Personal papers, including publications, citations, and photographs, reflecting personal and military career interests. Subjects include Nantucket, Massachusetts, Lenin, World War II, and General Westmorelard.
Michael A. Spencer assembled this collection of publications, photographs, drawings, correspondence programs and other materials focusing on the discovery, taxonomy and cultivation of bromeliads. Mulford B. Foster, Racine Foster and Lyman B. Smith are among the significant bromeliad collectors whose work is documented here.
Henry Nehrling was a horticulturist famous for his gardens in Gotha and Naples, Florida. These materials were collected by Michael Spencer because of his interest in botany and his links with Central Florida. Of particular interest are Nehrling's notebooks, correspondence, photographs and plant labels. The collection also contains a few materials, which belonged to Mr. Spencer concerning the attempts to save Nehrling's Palm Cottage Gardens.
