Crawford Gates is recognized nationally both as a conductor and composer. His music is well known and loved in the LDS community. He is perhaps best known for the music to the Hill Comorah Pageant, Promised Valley and the hymns Our Savior’s Love and Ring out Wild Bells. Born in December 1921, Gates grew up in Palo Alto California and was influenced the rich cultural offerings of the Bay Area. At the age of eight he composed his first piece. He remains active as a composer and his works now number over 800.

A portion of the archive is related to the time when Gates served as Chairman of the Department of Music at Brigham Young University.

“Illumination: The Making of Medieval Manuscripts” will be on display in Special Collections’ reference area through September.

Special Collections owns a small number of early printed dictionaries and has recently acquired another, Johann Reuchlin’s Latin dictionary, Vocabularius breuiloquus (Basel: Nikolaus Kessler, 1486). A close-up from the first page of the preface is shown here. Other early printed dictionaries at Special Collections include an edition of an abridged Latin-German dictionary, Vocabularius ex quo (Strasbourg: Johann Prüss, ca. 1488-1493) and the Latin-Greek dictionary  (Johannes Crastonus’ Lexicon Graeco-Latinum)  printed by Aldus Manutius in 1497.

條約十一國記 /Jōyaku jūikkokuki [Rare Book Collection AC 901 .A1 no. 4824]

This small book dates from 1867. It gives short descriptions of the United States and a number of European countries, including statistical information and illustrations of the countries’ flags.

武器皕圖 /Buki nihyakuzu [Vault Collection Quarto U 821 .J3 K626 1848]

This book supplements the current exhibit very well with its illustrations of armor, weapons, battle formations, and defenses. It was printed in 1848.

和歌題林抄/Waka dairin shō [Vault Collection PL 728.8115 .W34 1700]

This book of classical Japanese poetry was produced around 1700. The covers feature beautiful landscapes painted in gold ink.

As the anniversary of Magna Carta is celebrated this week, here is a peek at a few examples of rare British and American law books from Special Collections’ holdings.

Perhaps the oldest English law book in Special Collections is this small 1538 volume of statutes, printed during the reign of Henry VIII (Vault Collection 346 G798 1538):

This 1606 volume (Rare Book Collection 346 G798k 1606) prints many historic English statutes, including Magna Carta:

One of the most famous treatises on English common law is Sir William Blackstone’s Commentaries on the Laws of England, first published in 1765. This 1783 edition was owned by LDS apostle James E. Talmage (Rare Book Collection KD 660 .B53 1783):

The publication of this 1783 translation of the U.S. Declaration of Independence and Articles of Confederation (made by Louis Alexandre, duc de La Rochefoucald) was negotiated by Benjamin Franklin (Vault Collection 342.73 Un3cn 1783):

Plan of the new constitution for the United States of America, agreed upon in a convention of the states (Vault Collection 342.73 Un3c 1787) announces the Constitutional Convention of 1787 which led to the drafting of the current United States Constitution:

A reader has drawn smiling suns casting shadows on a castle in the astronomy textbook Sphaera Mundi, printed by Henri Estienne in 1511.

Inscriptions and doodles from multiple generations of owners of a 1608 copy of Pliny’s Natural History – including former BYU professor Hugh Nibley:

In Special Collections’ copy of Dante’s Divina Commedia (Brescia, 1487), a reader has inscribed this illustration of the entrance to hell with “Lassciate ogni spera(n)za voi ch’intrate” or “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” The illustration has also been colored in by hand.

Though the HBLL highly discourages new marginalia in its circulating collection, here are some highlights of marginalia made by readers centuries ago, waiting to be discovered in Special Collections. We’ll share a few more next week!

One common marginalia sign is the manicule, a pointing hand which calls attention to important text. This manicule appears in the 1497 edition of Hartmann Schedel’s Liber Chronicarum:

This copy of Lucan’s Pharsalia printed in Venice in 1477 features extensive notes in Spanish:

A cat and mouse face off in the margins of Aldus Manutius’ Institutionum Grammaticarum (1523).

One of the more unique Lincoln-related items in Special Collections is a description of the assassination by a Japanese novelist, Kanagaki Robun, in 1879. His novel “Grandoshiden yanmato bunshō” was based on the life of Ulysses S. Grant, the Union General turned President who visited Japan during a post-presidential world tour in 1879. This woodcut image from the novel depicts Lincoln’s assassination, though incorrectly (perhaps owing more to the story of Julius Caesar?).

Special Collections owns several dozen emblem books, spanning from 1536 through the mid-19th century. We even have a modern example printed by the Arion Press in 1987! You can find them in the library catalog by searching for “emblem books” as a genre term. The Art in the Library exhibit can be viewed in the auditorium gallery on Level 1 through the end of April 2015.

Special Collections owns copies of Teresa’s writings, including an early French translation which is on display in the Women’s Spirituality exhibit. Special Collections also owns a facsimile of the original manuscript of Teresa’s mystical work El Castillo Interior, which was published in Spain at the close of the 19th century. After Teresa’s death, King Philip II of Spain collected many of her manuscripts; the original manuscript of El Castillo Interior was preserved at the royal monastery Philip built, El Escorial.

The Brigham Young University orchestra performs at the Provo Tabernacle in 1938.

Image of the interior of the Provo Tabernacle, ca. 1910.

A meeting held in the Provo Tabernacle, ca. 1920.

An orchestra practices in the Provo Tabernacle, ca. 1940.

Postacard image of the Provo Tabernacle, 1906.

A view of the Provo Tabernacle from downtown Provo, 1900.

Another view of the Provo Tabernacle from downtown, ca. 1900.

The Provo Tabernacle in the early 1900s.

For more information about the photograph collections documenting the Provo Tabernacle, please contact the Photo Archivist at (801) 422-4170 or tom_wells@byu.edu.

Queen Summer is one of three poetry books Crane published in his lifetime (he also wrote an autobiography and a handful of treatises on art). The poem personifies summer as a queen and flowers as her handmaidens in a tale of chivalric romance. Crane’s illustrations reflect the medieval theme and are reminiscent of the works of the Pre-Raphaelites and William Morris.

Special Collections owns a wide range of works by Crane, including his famous children’s toy books and even some original artwork for book illustrations.

Soon after completing the poem, Wordsworth tried to find a publisher, but the project languished for several years until Wordsworth revised the text. The poem has never been the most popular of Wordsworth’s texts, which perhaps explains the features of BYU’s first edition copy: it remains in its original paper boards with publisher’s advertisements still inserted, 200 years after its publication!

1856 was also the year in which Dodgson befriended young Alice Liddell and her sisters. During a summertime picnic on July 4, 1862, he thought up the story of Alice in Wonderland to entertain the girls. At ten-year-old Alice’s behest, he put the tale to paper.

When Dodgson published Alice three years later, he assumed the cost of printing and illustration and thus maintained a great deal of control over the book. When the illustrator of Alice, John Tenniel, was dissatisfied with how his work was reproduce, Dodgson recalled the entire edition – only a few copies survive today. Macmillan sent many of the unused sheets to the New York printer Appleton, which used them for the first American edition in 1866. Macmillan reprinted Alice in time for the Christmas season of 1865, postdated to 1866.

Special Collections owns copies of both the Appleton and Macmillan editions of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland dated 1886. Other interesting versions of Alice found in Special Collections include the first editions in French and Italian, Dodgson’s adaptation of Alice for early readers, the “Wonderland stamp-case” he issued in 1890, and even a 2014 edition in the Deseret Alphabet! Look for a small exhibit of these items in Special Collections around the Christmas holiday, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the publication of Dodgson’s authorized edition of Alice.

Yeats’ first poetry collection was published in 1889. As his career progressed into the 20th century he also became a prolific playwright. Yeats’ writing reflected his interest in Ireland’s heritage — part of the “Celtic revival” in art, design, and literature of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was also influenced by occultism and the nationalist movement which transformed Irish politics during his lifetime. Today, Yeats is celebrated as a major Irish writer as well as an early force in literary modernism.

Special Collections contains many examples of Yeats’ poetry and drama in first editions, including a number of works printed by his sister Elizabeth Yeats at her private press, the Cuala Press.

Brooke wrote the sonnets of 1914 in December of that year while serving in the Royal Naval division, just a few months after the war broke out. He died in April of 1915 from blood poisoning, and his poems were published posthumously. Brooke’s war sonnets like “The Soldier” have come to represent the youthful martyrdom and naive patriotism of a generation.

For more information on Rupert Brooke and the literature of the Great War, see the 1998 Lee Library Exhibit Anthem for Doomed Youth which is archived at the library’s exhibits website. Visit the library’s current Great War exhibit on level 1 to see Brooke’s poetry as well as first editions of First World War novels and poems like Robert Graves’ Over the Brazier and Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front. The exhibit is open through July 2015.

A number of books on the flower language were published throughout the Victorian period. Some even included illustrations and poetic verse which evoked the sentiment attached to a particular blossom. Our featured book, Wild Flowers and their Teachings, is rather unique in that it includes 38 specimens of flowers and other plants! It was produced in 1845 to raise money for a village parsonage near St Albans in Hertfordshire, England.

Other works in this vein can be found by searching the library catalog for the subject terms “flower language,” “flowers–symbolic aspects,” or “flowers in literature.”

Trollope’s professional career was with the General Post Office. His early novels were written while working as a postal inspector in Ireland. A 1851 business trip to the southwest of England inspired the first of his “Barsetshire” novels, which helped him to gain a larger readership and wider literary reputation. He found further success through popular novels such as Framley Parsonage, serialized in The Cornhill, and the “Palliser” series of novels.

Trollope’s work is still well-regarded by writers and readers alike, though he has sometimes been disparaged for being a mechanical writer who set a goal of writing 40 pages per week (he often told people that all a novelist needs is glue on the seat of his pants to keep him stuck at his desk). Nevertheless Trollope is still appreciated for his timeless, realistic descriptions of and insights into everyday life and experience.

The Victorian Collection houses a large collection of Trollope’s works and Trollopeana, thanks to generous donations. It also includes editions of works by Trollope’s writing relatives, including his mother Frances, brother Thomas Adolphus, and sister-in-law Frances Eleanor.

Bible (Oxford University Press, 1855). With 288 woodcut illustrations. Victorian Collection 220.52 B47 1855

Book of Common Prayer (Cambridge University Press, ca. 1860). Bound in ivory and morocco with a brass border and clasp. Design of brass inlaid with turquoise. Victorian Collection 283 C473b 1860

Bible and Book of Common Prayer (London, 1839-45). Set bound in purple velvet with gauffered edges and gold clasps  with titles engraved on gold-plate shields in center of front covers by Barrit & Co. Vault Collection 220.53 B47 1845

Women’s education and influence, especially for middle class women, were subjects of ongoing debate during the Victorian period. Middle class women were not expected to work outside the home, so should women be trained only in domestic skills, or should they receive formal education in intellectual subjects? Ellis argued that because women’s place was in the domestic sphere, girls should cultivate the practical skills needed to run a household as well as the intellectual, religious, and moral precepts which would allow them to be a positive influence in the home as a wife and mother. Because men were tempted and corrupted as they went out into the world, women had a duty to exert their moral influence in the domestic sphere for the good of the family. This ideal of womanhood would be captured by later authors like Coventry Patmore, whose poem The Angel in the House has come to epitomize the Victorian view of the selfless, virtuous, and submissive mother and wife.

Ellis wrote a number of other popular conduct books for women in the same vein, including The Wives of England (1843), The Daughters of England (1842), as well as fiction and poetry. Special Collections owns many first and early editions of her works.

Pictorial greeting cards for a variety of holidays came into fashion during the 1870s, and the Marcus Ward firm was one of the most prolific publishers of such cards in the British Isles. Kate Greenaway and Walter Crane, two very popular Victorian artists, contributed illustrations for Marcus Ward greeting cards. The Quiver of Love reproduces eight greeting card illustrations by Crane and Greenaway along with a variety of Valentine-themed poems. The collector of the verses was probably Reverend W.J. Loftie, a magazine editor who first helped to popularize Greenaway’s work.

For a look at other Victorian-era Valentines at Special Collections, check out this previous post from our Victorian Social History page.

“Jesus the Christ,” by James E. Talmage, 1981 missionary edition

There is a new exhibit on display in the lobby of the L. Tom Perry Special Collections commemorating the 100th anniversary of the publication of Jesus the Christ. The exhibit is co-curated by Ryan K. Lee, manuscript curator, and Gerrit van Dyk, Mormon Studies librarian. Below is a summary of the purpose and scope of the exhibit:

In September 1915 the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints published Jesus the Christ, a monumental work on the life of Jesus Christ by Elder James E. Talmage of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles that was over a decade in the making. Elder Talmage had already made a name for himself as a brilliant scientist, lecturer, and educator prior to this book. But this work became an instant classic and solidified Talmage’s legendary status among other Church intellectuals and witnesses to the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Mostly known for being a large book full of an advanced vocabulary, this book has been used for decades as one of the foundational works for Church missionaries and members to study when wanting to know more about the life of Jesus Christ.

James E. Talmage (1862-1933)

This exhibit showcases items from L. Tom Perry Special Collections and the Harold B. Lee Library related to the history and production of this seminal work. Included in the exhibit are entries from Elder Talmage’s personal journals and a video and audio recording of Talmage. Also included are works that influenced Talmage in his writing and research for this book, a first edition copy signed by the First Presidency in 1915, and selected foreign language editions. You are welcome to thumb through a first edition copy from the Lee Library’s open stacks, as well as record any experiences you have had with reading Jesus the Christ. May this exhibit help the visitor better understand the history behind this classic work that influenced so many in their journey to come to know the Savior of Mankind.

This exhibit will be up from August 17 until September 30, 2015. Please come to Special Collections, located on the 1st floor of the Harold B. Lee Library, and learn about this influential book!

Nauvoo Temple daguerreotype, circa 1846

“In this era of the Church, temples dot the land, with the number of dedicated temples around the globe nearing 150. Locally we are witnessing the open house and dedication of the Payson Utah Temple, and anticipate the completion of the Provo City Center Temple soon. While we revel in these new modern marvels, may we take a step back in time and be reminded of the experiences of our forefathers and the sacrifices they endured to build temples in the early years of the Restoration.

“This exhibit showcases documents and images housed in L. Tom Perry Special Collections related to the Nauvoo Temple, the second temple built in this dispensation, and one that would only be used for a few short months. From construction, to introducing new ordinances, to eventual abandonment and destruction, this exhibit examines the sacrifices made by those who gave their time, talents, and substance to the building of this glorious edifice, and the eventual blessings of ordinances of eternal significance. Also shown are items that reflect on how the temple was viewed by others around the nation, and witnesses to its eventual demise at the hands of mobs. May this exhibit give one a better understanding of what it took to build, and then abandon, the Nauvoo Temple, and help us reflect on our own sacrifices for the temples that we are so privileged to have in our midst.”

The exhibit will be showing in the Special Collections lobby on the 1st floor of the HBLL from now until August 14. Please come see us and checked it out!

By: Zoë Brimhall

I am graduating tomorrow so today is my last day working in L. Tom Perry Special Collections. I thought for my last blog entry I would reflect on my experience and perhaps explain a bit what it is like to work in Special Collections. I am a student manuscript processor, which means that I help create the information about library materials that allows patrons to find them through the library system. I do something called “describing” materials—I sift through the old documents and materials that my boss assigns me and I input the dates, subjects, size, and information about the content of the materials into the library software. Then other employees check it and eventually make it publically accessible. In my job, I want to ensure that everything is as accurate as possible so that students and other library patrons have accurate information when doing research. Luckily, I have been able to rely on great supervisors to help and guide me in this work. Like any job, some aspects of working as a student processor can be dry, but the majority of the work is interesting. The best part of the job is getting to look through the actual materials themselves. Since I work in the 19^th century department, I get to see a lot of cool letters, diaries, and other documents created by both notable and ordinary men and women, in the Mormon Church and outside of it. Nothing compares to the experience of reading the thoughts and ideas of these historical figures in their own handwriting. I have been able to learn more about historical figures through their own words and in their own hand. As such, I can see how universal human experience is—even though cultures and settings change, essentially humans then still worry and care about the same things we do today.

Emmeline B. Wells (1828-1921)

For instance, in one of her diaries Emmeline B. Wells writes that she hopes to raise her daughters with a strong sense of self and a willingness to work hard so they can be self-sufficient, independent, and able to achieve their goals as adults. How many parents today hope the same for their children?

Other documents create a unique window into the parts of American history that I did not know much about. One of the first collections I worked on was a diary belonging to William Derby Jr. that documented his travels in the American West and his explorations of places like northern Arizona. Having only ever learned about the adventures of Lewis and Clark, it was fascinating to learn about a Mormon man’s own explorations of the Grand Canyon and Colorado River. In addition, the summer I spent editing the Thomas L. Kane collection was a useful and fascinating way to learn about American history in the late nineteenth century. Rather than just learning about Thomas Kane’s aid to the Mormons, I had the opportunity to learn about the rest of his family. I read about John K. Kane’s interactions with the national government (even reading some letters from prominent American politicians of the time, including the POTUS).

Elizabeth Wood Kane (1836-1909)

I learned about Elizabeth Kane (Thomas’s wife) and was impressed at her work as a photographer, writer, and mother. Her writings and observations of the Mormon settlements she visited are a particularly important way to learn about perceptions non-Mormons had of polygamous Mormons at the time. Although she held certain prejudices against them, meeting actual Mormons profoundly changed and shaped the way she viewed them. She did not necessarily fall in love with polygamy, but she did begin to view Mormon women as civilized individuals. Processing these materials actually helped me do well on a history exam because I knew who Elizabeth Kane was from looking through old letters! While I don’t have time during my work to read or research these materials in depth, the parts I do find present unique and fascinating insights into the lives of people whose bodies have wasted away but whose lives live on through their words and artifacts left behind.

Ultimately, I believe my experience at BYU Special Collections to have been a very rewarding experience. I was able to work alongside great people to dig up the secrets of the past and make them available to anyone who wants to learn. I was able to learn more about history and make connections between my own life and the lives of people who have gone before me. I read some fascinating documents about prominent and regular Church members, Americans, and immigrants. Sifting through old papers and trying to decipher faded ink and difficult handwriting revealed truths about history that I would not have learned any other way and I am grateful for the opportunity I had to learn more about my culture and history. I highly recommend to those interested in learning more about the library or the nineteenth century that they take advantage of their library card and visit special collections! I am graduating now and moving on to different experiences, but I will always remember the library and I will miss being surrounded by the books and other materials that give the ghosts of the past a physical presence in our world today.

Spine of LTPSC’s copy of 1st edition Spanish Book of Mormon (1886)

Title page found in LTPSC’s copy of 1st edition Spanish Book of Mormon (1886)

With the prevalence today of Spanish-speaking members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, many are surprised to hear that the Church did not have a large presence in Latin America or among Spanish speakers until the late 19th century. Among foreign language editions of the Book of Mormon, Spanish (1886) ranks as 10th, behind English (1830), Danish (1851), French (1852), Welsh (1852), German (1852), Italian (1852), Hawaiian (1855), Deseret Alphabet-English (1869), and Swedish (1878).

Recently the LDS Church History Department produced and posted a video on their website titled “Unto the Least of These: Olivas Aoy’s School.” While not listed as a translator in the first edition Spanish Book of Mormon, Olivas Vila Aoy heavily influenced its production. For this video the Church used the L. Tom Perry Special Collections’ copy of the 1886 1st edition Spanish Book of Mormon for several scenes, including those where the actor portraying Aoy is holding and reading the book. Watch the video and see if you can catch those scenes! The site also includes a link to a great article by Matthew McBride on Aoy’s connection with the Book of Mormon.

James E. Talmage (1862-1933)

On this date in 1911, James E. Talmage was called as an Apostle for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served in this capacity until his death on July 27, 1933, at the age of 70. Elder Talmage has become renowned among members of the LDS Church and beyond for his detailed and enlightening expositions on the doctrines of the Church, creating some of the fundamental and most read works for study among Latter-day Saints, including Jesus the Christ, which will celebrate its 100th year of publication in 2015.

L. Tom Perry Special Collections is proud to house the James E. Talmage papers (MSS 229), which includes thirty volumes of personal journals and four pocket diaries; school notes, notebooks, examinations, and memorabilia from student days in England and America; lectures, notes, and administrative material from his years as a teacher and President of the University of Utah, as well as assignments completed by his students during that period; research notes on scientific and religious topics; material related to his work as a consulting geologist and mining engineer; material from scientific and scholarly societies of which he was a member; and papers from his time as director of the Deseret Museum.  The collection also includes some correspondence, both official and personal;  newspaper articles dealing with the Mormon religion and Elder Talmage’s work in the LDS Church ; and other materials related to Elder Talmage and his family.

Other collections related to Elder Talmage and his family housed here include:

• James E. Talmage photographs (MSS P 21)
• Merry May Booth Talmage papers (MSS 1607)
• James E. and Merry May Booth Talmage letters (MSS 8324)

Feel free to explore these collections online, and look for more posts throughout next year on events related to James E. Talmage coming to Special Collections as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the publication of Elder Talmage’s seminal work Jesus the Christ in 2015.  Hey, maybe even start a new Christmas tradition and read or re-read this important work. What better way to celebrate Christmas then by learning more about He whose birth we celebrate this time of year!

Thomas Daniels was born September 29, 1829, in Manchester, Lancashire, England. He was the sixth child of nine children born to James Ephraim and Elizabeth Salthouse Daniels. James was the Methodist parish minister; therefore Thomas was raised in a religious environment. Thomas was nine years old when his father died. His family had been introduced to the Mormon Church shortly before this occurred and after James’ death the entire family were baptized and began planning to immigrate to the United States. The family left England in 1842 on the ship Medford and arrived in New Orleans in the fall, and then traveled up the Mississippi to St Louis, where they stayed the winter.

Thomas worked on the freight boats going up and down the Mississippi River. The other workers gave him the middle name of “English” to differentiate him from another Thomas Daniels who worked on the same boats. Thomas kept that middle name and used it on all his signatures for the rest of his life.

The Daniels family lived in Quincy, Illinois, in 1844, but moved to Nauvoo to help work on the temple. When the saints were driven from Nauvoo, Thomas then moved to Mt. Pisgah, Iowa. He traveled to Utah with the Milo Andrus Company and arrived in September 1850. In December 1850, Thomas and his family moved to Payson, Utah, and they built a homestead three blocks north of the town center. On November 25, 1855, Thomas married Jane Ann Sheffield, and built a two-story adobe house where the couple lived for more than fifty years. Ten children were born to them in this same house. In June 1864, Thomas took a second wife, Annie Olson.

Thomas was very active in the settlement of Payson. He served as ward chorister for forty years, was the city sexton, watermaster, and town councilman. He was also a member of the first dramatic association in the city.  During the winters, Thomas would make brooms from the corn husks raised on the family farm, and then take them to Provo to sell.

From 1869-1871, when his children were small, Thomas served eighteen months in the Eastern and Southern States Mission. He was called at the October 1869 general conference by President Brigham Young along with about 200 other missionaries. His daughter Lucia was born while he was away on his mission. Thomas Jr. and James, his eldest sons, took care of the farm with the help of Jane. Thomas was ordained a high priest in May of 1893, by his brother James Daniels.

Thomas English and Jane Ann celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary in November 1905. Before a year had passed, they were both called to the other side. Thomas related how one night shortly before Jane’s death, a vision came to their bed. First, it appeared on his side and then went around the bed to the other side where Jane was sleeping. The angel said, “I want her first, you may wait a short time.” Before a week had gone by, Jane had pneumonia and died quickly on October 18, 1906. On November 6, 1906, at seventy-eight years of age, Thomas answered the death summons as well. They are both buried in the Payson City Cemetery.

You can read more of Thomas English Daniels’ story and the early history of Payson, Utah, by accessing his journal online. The journal housed in L. Tom Perry Special Collections at Brigham Young University dates from 1854-1879, and includes a variety of historical and esoteric information on Daniel’s life. The majority of the journal includes entries from 1866-1879. Entries include an autobiographical sketch of Daniels; comments on weather and farming; events happening in Payson, Utah, and surrounding communities; church events and meetings including general conferences; Daniels’ missionary experiences; and family matters. Daniels attended general conference in the new Salt Lake Tabernacle prior to its completion in 1869. He also makes several entries on the coming of the transcontinental railroad, legislation against polygamy, and other important event in Utah during this period. The journal also includes copies of blessings, including patriarchal blessings, given to Thomas and his family dating from 1854-1875; revelations received by Daniels; songs and poems written by Daniels and others; and newspaper clippings from the era.

Samuel Miles (1826-1910)

This week we are highlighting another item from our 19th Century Mormon and Western Manuscripts that was digitized this past year: the (Auto)biography of Samuel Miles.

Samuel Miles Jr., son of Samuel Miles Sr. and Prudence Marks, was born on April 8, 1826 in Attica, New York. During the winter of 1833-1834, after moving to Freedom, New York, near to the Warren A. Cowdery (brother to Oliver Cowdery) family and being taught the gospel by Elders John Murdock and Orson Pratt, the Samuel Miles Sr. family joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1835, to follow the Saints, the Samuel Miles Sr. family left Freedom, New York, for Missouri, where they experienced many of the hardships and persecutions the Mormon church suffered there. Samuel Jr. was barely a teenager at the time, but remembers many of these experiences and recorded them in his later years.  They eventually made their way to Nauvoo, Illinois, in 1839.

Samuel Miles Jr. was educated at the University of the City of Nauvoo under the tutelage of Orson Pratt, and became a teacher in various schools and counties, including Hancock County. He left Nauvoo with the Saints in 1846, but enlisted freely in the Mormon Battalion after arriving in Council Bluff, Iowa in July of that same year. Soon after arriving at San Diego, Miles moved to San Francisco for work near Sutter’s Mill for a time before joining a group of Battalion men heading to the Salt Lake Valley, arriving on September 10, 1848.

On September 6, 1849, Samuel Miles Jr. married Hannah Marinda Colborn in Salt Lake City, Utah. The couple had nine children, eight of whom grew to adulthood. In January of 1851, he was ordained a Seventy in the 8th Quorum. He farmed and ranched on his own land, but also returned to work as a schoolteacher. In the fall of 1861, the Samuel Miles Jr. family was called to assist in the Dixie Cotton Mission in St. George, Utah. The family moved and settled in St. George, and Samuel continued work as a teacher. In 1874, he took part in the short-lived St. George United Order as a laborer. By 1875 he began working on a farm in Price, Utah. The St. George Temple was dedicated in 1877, and Samuel Miles spent the majority of his time for the next several years farming and teaching to earn a living for his family and working at the temple, completing work for his ancestors. Samuel Miles died on May 22, 1910 in St. George, Utah.

You can now view the Samuel Miles autobiography (MSS 7599) online, and read his life story in his own words! Miles himself titled the document “Biography of Samuel Miles the son of Samuel and Prudence Marks,” but it is technically an autobiographical sketch of his life. This item consists of thirty-two pages of Miles’ handwritten life story, including a life summary from 1826 to 1851, and short yearly summaries for each year between 1852 and 1881. The text includes information that is particularly familial and spiritual, but often references broader historical events that contextualize his life. He mentions several events in Mormon history including the violence in Missouri, his reaction to the martyrdom of Joseph Smith, and the settlement of the Dixie Cotton Mission in St. George, Utah. Also described is the contention between states on the verge of Civil War in 1860, and the Gold Rush at Sutter’s Mill.

We hope you check this item out, among our other digitized documents!

James Madison Flake (1859-1946)

Over the past year, patrons of Perry Special Collections have requested a large number of items from our 19th Century Mormon and Western manuscripts collection to be digitized. Most of these are small collections of original journals and letters of early members of the Mormon Church and pioneers of Utah and the American West. Many of these have subsequently been posted online and are accessible to the public. Today begins a series of postings highlighting some of these items that are now available digitally.

James Madison Flake (1859-1946) was born and raised in Beaver, Utah, until the age of 17. He moved to Escalante to farm and lived with Edwin Twitchell for one year. In the spring of 1877 his father, William Jordan Flake, was called to help settle northern Arizona, and James went with them. In his autobiographical sketch (found in volume 2 of his diaries), James states (spelling is as written): “The report from those who had tried to settle that country was verry discourageing, so it was only the respect we had for the servents of God that induced us to break up and leave our heard earned home” (volume 2, pg. 29). In the meantime, James was married to Nancy Jane Hall in Escalante on 15 May, and then sealed in the St. George Temple on 31 August. The family made the trek to Arizona in November and arrived in Sunset in January 1878, where Lot Smith presided over the communities. They attempted to settle in Taylor, but in July 1878 they decided to leave and settle and purchase land from Joseph Stinson in a valley that would later be named Snowflake, after Erastus Snow and James’ father, William Jordan Flake. Over the next ten years James and his family helped establish the community of Snowflake, Arizona, working as a rancher and raising a family of six children.

In September 1888 James was called to serve a mission in England, and he left his wife and six children behind to preach the gospel for two years. Upon his return in 1889, James and Nancy would have three more children. Just one month after the birth of their ninth child in March 1895, Nancy died from an illness. In October 1896, James married a second wife, Martha Amelia Smith, daughter of Jessie Nathaniel and Augusta Smith, in Salt Lake City, Utah. James and Martha would have thirteen children together, giving James a total of 22 children between his two wives.

While in Snowflake, James was active politically and was an advocate for the women’s suffrage movement in Arizona. He also served in several callings in the LDS Church, including superintendent of Sunday School and counselor in the Snowflake Stake presidency. James Madison Flake passed away on 4 February 1946 in Snowflake, Arizona.

View the digitized copies of James Madison Flake diaries (MSS 961) now available on our website!  Volume 1 is primarily a journal kept by Flake while serving a mission to England in from 1888-1889, beginning in May 1889 and ending with a few entries after his mission up to February 1891.  Volume 2 includes an autobiographical sketch and list of important events in Flake’s life until 1929.  These diaries are a great glimpse into the life of a 19th century LDS missionary and Arizona pioneer.

Alexander Neibaur (1808-1883)

Saturday, September 20, 2014, marked the 166^th anniversary of the arrival of Alexander Neibaur, the first dentist in the Salt Lake Valley and an early Jewish convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Neibaur’s story is a fascinating one that is not well known.

Alexander Neibaur was born January 8, 1808, to Nathan and Rebecca Peretz Neibaur, a Jewish family, in Ehrenbreitstein, Alsace-Lorraine (near present-day Koblenz, Germany), which was at that time part of France.  He was first educated to be a rabbi but concluded to become a surgeon and dentist, and he received his degree from the University of Berlin in 1826 at the age of eighteen.

Neibaur converted to Christianity approximately two years later, and in 1830 moved to Preston, England.  On September 15, 1834, he married Ellen Breakel, a member of the Church of England, and they had 11 children together.  It was in England where Neibaur learned about the Mormon faith.  Prior to meeting preachers from the Church, he had had dreams of a book being given him, but he did not know what they meant.  When he heard of Mormon elders in the area, he approached them and asked if they had a book, which they did and gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon.  Neibaur recognized this book as the one from his dreams, and he read it in three days.  He wanted to be baptized immediately, but was convinced to wait until he had a chance to fully investigate the Church.  Neibaur was baptized on April 9, 1838, becoming one of the first Jews to join the Church.  Three years later he and his wife migrated to the United States and joined the Saints in Nauvoo in April 1841.  There Neibaur established a dental practice in Brigham Young’s front room and developed a close friendship with Joseph Smith, whom he helped study German and Hebrew.

After the martyrdom of Joseph Smith and the eventual evacuation of Nauvoo in early 1846, Neibaur and his wife remained in Nauvoo due to Ellen’s pregnancy.  He was among the defenders of the city during the Battle of Nauvoo (see last week’s posting).  Neibaur and his family soon after left behind Nauvoo to join the rest of the Saints migrating west, arriving in the Salt Lake Valley in September 1848.  He continued to practice dentistry and manufactured matches.

Neibaur’s daughter, Rebecca, married Charles W. Nibley, later Presiding Bishop of the Church and a member of the First Presidency, in 1869. Neibaur’s first wife, Ellen, passed away in December 1870, and in September 1871 he was sealed to a widow Elizabeth Hiley.  Alexander Neibaur died in Salt Lake City, Utah, on December 15, 1883.

To learn more about this fascinating man and early Jewish Latter-day Saint, come visit Special Collections.  Here we have a typed copies of Neibaur’s diary kept from 1841-1862 (MSS 438), the original of which is in the Church History Library; and recent photographs of his dental office in Nauvoo, which was in Brigham Young’s front room, and his Nauvoo property (found in MSS 8214).  Also, you can find published biographies or other works on Neibaur, including: The life and times of Alexander Neibaur : journey of the first Mormon Jew by Bruce Alan Newbold (BX 8670.1 .N315n 2013); and, Writing between the lines : a selection of poetry inspired by notations in Alexander Neibaur’s journal from 1841 until 1862 by Theda Lucille Bassett.

“The Battle of Nauvoo” by C.C.A. Christensen

Did you know 168 years ago this week members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were involved in a civil war  in Illinois, 15 years prior to the Civil War that engulfed the United States?  It is a frequently forgotten event in church history known as the Battle of Nauvoo, and it occurred after the majority of the Saints had left the city earlier in the year.

By the summer of 1846, the only people left in Nauvoo were a few hundred Latter-day Saints, most of whom were poor, sick or otherwise incapable of beginning the trek west.  Also remaining were some local citizens who had purchased property from the Saints and some who refused to follow Brigham Young’s band west, including Emma Smith, widow of Joseph Smith, and her family, as well as Lucy Mack Smith, mother of Joseph Smith, who chose to remain behind with Emma.  Opponents to the Church in the surrounding communities became increasingly impatient at those who stayed behind, and as a result increased their mob tactics to drive them out.  Beginning in July, threats of mob violence became frequent, and included whippings and kidnappings.  State militia was called in to assist and try to stay the attacks by the mobs, but to little effect.  A treaty was even signed by both parties at one point to hopefully avoid bloodshed, but members of the mob were not satisfied with the terms, wanting the Saints to leave immediately, so they took matters into their own hands.

Thomas Brockman, a member of the mob, was put in charge of their forces, and on September 10, 1846, his army of about 1,000 strong advanced on Nauvoo.  Among the residents of Nauvoo, less than 150 were gathered to help defend the city, including members of the Nauvoo Legion who called themselves the “Spartan Band.”  Since the majority of the population was gone, they had little by way of weapons and ammunition to use.  According to some sources, they fortunately had a few repeating rifles, thanks to the ingenuity of Jonathan Browning, and built a cannon out of a steamboat shaft.  Wandle Mace, one of the Nauvoo Legion, wrote “sometimes the cannon balls from the mob would be picked up and loaded into our steamboat shaft cannon and fired back at them, ammunition was scarce with us.”  They also threw up rough barricades on the main entry ways into the city to block the advancing mob.  This little band was able to defend the city for one week basically through guerrilla warfare tactics–hiding in the woods and snipe-shooting at the enemy–being severely outnumbered.

In the skirmish, three Saints lost their lives, and several were wounded on both sides. Fighting ceased on September 16, 1846, after Church leaders, led by Daniel H. Wells, concluded that the city could not successfully be defended, and it was not worth the inevitable loss of life.  A treaty was signed where the city of Nauvoo was surrendered to the mob and the Mormon population was required to leave the city or disperse as soon as they could cross the river.  Even these terms did little for the mob’s patience, as they entered the city the next day and continued to persecute those who were preparing to leave.  They searched the wagons waiting to be ferried across, ransacked contents, took firearms, and scattered goods.  Some were ordered from the city at point of bayonet.  The mob even entered the temple, ascended the tower and rung the bell, shouting and yelling obscenities. Homes were plundered and some involved in the battle were threatened with death.  With such inhuman treatment, the members of the Church remaining in Nauvoo were forced across the Mississippi River in poverty and ill-prepared. Wandle Mace wrote, “Farewell Nauvoo, the Beautiful! The City of Joseph!” They camped on the western banks of the Mississippi for several days, waiting for rescue parties to come help them.  Thus ended the era of the Mormon Church in Nauvoo.

To learn more about the Battle of Nauvoo from those who witnessed and experienced it, come to Special Collections and see what sources are available.  There are several historical newspaper accounts of the events, as well as some biographies and autobiographies of individuals who witnessed or took part in these events, including Thomas Crooks and son James (MSS 2583), Wandle Mace (MSS 921 and BX 8670.1 .M15), and Mary Elizabeth Worth Peoples (BX 8672 .N226 vol.7-9).

Samuel Moore diploma, 1877

This artificial collection, assembled by early archivists from a range of sources, contains one of the earliest diplomas issued by the school–an 1877 diploma for Samuel Moore of Payson, Utah for completion of a teacher training course taught by Karl G. Maeser.

George H. Brimhall doctorate diploma, 1898

The collection also contains a number of diplomas and certificates from prominent university administrators, including Karl G. Maeser, George H. Brimhall, and Edwin S. Hinckley, as well as other students and faculty members.

As with all diplomas, these documents recognize their recipients’ dedication to education and their connection to the university. As an aggregate, they also document the growth of the university from a local private high school to a internationally respected university.

However, until the late 1980s and early 1990s the Alumni Association kept a separate series of files on what they classified as prominent alumni. These materials, held in the University Archives as UA 1302, include information on a wide range of local and national leaders with associations to the University. In most cases these are graduates, though others included in the collection may have served on campus as professors or administrators.

Hannah A. Stubbs Jones photograph of Provo, Utah mercantile

The files themselves biographical information sheets, as well as newspaper clippings, articles, letters, biographies, autobiographies, and photographs. Most of the files include a range of information about the individual, as well as some contextual information about the university. The folder on Hannah A. Stubbs Jones, the most long-lived of the original students at Brigham Young Academy, included a photograph of a mercantile in downtown Provo that included the side of the Lewis Building.

Similarly, in the file on Marguerite Stewart Olstowski, a successful dancer in New York City, was found a photograph of her with a dance troupe from Provo in 1911.

Marguerite Stewart Olstowski photograph of dance troupe

For a full list of those documented in this collection, please see the finding aid, or contact the University Archivist at cory_nimer@byu.edu or 801-422-6091.

Holland’s powerful sermon reminds us to focus on the first gift of Christmas–the gift of a baby born in a humble manger. That tiny baby was sent by our loving Heavenly Father to save us all. The birth of the Christ child should be at the center of our Christmas celebrations.

Have a merry Christmas and joyous New Year.

To learn more about the University Archives, please contact the University Archivist at (801) 422-5821 or gordon_daines@byu.edu.

If you would like to know more about this collection, contact the University Archivist at (801) 422-5821 or gordon_daines@byu.edu.

Early cougar mascots named Cleo and Tarbo, 1920s.

In the 1920s Brigham Young University selected the cougar as its mascot. The first mascots were indeed live cougars named Cleo and Tarbo. Live cougars would later be replaced by Cosmo. The University Archives is home to several collections that document the mascots of Brigham Young University. The Dan W. Wakefield collection on cougar mascots (UA 5627) is one these collections. It contains a photocopy of a postcard of the original Brigham Young University cougar mascots (Cleo and Tarbo), a photocopy of a photograph of Cleo and Tarbo, and a color copy of a painting of a cougar by Glenn S. Potter.

If you would like to learn more about the mascots of Brigham Young University, please contact the University Archivist at (801) 422-5821 or gordon_daines@byu.edu.

In 2014 David Dalton, a former faculty member in the Brigham Young University School of Music, compiled information on all of the individuals who participated in the Lyceum Series from 1921 to 1971. This information was organized into an alphabetical list and a chronological list. These lists are found in UA 5684 David Dalton lists of Lyceum concerts and lectures which can be accessed through the Special Collections reading room (1130 HBLL).

If you would like to know more about the Lyceum Series, please contact the University Archivist at (801) 422-5821 or gordon_daines@byu.edu.

1993 Fred Roberts Upper Deck trading Card. Roberts was a former Brigham Young University basketball player.

Fans of Brigham Young University display their devotion to the university in a variety of ways. Christopher J. J. Thiry chose to display his school spirit by collecting the professional trading cards of former Brigham Young University football and basketball athletes. He donated these trading cards to the University Archives in September 2014. The trading cards feature such former Cougar greats as Fred Roberts, Danny Ainge, Jason Buck, Ty Detmer, Lee Johnson, Jim McMahon, Bart Oates, and Steve Young. The trading cards are found in UA 5699 Christopher J.J. Thiry trading cards of Brigham Young University alumni.

If you would like to know more about the collections in the University Archives, please contact the University Archivist at (801) 422-5821 or gordon_daines@byu.edu

Cecil O. Samuelson, twelfth president of Brigham Young University.

The scrapbook is contained in UA 5702 Cecil O. Samuelson scrapbook. The collection includes materials relating to Cecil O. Samuelson’s years as president of Brigham Young University. It contains newspaper and magazine articles, newsletters, letters, photos, and DVDs, as well as the printed scrapbook made from these materials. The scrapbook is available for research through the L. Tom Perry Special Collections reading room (1130 HBLL) at Brigham Young University.

If you would like to know more about the resources available for studying the history of Brigham Young University, please contact the University Archivist at (801) 422-5821 or gordon_daines@byu.edu.

Administrators, faculty, and guests line up in the annex of the Fieldhouse for the procession to the main auditorium preceding the inauguration of Dallin H. Oaks as the 8th president of Brigham Young University on November 12, 1971.

Ernest L. Wilkinson and President David O. McKay lead the procession from the Maeser Memorial Building to the George Albert Smith Fieldhouse for Wilkinson’s inauguration as 7th president university of Brigham Young University on October 8, 1951.

Inauguration ceremonies to install Franklin S. Harris as 5th president of Brigham Young University on October 17, 1921 were held in the Provo Tabernacle.

If you would like to learn more about the presidents at Brigham Young University click here and look for the heading “Presidents” or you can contact the University Archivist at (801) 422-5821 or gordon_daines@byu.edu.

The Block Y lit on Y Mountain is a powerful symbol of Brigham Young University. President Worthen has chose the block Y and Y Mountain for the symbol on his medallion of office.

Yesterday Kevin J. Worthen was inaugurated as the 13th president of Brigham Young University. He was charged by President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to remember that the course of this university has been set by the Lord and that “things will work out” if he does so. President Eyring’s remarks emphasized the unique character of Brigham Young University as a place where secular and spiritual learning go hand in hand.

President Worthen’s inaugural address built on the theme laid out by President Eyring and focused on going to the mountains to learn in ways both secular and spiritual so that we can become better men and women. President Worthen has chosen Y Mountain as the symbol on his medallion of office. More information about Y Mountain can be found here. President Worthen has a deep appreciation for the history of Brigham Young University and we are delighted in his selection as 13th president of this wonderful university.

If you would like to learn more about the history of Brigham Young University, please contact the University Archivist at (801) 422-5821 or gordon_daines@byu.edu>.