 1984-2002 |
| 1/3 | Binder 3: Asteraceae (Taraxacum), Balsaminaceae, Betulaceae | 1983-2001 |
| 1/4 | Binder 3: Boraginaceae, Brassicaceae (Arabis-Cakile) | 1983-2005 |
| 1/5 | Binder 4: Brassicaceae (Cardamine) | 1978-2005 |
| 1/6 | Binder 4: Brassicaceae (Cardamine), Campanulaceae | 1976-2005 |
| 1/7 | Binder 5: Caprifoliaceae, Caryophyllaceae | 1976-2005 |
| 1/8 | Binder 5: Caryophyllaceae | 1976-2005 |
| 1/9 | Binder 6: Chenopodiaceae, Cornaceae, Crassulaceae | 1979-2004 |
| 1/10 | Binder 6: Cupressaceae, Diapensiaceae, Droseraceae, Elaeganaceae, Empetraceae | 1977-2005 |
| 1/11-12 | Binder 7: Ericaceae | 1977-2004 |
| 1/13 | Binder 8: Equisetaceae, Fabaceae | 1977-2004 |
| 1/14 | Binder 8: Fabaceae | 1971-2005 |
| 1/15 | Binder 9: Fumariaceae, Gentianaceae | 1976-2002 |
| 1/16 | Binder 9: Geraniaceae, Grossularaceae, Haloragaceae | 1976-2005 |
| 1/17 | Binder 10: Hydrophyllaceae, Iridaceae, Juncaginaceae, Labitaceae, Lemnaceae, Lentibulariaceae | 1977-2005 |
| 1/18 | Binder 10: Liliaceae | 1977-2004 |
| 2/1 | Binder 11: Linaceae, Lycopodiaceae, Myriaceace, Nymphaeaceae | 1979-2000 |
| 2/2 | Binder 11: Onagraceae | 1976-2001 |
| 2/3 | Binder 12: Orchidaceae, Orobanchaceae | 1976-2010 |
| 2/4 | Binder 12: Papaveraceae | 1977-2005 |
| 2/5 | Binder 13: Pinaceae, Planaginaceae, Plumbaginaceae, Polemoniaceae | 1976-2008 |
| 2/6 | Binder 13: Polygonaceae, Pontaginaceae, Portulacaceae | 1976-2007 |
| 2/7 | Binder 14a: Primulaceae | 1978-2005 |
| 2/8 | Binder 14a: Pyrolaceae | 1976-1999 |
| 2/9 | Binder 14b: Ranunculaceae (Aconitum-Anemone) | 1976-2005 |
| 2/10 | Binder 15: Ranunculaceae (Aquilegia-Pulsatilla) | 1976-2003 |
| 2/11-12 | Binder 16: Rosaceae (through Potentilla) | 1976-2003 |
| 2/13 | Binder 17: Rosaceae (Rosa-Sorbus) | 1976-2006 |
| 2/14 | Binder 17: Rubiaceae, Salicaceae | 1976-2000 |
| 2/15 | Binder 18: Salicaceae | 1976-2005 |
| 2/16 | Binder 18: Santaliaceae, Saxifragaceae (through Mitella) | 1976-2005 |
| 2/17 | Binder 19: Saxifragaceae (Saxifraga to end) | 1976-2005 |
| 2/18-19 | Binder 20: Scrophulariaceae | 1976-2005 |
| 3/1 | Binder 21: Sparganiaceae, Typhaceae, Urticacea, Valerianaceae, Violaceae | 1976-2008 |
| 3/2 | Binder 22: mushrooms | 1977-2000 |
| 3/3 | Binder 22: ferns | 1985-2005 |
| 3/4 | Binder 23: grass, sedge, rush | 1978-2007 |
| 3/5 | Alaska Native Plant Society field trips | 1984-1999 |
| 3/6 | Animals | 1988-2000 |
| 3/7 | Animals: bears, caribou | 1992-1998 |
| 3/8 | Animals: sheep, moose, small animals, pets | 1968-1999 |
| 3/9-13 | Denali National Park | 1975-2005 |
| 3/14-18 | Flowers and plants | 1976-2004 |
| 3/19-24 | Gardens: Calgary, Seattle, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Eugene | 1993-2006 |
| 4/1 | Gardens: rock gardens | 1996-2004 |
| 4/2 | Moss, lichen, seaweed | 1979-2007 |
| 4/3 | Orchids | 1980-2005 |
| 4/4 | Revegetation, landscaping , weeds | 1989-2002 |
| 4/5-12 | Scenes and habitats: Juneau, Skagway, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska National Heritage Park, Hatcher Pass, Chugach Mountains, Seward Highway, Glenn Highway, Richardson Highway, Anchorage, Canada, Nome, St. Paul Island, Dutch Harbor, Scotland, Southeast Alaska | 1967-2007 |
| 4/13 | Weeds | 1978-1995 |
Series 2: Papers; 1982-2010. 0.3 cubic feet.
This series consists of papers created and collected by Verna Pratt, relating to native plants of Alaska. The papers include Alaska Native Plant Society administrative papers and information about field trips; informational resources about growing and identifying Alaskan plants; and information about events relating to native plants of Alaska. The papers are arranged alphabetically.
| Box/
Folder |
Description | Date |
| 4/14 | Alaska Botanical Gardens materials | 1990, 2008 |
| 4/15 | Alaska Day program | undated |
| 4/16 | Alaska Master Gardener conference | 2008 |
| 4/17 | Alaska Native Plant Society administrative records | 1983-1987 |
| 4/18 | Alaska Native Plant Society field trips | 1991-2006 |
| 4/19 | Alaska native plant references | undated |
| 4/20 | Best native plants for Southcentral Alaska | undated |
| 4/21 | Emails | 1998, 2002 |
| 4/22 | 50 easy plants for Alaska rock gardens | undated |
| 4/23 | Flower identification by Verna Pratt | undated |
| 4/24 | Forest flowers by Verna Pratt | undated |
| 4/25 | Handwritten notes by Verna Pratt | undated |
| 4/26 | Herbaceous plants | undated |
| 4/27 | Latin beat: lists of Latin names for plants | undated |
| 4/28 | Ledum Palustre drawing by Cara Wardlaw Bailey | undated |
| 4/29 | Municipal garden informational sheet | 1992 |
| 4/30 | Orchid information sheets | undated, 1986 |
| 4/31 | Plant lists | undated |
| 4/32 | Plant lists by location: Arctic Valley, Bird Ridge, Bison Gulch, Cordova, Glen Alps, McHugh Creek, Mosquito Lake, Nome, Potter | 1984-2003 |
| 4/33 | Pratt Museum garden guide | 1982 |
| 4/34 | Reference materials | 1994-2007 |
| 4/35 | Seed information sheets | undated, 2010 |
| 4/36 | “Shade and Woodland Gardens for Anchorage” article by Sally Arant | 1996 |
| 4/37 | Specific plants information sheets: Pedicularis, Tetraphidae, Polytrichidae, Vaccinium, Macoun’s poppy | undated |
| 4/38 | UAA classes information sheets | 2000 |
| 4/39 | Wildflower bloom times spreadsheet and guide | 1992-2002 |