Allan F. Archer papers

The Allan F. Archer Papers document the career of Dr. Archer from 1932 to 1951, during which time he worked at the University of Alabama Museum of Natural History/Geological Survey of Alabama. The collection is arranged by subject and in its original form (the material was roughly sorted into subjects). Due to the lack of dates available, the minimal correspondence, and the fact that the creator used a subject arrangement, the order was kept. The collection is arranged into the following categories: Correspondence, Decapod Crustacea, Ecology, Manuscripts/Publications, Maps, Marine Biology, Miscellaneous, Mollusks, Photographs, and Spiders.

The material is devoted to Dr. Archer's study of spiders, crabs, mollusks, crustacea, and matters of ecological and biological importance. A large part of the collection pertains to spiders. The field notes include specific data on various locations throughout the United States, particularly the Southeast. Dr. Archer's drawings are in both color and black and white, and show in explicit and minute detail the animals to which he devoted much of his career.

The two large maps, included in the collection, are housed with the oversized materials. They have been flattened, cleaned, de-acidified, and one has been encapsulated. The Manuscripts/Publication section, also contains a large number of items, including both originals and copies of Dr. Archer's writings.