LibGuides: Colleen Helgason Nelson fonds: Finding Aid (MSS 151, PC 158, TC 103 (A.02-31, A.03-61, A.06-43))

Colleen Helgason Nelson was born on September 30, 1932 in Bismarck, North Dakota. She entered the University of Minnesota in 1950, graduating summa with a B.A. in Music (piano) in 1955. The previous year she married Carl Robert Nelson an architect, the couple would have seven children together. After spending a year in Rome, where her husband studied as a Fulbright Scholar, Nelson entered graduate school at the University of Illinois in 1957. She graduated in 1961 with an Masters of Science, her thesis was titled: “Six Sparrows of the Northern Great Plains: Descriptive Ecology.” While a graduate student she produced an -exhibit for the James Ford Bell Museum of Natural History in Minneapolis. In 1962 she began research on downy waterfowl at the Delta Waterfowl Research Station, at Delta, Manitoba. The following year she continued her research at the Round Lake Waterfowl Station, in Minnesota. The following year she immigrated to Canada, where her husband took a position with the University of Manitoba. In 1967 she started doing museum and library on downy waterfowl at the Museum of Man and Nature and at a studio-laboratory at home. In the next twenty years she mounted over a dozen exhibitions and wrote several articles on waterfowl. In 1977 she was named a research associate at the Manitoba Museum of Man & Nature. In 1981 she was named a research associate of National Museum of National Sciences in Ottawa. In 1993 the results of her thirty years of research where published in Downy Waterfowl of North America , Deerfield, Illinois: Delta Station Press.

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Scope and Contents of the Papers

The fonds is divided into four series, the first of which is biographical information. The second series contains copies of Nelson’s articles. By far the largest series is research material utilized in Nelson’s. It contains sketches & research notes on hundreds of different kinds of waterfowl. The final series contains Nelson’s research cards complete with negatives of the various species.

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Organization of the Papers

This collection is organized into 4 series

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Restrictions on Access

There are no restrictions on access to this material.

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Restrictions on Use

Users must abide by relevant copyright legislation.

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Index Terms

Names:

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Custodial History

The fonds was donated by Colleen Helgason Nelson to the University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections in the summer of 2002, 2003, and 2006.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Biographical Information, 1955-1986

Box	Folder
1	1	Curriculum vitae & University degrees, 1955-1986

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Articles, 1971-1996

Box	Folder
1	2	“A Summary of Thoughts on the Snow Goose Complex,” 1971 (unpublished)
	3	“Ducks in the Dining Room.” Manitoba Nature Spring , 1978
	4	“The Importance of Colour Evaluation in Biographical Work. Presented at Delta Marsh Conference, 1980
	4a	“A Lamp-booth for Laboratory Use,” The Wilson Bulletin, 1982
	5	Copies of Drawings used in Manitoba Natural Heritage Exhibit, 1983
	6	“Identification of Greater Scaup, Aythya marila, and Lesser Scaup A.affinis, Ducklings, The Canadian Field-Naturalist, 1996

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Research Material, 1962-1992

Box	Folder
1	7	Greater Scaup – Aythya marila, notes & drawings, 1962-1971
	8	Surf Scoter – notes & drawings, 1962
	9	Redhead – Aythya americana, notes & drawings, 1962-1965
	10	Early research notes for Downy Waterfowl of North America , 1962-1981
	11	Blue-winged teal – notes & drawings, 1962-1982
	12	Observations & rough notes, 1962
	13	Snow Goose (Blue Goose), drawing & notes, 1963
	14	Ruddy Duck, 1963-1966
	15	Ring-necked Duck – Aythya collaris, notes & drawings, 1963-1964
	16	Emperor Goose – notes & drawings, 1963-1965
	17	Whistling Swans – notes & drawings, 1963-1987
	18	Harlequin – notes, drawings & feathers, 1963
	19	Giant Canada Goose – notes & drawings, 1963-1968
	20	Mexican Duck – notes & drawing, 1963

Box	Folder
2	1	Barrow’s Goldeneye – notes & drawings, 1963-1976
	2	Black Duck – notes, transparency & drawings, 1963-1988
	3	Wood Duck – notes & drawings, 1964-1981
	4	Trumpeter Swan – notes & drawings, 1964-1986
	5	Common Eider – notes & drawings, 1964
	6	Spectacled Eider – notes & drawings, 1964
	7	Hooded Merganser – notes & drawings, 1964-1965
	8	White-winged Scoter – notes & drawings, 1964-1967
	9	Common Goldeneye – notes & drawings, 1964-1968
	10	Oldsquaw – notes & drawings, 1964-1967
	11	King Eider – notes & drawings, 1965
	12	Laysan Teal – notes & drawings, 1965-1985
	13	Stellar’s Eider – notes & drawings [ca. 1965]
	14	Athyini – notes & drawings, 1965-1981
	15	Barnacle Goose – drawings [ca. 1965]
	16	Greater Snow Goose – notes & drawings, 1965-1969
	17	Fulvous Tree Duck – notes & drawings, 1965
	18	Ross’s Goose – notes & drawings [ca. 1965]
	19	White-faced Whistling Duck – notes & drawings, 1965
	20	Canvasback – notes & drawings, 1965

Box	Folder
3	1	Bufflehead – notes & drawings, 1966-1967
	2	Pintail – notes, drawings & transparencies, 1966-1967
	3	Gadwell – notes & drawings, 1966
	4	Duck Shipping Crate – 22 egg size – drawings & bills, 1966-1967
	5	Aleutian Canada Goose – notes & drawing, 1966
	6	Florida Duck – notes & drawings, 1966-1982
	7	Mallard – notes & drawings, 1966-1982
	8	Muscovy Duck – notes & drawings, 1966
	9	Common Eider – notes & drawings, 1966-1967
	10	Little George Island Scaup, notes, 1966-1972
	11	Black-bellied Tree Duck – notes & drawings, 1966
	12	Taverner’s Canada Goose – drawings [ca. 1967]
	13	White Swan – notes & drawings, 1967-1970
	14	West Indian Tree Duck – notes & drawings [ca. 1967]
	15	Pink-footed Goose – drawings [ca. 1967]
	16	Pacific Black Brant – notes & drawings, 1965
	17	Canada Goose – notes & drawings, 1966
	18	Dusky Canada Goose – notes & drawings, 1966
	19	Dusky Canada Goose – notes & drawings, 1966
	20	Richardson’s Goose – notes & drawings, 1966
	21	Common Merganser – notes & drawings, 1967
	22	Common Eider – notes & drawings, [ca.1967]
	23	Lesser Scaup – notes & drawings, 1967
	24	Tufted Duck – drawings, [ca. 1967]
	25	Common Scoter – notes & drawings, [ca. 1967]
	26	Atlantic Brant – notes & drawings, 1969
	27	Canada Goose – B.C. Moffitti – notes & drawings, 1969
	28	Branita Canadeisis – Vancouver Island – notes & drawings, 1970

Box	Folder
4	1	Original Source of Specimens List, 1969
	2	Shoveller – notes & drawings, 1969-1977
	3	General behaviour and calls, 1969
	4	American Wigeon – notes & drawings, 1969
	5	Reference sheets, 1969
	6	Early list of acknowledgements [ca. 1970]
	7	Cackling Canada Goose – drawings & notes, 1970-1971
	8	Common Eider – sm. Borealis – notes & drawings, 1970
	9	Lesser Canada Goose – notes, 1970
	10	Canada Goose – general information, [ca. 1970]
	11	Notes on Aythya species, [ca. 1970]
	12	Downy Anatidas – A Key to Downy Waterfowl for use In the Field & Laboratory, Volume 1[ca. 1970]
	13	Downy Anatidas – Volume 2 [ca. 1970]

Box	Folder
5	1	Notes on Geese, 1972
	2	Early partial versions of The Downy Waterfowl of North America, [ca. 1972]
	3	Canada Geese research notes, [ca. 1972-1979]
	4	Notes & drawing on Scaups for a research paper, 1972-1978
	5	Colour Scheme of “Family Anatidae” & Goldeneye, 1973
	6	Munsch Soil Charts, 1973-1978
	7	Notes on Mallard Group, 1975-1976

Box	Folder
6	1	Original pencil drawings of bills & fact for all Waterfowl species, 1976
	2	Notes on Teals, 1976-1980
	3	Key to Genera numbers, 1977
	4	Research on Diving Ducks, 1977
	5	Notes on colour, 1977-1978

Box	Folder
7	1	Appendix III List & Gazetteer of materials examined, 1978-1982
	2	Masked Ducks – notes & drawings, 1978
	3	White-Fronted Goose – research & drawings, [ca. 1979]
	4	Data Book information gathered on various duck Species, 1980
	5	Colours proposed for expanded double-page; Colour chart plate, 1980
	6	Technical appendices for Downy Waterfowl of North America , 1980
	7	Evaluations for Table 2 colour synonymy: Plate XII, 1980
	8	Things to look for when examining Whistling Ducks, notes, 1980
	9	Red-Breasted Merganser – drawings, 1981
	10	Green-winged Teal – drawings, [ca. 1981]
	11	Early edited version of Downy Waterfowl of North America , [ca. 1981]
	12	Hawaiian Duck – notes & drawing, 1982
	13	Black-billed Whistling Duck – notes & drawings, 1982
	14	Nene Goose – research & notes, 1982

Box	Folder
8	1	White-cheeked Pintail, notes & drawings, 1981
	2	Outline Drawings, [ca. 1984]
	3	Anserini I – notes, 1986
	4	Early draft of Downy Waterfowl of North America , 1986
	5	Keys to drawings & colour codes, 1987
	6	Sample text of manuscript, 1987
	7	Author’s background, index, species list for Downy Waterfowl of North America , [ca. 1987]
	8	Research notes & articles used by Nelson, 1958-1986

Box	Folder
9	1	Colour & size of Goldeneye & Scaup, 1983
	2	Delta Marsh colour forms for Goldeneye & Scaup, 1983
	3	Whistling Ducks – notes, 1984
	4	Dendogygnini – notes, [ca. 1984]
	5	Cygnini – notes, [ca. 1984]
	6	Branta Canadensis – notes, [ca. 1984]
	7	Cairini – notes, [ca. 1984]
	8	Anatini – notes, [ca. 1984]
	9	Mergini – notes, [ca. 1984]
	10	Oxyurini – notes, [ca. 1984]
	11	Conclusion – notes, [ca.1984]
	12	Anatini II – notes, [ca. 1984]
	13	Aythyini – notes, [ca. 1984]
	14	Somateriini – notes, [ca. 1984]
	15	Anserini II – notes, [ca. 1984]
	16	Appendix A [ca. 1984]
	17	Appendices B-D [ca. 1984]
	18	Colour chart, figure & plate captions, [ca. 1984]
	19	Bibliography, 1984

Box	Folder
10	1	Mock up of Appendix C, 1984
	2	Manuscript draft pages 1-279, 1984
	3	Manuscript draft pages, 280-511, 1984
	4	Manuscript revisions, 1984

Box	Folder
11	1	Acknowledgements, Introduction & I.D. Keys, 1986-1989
	2	Dendrocygnini, cygnini, anserini & cairini, 1986-1989
	3	Anatini I & II, Aythyini, Somateriini & Mergini I & II, 1986-1989
	4	Oxyurini, concluding remarks, references & appendices, 1986-1989
	5	Plate captions, colour chart & caption, figure numbers & footnotes, 1986-1989
	6	Index revision, 1986

Box	Folder
12	1	How to use identification keys, 1987-1989
	2	Draft of Downy Waterfowl of North America , 1989
	3	Introduction & acknowledgements, 1992
	4	Manuscript revisions for draft, 1992

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Oversize Material, [ca. 1986]-1992

Box	Folder
13	1	Species measurements, [ca. 1986]
	2	Galleys of Downy Waterfowl of North America , Pages 1-52, 1992

14-15		Data and colour code cards Nelson's index : Green dots – live birds Blue dots – small photographs & negatives Orange dots – measurements for appendix C drawings Purple dots – copies of prepared specimen cards Brown dots – bibliographical entries

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Photograph Collection (PC 158), [ca. 1965]-1992

Box	Folder
1	1	Ruddy Duck, [ca. 1965]
	2	Common Merganser, [ca. 1965]
	3	Common Goldeneye, [ca. 1965]
	4	Barrow’s Goldeneye, [ca. 1965]
	5	Bufflehead, [ca. 1965]
	6	White-winged Scoter, [ca. 1965]
	7	Old Squaw, [ca. 1965]
	8	Lesser Scaup, [ca. 1965]
	9	Ring-necked Duck, [ca. 1965]
	10	Redhead, [ca. 1965]
	11	Laysan Island Teal, 1992
	12	Spectacled Eider, 1965-1987
	13	King Eider, 1965-1973
	14	Common Eider, 1966
	15	Vermont Wood Duck, [ca. 1965]
	16	Black Duck, [ca. 1965]
	17	Green-winged Teal, [ca. 1965]
	18	Gadwell, [ca. 1965]
	19	American Widgeon, 1962-1965
	20	Cackling Canada Goose, [ca. 1965]
	21	Aleutian Canada Goose, [ca. 1965]
	22	Whistling Swans, 1970
	23	Fulvous Tree Duck, [ca. 1970]
	24	Mute Swan, 1970
	25	Trumpeter Swan, 1970
	26	Black-bellied Tree Duck, 1964
	27	Richardson’s Goose, [ca. 1965]
	28	Canada Goose, [ca. 1965]
	29	Pacific Black Brant, 1964
	30	Ross’ Goose, [ca. 1965]
	31	Emperor Goose, [ca. 1970]
	32	Greater Snow Goose, [ca. 1965]
	33	Lesser Snow Goose, [ca. 1965]
	34	White-fronted Goose, [ca. 1965]
	35	Pink-footed Goose, [ca. 1965] 2 collages
	36	Proposed cover page, 1992
	37	Colour Separations used in Downy Waterfowl of North America , 1992 Negatives of a Teal 12 2.25 x 2.25 cm

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Tape Collection (TC 103), [1967-1971]

Consists of 11 reel to reel tapes with duck calls identified on boxes [1967-1971]

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A.03-61 includes 37.5 cm textual records; 1 sketch and four negatives 1991-1994

Research Material for The Downy Waterfowl of North America 1972-1994

Box	Folder
1	1	Edited version The Downy Waterfowl of North America 1991
	2	Edited version The Downy Waterfowl of North America includes computer discs and corrections to caption plates. 1991

2	1	Final version complete with cover 1994
	2	Appendices A-C 1994
	3	Research material & measurements for Greater & Lesser Scaup 1972-1983 The fonds is divided into one series. That includes research for her book.

Photo Collection P.C. 158 1991-1994

Box	Folder
1	1	Sketch of cover page of book 1994
	2-3	Negatives of author appear on book dust jacket 1994
	4-5	Group shot of ducklings for plates 1994

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A.06-43

Box	Folder
1	1	High School diploma, 1950
	2	Classroom notes - Zoology, 1953
	3	Notes - Birds collected under CWS permits, 1964, 1970-86
	4	Program notes (Binder) - Weights and Measurements, Information for Big Data Bank,1960's (data taken by Colleen Helgason Nelson, Janet Kear, Glen Smart)

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