Medieval Latin Hymn Fragment : “…of those praying and resolve the bonds of sin”

29 Friday Jun 2018

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American Philological Association, custos, Divine Office, Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Greek, hymns, James T Svendsen, lauds, Madeleine Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts and Humanities, matins, moral conduct, Paul, Peter, Roman, sin, The University of Utah, Trinity, University of Minnesota, Utah, vocatives

Over the next several months, Rare Books will present transcriptions, translations, and commentaries of our manuscript fragments of medieval Latin chants. We are grateful to James T. Svendsen, Associate Professor Emeritus, The University of Utah, for this labor of love. Professor Svendsen spent several weeks in the Special Collections reading room, transcribing and translating and adding commentary to each piece.

Prof. Svendsen joined the faculty of the Department of Languages and Literature (now World Languages and Culture) at The University of Utah in 1969 and became Adjunct Associate Professor of Theater in 1976. He received his Ph.D in Classics from the University of Minnesota, where he specialized in Greek and Roman theater and was actively involved in several stage, film, and radio productions. He is known for his work with the Classic Greek Theatre Festival. He was named University Professor, 1990-91, along with Orest G. Symko (Physics). As University Professor, Svendsen taught courses on ancient Greek and Roman culture.

Prof. Svendsen has received several University of Utah awards for teaching and received a national award for Teaching Excellence in Classics from the American Philological Association. In 2009, Prof. Svendsen was presented with the Madeleine Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts and Humanities. At the awards dinner, Prof. Svendsen said, “I have been fortunate to find my niche here in Utah and have the opportunity to teach Greek and Latin language, literature and culture, and to share the world of ancient Greece with a wide array of audiences in Utah communities.”

We are fortunate that Dr. Svendsen continues to share his knowledge with our community through his generous translations.

Thank you, Jim!

(Accipe vota)
precantu(m) et peccati vincula resol-
ve tibi potestate tradita qua cu(n)ctis
coelu(m) verbo claudis (et) aperis.

(Accept the vows)
of those praying and resolve the bonds of sin
by the power handed over to you by which for all
you close (and) open heaven.” (i.e. you have the claves/keys to the kingdom!)

aperis. Egregi
e Doctor Paule
mores instrue &
me(n)te polu(m) nos tra(n)s-
ferre satage donec

O renowned teacher, Paul, instruct our ways/conduct and accomplish that we reach heaven in/with mind until…

perfectu(m) largiatur
plenius evacuato
q(u)od ex parte geri-
mus. Sit trinita-
ti se(m) piterna gloria

that perfect love abounds more fully which now below we share in part. Let there be to the Trinity eternal glory

honor potestas atq(u)e
iuybilatio in unita-
te cul manet impe-
rium ex tu(n)c & modo
per et(er)na secula ame(n).

honor, power and jubilation in one unity to whom there remains power then and now and for eternal ages. Amen

This hymn was sung on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul (June 29th). The section begins with the third verse of the hymn “Aurea luce” which begins “lam bone pastor Petre clemens accipe vota…” (Now good pastor, Peter accept these vows…) sung originally at matins and now at lauds as part of the Divine Office. Thus these hymns are not psalms nor part of the mass but sung early in the morning at matins or lauds. They are prayers to Peter and Paul (in vocatives) with imperatives requesting help against sin and instruction in moral conduct.

The mark at the left of each line designates the “Fa” clef. The small diamond at the end of each line is the “custos,” the “guard” indicating the first note of the next line or page. The diacritical mark indicates that a letter is missing from the text, usually an “m” or an “n.” In the restored pronunciation these were not full consonants but only nasalizations.

~contributed by Jim Svendsen, associate professor emeritus, World Languages and Cultures, The University of Utah

Rare Books Help Illustrate VERVE, Season 6, Episode 1

23 Wednesday May 2018

Posted by rarebooks in Video

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Asbern, Barbara Hodgson, Bernard Moitessier, Book Arts Program, booklets, Florida, Florida State University, French, gum bichromate prints, intaglio, letterpress, Marnie Powers-Torrey, Michelle Ray, Neenah Environment, Optimal, photographs, photolithographs, photopolymer, Salt Lake City, Tallahassee, The Small Craft Advisory Press, Trajan, Twentieth Century Medium Italic, University of Utah, Utah, VERVE, yachtsman

Several pieces from the rare book collections were used to help illustrate “What Makes A Book So Special,” episode 1, season 6, Its All About the Book, from VERVE, featuring Marnie Powers-Torry, director of the Book Arts Program.

A Casual Commentary: front seat, u.s.a.
Marnie Powers-Torrey
Salt Lake City: UT: M. Powers-Torrey, 1999
N7433.4 P69 C37 1999

Typeface is Twentieth Century Medium Italic. Handset and printed on an Asbern letterpress. Photographs are gum bichromate prints, photolithographs, and intaglio prints from photopolymer plates. Edition of 15 copies, signed and numbered. University of Utah copy is no. 4.

God Created the Sea and Painted it Blue So We’d…
Michelle Ray
Tallahassee, FL: The Small Craft Advisory Press, Florida State University, 2013
N7433.4 R395 G63 2013

Title is derived from a quote by Bernard Moitessier, a French yachtsman. Eleven unpaged booklets issued in a basswood box attached to linen hardcover with embossed title and printed endsheet. Inside the box are two compartments. One contains a tunnel of cut-out illustrations. The second compartment holds a cardboard box with title printed above tab enclosure and which contains the booklets. Images and text created with photopolymer plates, using Trajan and Optima typefaces on handmade cotton/abaca, French Construction, and Neenah Environment papers.

Mrs. Delany Meets Herr Haeckle
Barbara Hodgson
Vancouver: HM Editions, 2015
N7433.4 H63 M77 2015

From the publisher’s website: [Mrs. Delany] is an “imagined collaboration between Mrs. Mary Delany (1700-1788), an English widow, woman of accomplishment, and creator of imaginative botanical ‘paper mosaics’ and Herr Ernst Haeckel (1852-1911), a distinguished and controversial German biologist and artist who devoted much of his time to the study and rendering of single-celled creatures.”

Cut paper image of a microscopic organism affixed to frontispiece with another cut-paper image affixed to the recto of the same sheet; eleven cut-paper interpretations of microscopic organisms tipped on to captioned plates; tipped-in cut-paper initials, numerous smaller cut-paper decorations. The paper cuttings are adapted from Ernst Haeckel’s Die Radiolarien (1862) and Kunstformen der Natur (1899-1904). They are cut from a variety of papers, including Yatsuo, Kozuke, mulberry, Gifu, Kitikata, and Kiraku kozo from Japan; Ingres and unidentified wove from Europe; and Reg Lissel handmade papers from Canada. Some were cut from papers previously marbled in the Turkish or Suminigashi styles. Some were dyed by the papermaker; some were dyed or otherwise hand-colored for this book. The cuttings are mounted on one of Arches text wove (white), Arches MBM Ingres (black) or Hahnemuhle Ingres (black).

Bound in full polished morocco, ruled and stamped decoratively in red and gilt with a gilt-lettered spine by Claudia Cohen. Marbled endpapers. Issued in orange clamshell case with a gilt-lettered spine label.

Edition of twenty-five copies plus six hors de commerce, each signed by the author, printer, and binder. Rare Books copy is XXII.

Jabberwocky
Barry McCallion
East Hampton, NY: 2015
PR4611 J32 2015 oversize

India ink washes, various collage and drawing elements incorporating metallic gold paper and aluminum foil with text from newspaper type, copied on various papers, each letter cut out and collaged in a myriad of shapes and sized as well as colors. Richard de Bas cream wove paper. Bound by Joelle Webber: hand-sewn yellow colored silk over boards with title on front panel, a reduced reproduction of the title-page. Blue and silver endpapers by St. Armand, terracotta colored guards. Housed in tan linen over boards, clamshell box, title in red reproduced from the title-page with yellow and red reproduction of first page inset on front panel. Signed and dated by the artist.

The Arctic Plants of New York City
James Walsh (b. 1961)
New York City: Granary Books, 2015
N7433.4 W355 A73 2016

From the publisher’s website: “The Arctic Plants of New York City combines personal letters, poetry, prose essays, scholarly research, botanical exploration and artistic investigation, and ranges from the Doctrine of Signatures to the sleep of plants, and from Jean-Jacques Rousseau and John Muir on mental travel to Giacomo Leopardi and Charles Baudelaire on the necessity of illusion for art and life. Interspersed throughout the book are a number of two-page spreads that focus on a single plant, such as Common Mugwort, with a mounted botanical specimen of that plant surrounded by texts drawn from earlier writers on botany and set in verse, creating a field of word-objects interacting with plant-objects. The letters that open the book lead into a prose essay that touches on the souls of plants, their use in medicine and as spurs to mental travel, their transience, their migrations, their meaning. A bibliography lists the most essential works from the author’s research and the book concludes with a reproduction of the index from Nicholas Polunin’s Circumpolar Arctic Flora (1959), in which the author has marked in red pen the eighty-eight Arctic plants that occur in New York City. Written, designed, and printed letterpress by James Walsh, with eighteen botanical specimens pressed and mounted by the author. Bound by Daniel Kelm at Wide Awake Garage.” From the colophon: “All the plants were gathered in Brooklyn.” Printed by the author using two Vandercook proof presses at the Center for the Book Arts. Text paper is Somerset Book White, endsheets are Hahnemuhle Ingres Blue Green. Cloth bound in Dover Oxford Black. Edition of forty copies, 34 of which are for sale.

Book of the Week — The Emigrant’s Guide to Oregon and California

30 Monday Apr 2018

Posted by rarebooks in Book of the Week, Donations, Recommended Reading

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California, California Trail, Cincinnati, Conclin, cookstove, Dan Rhoads, deserts, Donner-Reed Party, emigrants, entrepreneur, Fort Bernard, Fort Bridger, Fort Hall, Friends of the Library, grandmother, Great Salt Lake, guidebook, Humboldt River, Illinois, Indians, Jacob Donner, James Reed, Lansford Warren Hastings, Mexicans, Mexico, Michael Wallis, mountains, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, piano, real estate, Roman Catholic Church, San Francisco, Sierra Nevada, Springfield, Sutter's Fort, Truckee Lake, United States, Utah, Virginia Reed, Wasatch Mountains, Weber Canyon

“Remember, never take no cutoffs and hurry along as fast as you can.” — Virginia Reed

The Emigrant’s Guide to Oregon and California
Lansford Warren Hastings (1819-1870?)
Cincinnati: G. Conclin, 1845
F864 H345

On April 29, 1847 the nearly three month-long rescue of survivors of the now-infamous Donner-Reed Party ended. The last surviving member arrived at Sutter’s Fort more than a year after the original party had departed from Springfield, Illinois. The first of the lost souls, located near Truckee Lake in the Sierra Nevada, had been found on February 18. Dan Rhoads, one of the rescuers wrote, “They were gaunt with famine and I never can forget the horrible ghastly sight they presented. The first woman spoke in a hollow voice very much agitated and said ‘are you men from California or do you come from heaven?'”

To get from Illinois to California, the Donner-Reed party had relied, in part, on a bestselling book called The Emigrant’s Guide to Oregon and California. The author was Lansford Warren Hastings, a young real-estate entrepreneur from Ohio who had financial and political interests in California. Hastings, at age twenty-three, had made a trip west in 1842.

The book had almost no practical advice, in spite of the crowing in its preface of providing “a description of the different routes; and all necessary information relative to the equipment, supplies, and the method of traveling” with the caveat that “all excrescences have been cautiously lopped off, leaving scarcely any thing more than a mere collection of interesting, important and practical facts.”

To make up for the lack of “excrescences,” Hastings regaled the reader with lengthy and snarky anecdotes regarding “Californians,” gamblers and drunks all. “How different are the priests of California from those of the same denomination of christians in our own country?”

In his “guide” he depicted Indians as lazy and Mexicans as dishonest, blaming much of the latter on the priests of the Roman Catholic Church.

“At times, I sympathize with these unfortunate beings, but again, I frequently think, that perhaps, are thus ridden and restrained and if they are thus priest ridden, it is, no doubt, preferable, that they should retain their present riders. ”

As for Indians, Hastings’ wrote, with no irony, that they “in numerous instances, abandoned their old haunts, and re-established in other portions of the country, but for what cause, it is difficult to ascertain, with any degree of certainty, for the sites which have been thus abandoned, appear in many instances, to possess advantages much superior, to those which have been subsequently selected.”

Hastings’ “little work,” as he called it, was inspirational to those wishing to escape the crowded conditions and poor economy of the east and Midwest. Hastings’ book promoted the land and climate of California as ideal companions for hardworking “Americans.” His book was read by one of the drivers of the Donner family wagons. A copy of the book, owned by Jacob Donner, much-handled, was found in the saddlebag of one of the travelers.

Hastings’ guidebook had bad information and good.

Good: In Chapter XV Hastings discussed “The Equipment, Supplies, and the Method of Traveling.” First, “All persons, designing to travel by this route, should, invariably, equip themselves with a good gun.” (Indians and/or buffalo.) Second, “It would, perhaps, be advisable for emigrants, not to encumber themselves with any other, than those just enumerated; as it is impracticable for them, to take all the luxuries, to which they have been accustomed; and as it is found, by experience, that, when upon this kind of expedition, they are not desired, even by the most devoted epicurean.”

The Reed family brought with them an invalid grandmother, a piano and an iron cookstove.

Bad: Hastings, eager to sell land in California, encouraged travelers to forget about Oregon and make their way to California, suggesting a cutoff through the Wasatch Mountains, passing to the south of the Great Salt Lake and then across the salt flats to rejoin the California Trail at the Humboldt River. Hastings, who had not, in fact, traveled this route, was sure the shortcut would save travelers valuable time. The passage in Hastings’ guidebook was short and carried no description: “The most direct route, for the California emigrants, would be to leave the Oregon route, about two hundred miles east from Fort Hall; thence bearing west southwest to the Salt Lake; and thence continuing down to the bay of San Francisco, by the route just described.”

The Donner-Reed Party, stopping at Fort Bernard, were warned not to take the route. Still, they had been delayed for one reason or another almost from the start and needed to make up time. The shortcut would enable them to do so. A meeting with an emissary of Hastings, on his way back to Ohio, convinced the Donner-Reed Party even more of this need. In a letter, Hastings warned of the war between the United States and Mexico and advised travelers to take his shortcut of about two hundred miles, promising to meet the emigrants at Fort Bridger and to guide them over the deserts and mountains of his new route, crossing what would become the states of Utah and Nevada. It was a convincing proposal. Hastings never met them. The party found another guide to take them as far as the salt plain west of the Great Salt Lake. Again, others warned against taking this route.

At the mouth of the Weber Canyon the Donner party found a note from Hastings, now guiding another group, advising them that the canyon was impassable with wagons and offering to provide them with yet another route. The company waited while James Reed rode ahead to meet Hastings, who refused to act as guide but showed Reed a potential route to follow. No one in the party saw Hastings again, although they heard from him one more time in the form of a wind-ripped note that warned of two days and nights of hard driving across the desert to reach water. The company plodded on, ignoring a sentence buried only pages away from the cutoff passage in the Hasting guide: “…for, unless you pass over the mountains early in the fall, you are very liable to be detained, by impassable mountains of snow, until the next spring, or, perhaps, forever.”

Thank you, Friends of the Library, for your many gifts to Rare Books over the years, including this historic guide.

Recommended reading:
Wallis, Michael. The Best Land Under Heaven: The Donner Party in the Age of Manifest Destiny. New York: Liveright Publishing Corporation, 2017
General Collection, Level 2
F868 N5 W36 2017

Cuentos — Students Respond

12 Thursday Apr 2018

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agriculture, analytic tool, Anna Paseman, Annie Bonebrake, anti-Modernism, Antwerp, art, atlas, Austrian, Bartolomé de las Casas, Bear Flag Revolt, Belgian, Benito Juarez, binding, biography, book, broadsides, California, Cameron Dower, Camille Morgenstern, Carlos Ixta, cartas de poder, cartographer, cartoons, Catholic Church, Chihuahua, Chile, colonization, Communist Party, Dawson's Book Shop, dictionary, documents, Dylan Slavens, Edwin H. Carptenter, encyclopedia, English, European, Fernando Núñez de Guzmán, folletto, forests, France, Francisco de Aefferden, Francisco Laso, French, Gabriel Gonzalez Videla, Galician, Giovanni Paoli, Greek, handmade, heretic, history, Indian, indigenous, iPhone, Isabel Dulfano, Italian, Italy, Jacome Croberger, Jake Tilson, Josep Renau, Juan Pablos, Latin, leather, Leon de Castrón, literary analysis, literature, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, magazines, Manuel Castañares, maps, Marc Jackson, Marisol Padilla Fragosso, marriage, Marriott Library, Mexican Republic, Mexican-American War, Mexico, Mexico City, Miguel Martinez, miner's strike, missions, muralist, news, newspaper, notarization, Olivia Blithell, Pablo Neruda, pamphlet, Pedro Ocharte, persecution, philosophy, photographs, Pierre Laval, poetry, Portuguese, posters, power of attorney, primary sources, printing press, propaganda, protocols, proverbs, Pueblo, Radical Party, Rare Books Department, religion, rivers, saints, Salt Lake City, Shakespeare, signatures, sixteenth century, slave trade, Spanish, Spanish Inquisition, symbols, The University of Utah, theater, torture, Tosh Noskowski, Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, twenty-first century, Urbano Gonzalez Serrano, Utah, Washington, Woolley Dale, WWII

Students from Introduction to Textual Analysis (SPAN3070-1), taught by Prof. Isabel Dulfano, met in the Rare Books Classroom three times Spring Semester 2018 to work with three different sets of books from the rare book collections. Themes were “Narración de cuentos: literatura, historia, viajes, biografía,” “Hojas de Lenguas Sueltas,” and “Decir la verdad.” In all, students worked with 74 first and early editions of histories, biographies, poetry, documents and periodicals from the sixteenth century to the twenty-first century. Each session included an assignment, culminating with a short, informal response to one of the books and the impact working with physical primary sources had on the student’s understanding of literary analysis.

Many thanks to the students who participated with such enthusiasm. We will always remember one early exclamation, “Best day of college ever!”

Muchos misterios están escondidos en la historia, from Cameron Dower

Entre los remedios q do fray Bartolome delas Casas…
Bartolomé de las Casas (1484-1566)
Fue impressa…en…Seuilla: en las casas de Jacome Croberger, Año de mill y quinientos cinquenta y dos años [1552]
F1411 C32

El 29 de marzo, tuvimos la oportunidad, como clase, a visitar a la colección de libros raros en la biblioteca Marriott. El poder tener en mano un libro publicado hace casi quinientos años es una experiencia extraordinaria. En esta ocasión analizamos libros del género de ensayo. La examinación del libro físico nos permite ir más allá en el análisis de la obra que simplemente leer el texto mismo. Yo me enfoqué en el libro del fray Bartolomé de las Casas. Bartolomé es una figura importantísima en la historia de la conquista de las Américas por España. Fue uno de las primeras voces para luchar contra el mal tratamiento de los indígenas por los conquistadores. En este libro, él expone sus razones por los cuales los indígenas merecen tener derechos sociales.

Esta copia del libro parece tener una historia muy particular. Al examinarlo, encuentro una inscripción en la segunda página detrás del título. La descifro como . ¿Quién fue este Alonso? ¿Cuándo vivió? La inscripción no nos dice, pero podemos encontrar algunas pistas acerca de la vida de Alonso. Como el libro fue escrito en una época en el cual pocos fueron letrados, Alonso probablemente tenía mucho dinero. También podemos ver que Alonso tenía un interés en la reforma social y la igualdad. Siguiendo el trabajo de investigación, encontramos la firma de Alonso debajo de la inscripción. Con la firma se encuentra un símbolo. Al seguir leyendo, vemos este símbolo en cada página derecha del libro hasta que termina después de la octava razón. ¿Por qué terminó de escribir el sello? Puede ser que se le acabó la tinta, o que perdió interés y dejó de leer, murió o cualquier otra razón. También vemos que debajo de la razón séptima, escribió de nuevo <razón séptima>. ¿Puede ser que la razón séptima fue el que le inspiró más o es que simplemente estaba practicando sus letras en el libro?

Muchos misterios están escondidos en la historia. La mayoría quizás no tienen respuesta. Sin embargo, sabemos que Alonso es un ejemplar de los que fueron afectados por los escritos de Bartolomé de las Casas.

A Connection to the Past, from Gardner Lange

Sixteen Century Mexican Broadside
Edwin H. Carpenter
Los Angeles: Dawson’s Book Shop, 1965
Z240.4 C37 1965

Giovanni Paoli was born near the turn of the sixteenth century in Northern Italy, but became known in Mexico as Juan Pablos, the founder of the first printing press in the Americas. Pablos ran the press until his death in 1563, at which time his son-in-law, Pedro Ocharte of France, took over its operation. Ocharte has garnered historical attention on account of his detention and torture at the hands of the Spanish Inquisition. Ocharte was labeled a heretic after allegedly printing a book that questioned the necessity of praying to saints. After lengthy court proceedings, he was acquitted of the charges and eventually allowed to resume printing, which he did until his death in 1592.

I encountered a 1560 print by Pablos and a 1587 print by Ocharte at The University of Utah’s Marriott Library in the Rare Books Department. Both are cartas de poder, or in English, power of attorney, documents. These broadsides may not initially be as thrilling as religious protestations that resulted in persecution and torture, but they captivated me for several reasons. First, I work part-time as a filing clerk for a law firm in downtown Salt Lake City. Nearly every day I read, copy, deliver and file documents that resemble these two broadsides. Handling these documents allowed me to form a connection to the past through experiences that I am familiar with as a legal clerk and aspiring attorney. Second, a close inspection of the documents and their details reveals historical insights that are sure to interest history enthusiasts.

The documents begin with the same phrase, which in English amounts to: Let it be known that the following individuals are witnesses to the authenticity of this document. This is followed in both documents by beautiful signatures of several individuals. Then the printed portion resumes, detailing what powers the client is agreeing to give to his or her attorney.

Interestingly, at the end of these sections, there is more handwritten cursive before the final signatures and notarization. This suggests that the broadsides were generic copies, which could be amended to the liking of the particular client by adding more legal wordage afterwards by hand. Being individual, double-sided sheets may also indicate that these were used for record keeping and not likely bound in books nor widely circulated. Fortunately for the scholars of our day, the publisher of this volume compiled information about many similar broadsides and in 1965 distributed several of them in copies of a book that details some of their history.

One of the most interesting differences I discovered between the two is the mention of slaves as assets in the 1560 carta de poder, which is not found in the 1587 version. Literary analysis textbooks are replete with encouragement to consider the historical context of the works being studied, and if we apply that principle here, it should cause any who examine these documents to consider what changed in the intervening decades regarding slave trade and issues of equality that would cause such a change to standard legal procedure.

A Universal Cultural Appreciation, from Annie Bonebrake

Refranes o proverbios en romance…
Fernando Núñez de Guzmán (ca. 16th cent.)
En Madrid: Por Iuan de la Cuesta, a costa de Miguel Martinez, 1619
PN6490 N8

Refranes o Proverbios en Romance is an encyclopedia of sayings and proverbs in Spanish, Italian, Austrian, Galician, French, Portuguese, Latin, and Greek. The book begins with a Spanish prologue written by Leon de Castrón, the “Maestro Leo.” The sayings are categorized alphabetically with their language of origin noted on the left side of each phrase in old Spanish. Some examples of proverbs documented in the book include “A cafas viejas, puertas nuevas,” in Spanish; “Boire iu fques a la lye-Frances,” in French; and “Comendo holgando, comendo trabalhando,” in Portuguese.

The physical qualities of this book contribute to an understanding of the text’s historical past. The outward appearance of Refranes o Proverbios en Romance is dilapidated, fragile, and used. The parchment cover of the book is creased and wrinkled, and has completely dissociated from the spine of the book. Gently lifting the detached cover from the spine reveals the book’s handmade string bindings. Finally, the text in the book was clearly produced with a printing press, as each individual letter was stamped into the book with visible force. All of these elements contribute to an awareness of a universal cultural appreciation for didactic proverbs and sayings since the book has survived over 300 years and has ultimately landed in the rare book department of a major university.

When considering objects spanning centuries of history, the object’s past must be analyzed in addition to the concrete characteristics of that object. Additionally, in order to conduct a literary analysis of a book able to withstand hundreds of years, one must consider what kind of abstract influence that book has had on a society to determine the author’s purpose for that work. For example, as I conducted a literary analysis of Refranes o Proverbios en Romance I first had to brainstorm for the reasons an encyclopedia of phrases and proverbs might be valuable to western European societies before I could begin to analyze any detailed text within the book; understanding an author’s purpose for writing the book is essential for fully comprehending a book’s literary worth. I determined that Refranes o Proverbios en Romance is an important work because it provides a reference for thousands of famous sayings across various cultures, which are valuable because they are tools used to convey morals or lessons.

My experience with Refranes o Proverbios en Romance allowed me to practice comprehension of an author’s purpose for a work in the greater context of a society or history. Because Guzman’s encyclopedia of phrases is more like a dictionary than a narrative with a plot, the process of literary analysis of this work was more abstract than concrete. In other words, an inferred understanding as to why a book of proverbs might be valuable to a society was more necessary for my literary analysis than the ability to interpret literary devices.

El arte didáctica, el arte para enseñar, from Olivia Blithell

El atlas abreviado, o compendiosa geografia, del…
Francisco de Aefferden (1653-1709)
En Amberes: A costa de Francisco Laso, mercader de libros, enfrente de S. Phelipe el Real de Madrid, año 1711
Fourth edition

[This work] was published in 1711, two years after author Francisco de Aefferden (a Belgian cartographer) died, in Antwerp by a book merchant named Francisco Laso. It is a leather-bound pocket atlas containing descriptions of the world and very detailed, ornate maps that fold out. They depict bodies of water, rivers, forests, mountain ranges, common trails, and the names of places.

The maps for their time are extremely accurate, with distance scales and longitude and latitude indications on every map.

The pages crinkle when you turn them and you can smell the leather of the binding as you read the book. The reader can see the years in the leather — the binding is wearing thin. You can take a trip around the world, your mind can visit anywhere.

The reader can learn about “El Mundo Nuevo,”

then see all of the forests and mountains in “Alemania” — a glimpse into the past world.

We can see the signatures and notes of previous owners. The waves of their cursive from ink and quill contrast with the Old English-styled font of text. This little pocket atlas was their only tool to get from point “a” to point “b,” when traveling in strange and foreign lands. In today’s world, our pocket atlas is our iPhone, a pocket-sized computer. We have the world in our hands, a technology unimaginable in 1711.

We can see how the world has evolved since the 17th century, both physically and intellectually. There are large cities where forests used to be, some of the towns have changed their names, but many remain. Even though our world has changed, the past is still with us.

We can read the words in the text and see how the people of the day thought. The Spanish text is very beautiful, like Shakespeare. It is different from how today’s Spanish is spoken. It is more poetic and meant to teach, el arte didáctica, el arte para enseñar.

Es Algo Incredible, from James Smith

Reales ordenanzas para la dirección, régimen y gobierno del importante cuerpo de la minería de Nueva-España, y de su real tribunal general. De orden de su majestad
Madrid, 1783
First edition
KC729.5 M48 1783

Como sugiere su titulo, este el libro era hecho con el propósito de ayudar el país de España ministrar sus minerías. Para entender este libro es necesario que primero entendemos porque la industria minería era tan importante por España durante el 18º siglo. La minería de plata pagaba mucho y por eso los indignos de España estaban muy interesado de minarlo. Por la potencia que la minería tenia durante esta época Nueva-España dependía mucho en la minería y por eso creía este libro para introducir reglas de cómo la minería debería funcionar.

Es algo incredíble a pensar que este libro que era publicado en 1783 ha durado por mas que 200 años con las mismas paginas, tinta, y encuadernación. No hay muchas cosas que pueden perdurar por siglos, especialmente los libros. Pero el hecho de que este libro todavía esta en buena condición lleva un mensaje y entendimiento de la importancia de este libro sin abrirlo.

El libro tiene mas que 200 paginas que son separadas por “títulos” que parecen como capítulos. No era escrito por mano pero imprimió con maquina que es algo interesante porque era muy caro a imprimir. Este también refleja que el libro llevaba mucha importancia. Sin leer la primera pagina el lector puede saber que este libro no era hecho con el propósito de entretener, pero algo muy serio.

Si vemos la pagina 23, titulo II, dice “jueces de minas lo serán las respectivas justicias reales, conforme a las leyes de la recopilación de indas, en todo lo que por estas Ordenanzas no se cometiere a las diputaciones del cuerpo de minería.” Aunque Nueva-España era una monarquía usaban jueces y otros formes de gobierno. Si leemos esta articulo parece como una oración aburrida respecto a un tipo de trabajo. Pero realmente este articulo, junto con el resto del libro, contiene muchísima historia.

Para entender la verdadero sentido de esta oración es necesario que primero entendemos los políticos de España, la economía, y la importancia que la minería tenia en la país.

Another Level of Depth, from Owen Orchard

Diario de Mexico
Mexico City: Oficina de Don Mariano Jose de Zuniga y Ontiveros, 1805-1817
AP63 D5

We as a class were given the opportunity to visit the Marriott Library’s rare book collections where we could analyze and observe amazing works of Spanish literature dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries.

The piece that I gravitated towards most was Diario de Mexico. This journal began publication in 1805 and was the first daily news periodical in Mexico. It discussed philosophical, moral, and artistic issues, such as the function of theater. The articles were written by a diverse collection of authors, adding depth to the conversations.

The physical condition and layout of the periodical is impressive. The Rare Books set is bound in a leather cover of a date later than the publication, very much intact. The issues themselves have almost no tears or stains.

Each issue begins with a poem. Many of the articles go into great depth in ways perhaps unexpected by the 21st century reader and perhaps even in the 21st century. Examples include, “Cosas que incomodan en Mexico” and “Falibilidad del la Medicina.”

The opportunity to view and actually touch these works is incredible. When you feel and turn the pages of these books its a totally different experience than just hearing about them. You are able to see whether or not a book was printed or handwritten and also what material the book was made from. This adds so much to one’s literary analysis because you can make guesses as to why it was written on that material or why it was written in that way based off of the time period it came from.

All in all, being able to interact with these pieces in person added another level of depth to my analysis. By looking and touching, I discovered that these texts contain centuries of knowledge and insight as well as an infinite number of underlying details. I have very much enjoyed my time with the rare book collections and now have a vastly greater understanding and interest in this type of study.

The Need to Spread Word, from Anna Paseman

Colección de documentos relativos al departamento de Californias publicados por el ciudadano Manuel Castañares
Mexico: Imprenta de la Voz de Pueblo, 1845

As its title suggests, the text Colección de documentos relativos al departamento de Californias publicados por el ciudadano Manuel Castañares consists of a compilation of letters, speeches, and essays written by Manuel Castañares. Castañares served as one of California’s represetatives to Mexico’s National Congress during the mid-1840s, and his compositions touch on a number of important historical and literary subjects. The physical text itself, a thin, fragile, paper pamphlet, one of only 11 known to exist, exhibits its own literary significance.

Among the text’s central themes are descriptions of various aspects of the California territory, including its indigenous population, Spanish missions, ports, agricultural sectors, and the 1843 discovery of gold. The mention of the discovery of gold is particularly important because this text is believed to be the first pamphlet to document the discovery and mining of gold in California.

While the documentation of the discovery is interesting, Castañares’s relevant commentary is of greater interest. In various letters, he repeatedly voices concern that the Mexican federal government must proactively safeguard California, such that a foreign power does not take interest in, and devastate, its precious resources.

Castañares’s concerns regarding California’s abundant resources extends to his broader discussion of foreign intrusion into the territory, and the failure of the Mexican government to sufficiently attend to its security needs. Describing the daunting threat posed by the United States, in particular, Castañares writes, “El estado que hoy guarda la república, las tendencias y conatos de una nación vecina para continuar usurpando nuestro territorio, el carácter de invasión que manifiesta toda la prensa americana y nuestra inercia, me hacen temblar por la suerte de la república, si no se atienden nuestras fronteras, principalmente mi Departamento.”

The concern that Castañares expresses for unrest in California in 1845, and the assertive nature of the American government on its frontiers, is foreboding; the next year, 1846, California experienced the uprising known as the Bear Flag Revolt. The Mexican-American War followed, lasting from 1846-1848, and by early 1847 California officially came into the possession of the United States. In this sense, Castañares’s writings serve as a valuable tool for understanding the events leading up to the transfer of California from Mexican to American hands.

The relatively small and cheaply produced nature of the pamphlet likely indicates that it was meant to be portable and read by many. While it is difficult to know with certainty Castañares’s intention in publishing his writings, it is apparent that he felt the need to spread word of what he perceived as a threat, and perhaps, to raise concern among others such that the issue of foreign intrusion would gain attention, and the Mexican government would respond sufficiently. By handling the text, and accepting Castañares’s intentions as previously described, it is easy to imagine the serious political conversations that must have been happening in California during the 1840s, and the types of information that would have informed Mexicans on the state of the territory. Moreover, the text serves as an interesting reminder that California was not always a part of the United States, and that the history of American expansion is not necessarily one of peaceful acquisition.

Somewhere, At Some Time, Someone, from Carlos Ixta

[
Tratado de Paz, Amistad, limites y, arreglo
Mexico: Impr. De I. Cumplido, 1848
Second printing
E408 M62 1848

Treaty of peace, friendship, limits, and settlement between the United States of America and the Mexican Republic: concluded at Guadalupe Hidalgo, February 2, and ratified, with the amendments, by the American Senate, March 10, also ratified by the Mexican Congress, May 25, 1848
Washington, 1848
E408 U583

The Spanish version of this text was printed months after the English edition of the text. I had the opportunity to be able to look at both of them and to compare and contrast the two. The history of these texts is very powerful to me. As a Mexican-American, I have always had a special interest in the events surrounding the American colonization of the U. S., as well as the Mexican-American war, and other historical events. Seeing, reading, and holding the texts in the rare books collection was a profound experience for me. I imagine being back in such a time, perhaps living in California — or even Utah for that matter — both of which were Mexican territories at one time. Then, after years of war, and thousands of deaths, to receive a really small book, perhaps not even suitable to be called a book, somewhat of a 2-page decree from either the Mexican Republic or the United States government stating that the land I’ve lived on my whole life suddenly belongs to a whole different government. How peculiar that must be! Many people had a hard time believing what had just happened and for this reason the Mexican government printed an edition of the peace treaty with an added forward which basically stated that it was true, that this is really happening, and the people must accept it.

As I sat there imagining what it must have been like or how strange an experience that is, it only added to the feeling to be able to hold physical copies of a books such as these. I realized, that these are originals, that somewhere, at some time, someone had helf up the exact copy that I was able to hold and that this really happened to them. Overall, it was an honorable experience to see these and many other books like these at university. There is definitely a difference in reading about the history of things like this in high school history class and being able to hold the actual books published at the time being studied.

Same Event, Two Different Books, Two Different Ways, from Dylan Slavens

Tratado de Paz, Amistad, limites y, arreglo
Mexico: Impr. De I. Cumplido, 1848
E408 M62 1848

Treaty of peace, Friendship, limits, and settlement between the United States of America and the Mexican Republic: Concluded at Guadalupe Hildalgo, February 2, and ratified with the amendments, by the American Senate, March 10, also ratified by the Mexican Congress, May 25, 1848
Washington, 1848
E408 U55 1848

I had the opportunity to hold in my hands these two books during my visit to the Rare Books Department in The University of Utah’s Marriott Library. Although these two books were printed examples of The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo between the U.S. and Mexican governments, I observed many differences between the two. One of these books was written and published in Mexico while the other was written and published in the U.S.

One of the first differences I noticed about the two books was that the physical quality and appearance of the one printed in the U.S. was a lot better than the one from Mexico. The cover and the paper of the U.S. copy were all in a lot better condition. The Mexican copy seemed to be falling apart and the physical materials used to make the book seemed to be cheaper. The U.S. copy had many more pages than the one from Mexico, which surprised me because the Mexican version had both the Spanish and English translations on both sides of the pages.

Having physical contact with these two books helped me process and analyze the differences between the two much more easily. The U.S. copy was written more like a dialog and a journal while the Mexican copy seemed to be more straightforward and official.

The book from Mexico officially explained the protocols necessary for the conclusion of the treaty, including the amendments made to the treaty by the United States. In my short 45 minutes of analyzing and observing these two books I can see many differences not only physically but also literally between the two. Same event, two different books, two different ways of writing and presenting the information of what happened. It was such a unique experience of actually having and holding the two books in my hands.

Revealing Something A Glowing Wall of Text Never Could, from Marc Jackson

Gobierno general: Ministerio de justicia
Benito Juarez (1806-1872)
Chihuahua: 1859
KG3035 A5 1859

The newspaper article is gently held in place by a protective sleeve. Frayed edges and discoloration characterize its tattered face. When turning the pages it almost seems like they could split in two if one was careless. The irony is that this article’s pages were never meant to be turned carefully. The thin paper and poor condition reveal something a glowing wall of text never could. They reveal that this article was not written for royalty, politicians, or clergy but for the masses. The Mexican government printed this newspaper cheaply so it could be sent to as many people as possible. Knowing that the author, Benito Juarez, wrote Gobierno general for the public opens up a deeper analysis. Instead of simply setting up new laws concerning marriage, the purpose of the text becomes gaining public support for dramatic social changes. Instead of the verse-like statements representing legal language, they can represent scripture and therefore the fight Juarez pushed to lower the influence of the Catholic Church on the government. In other words, the purpose of the article is to incite social change and the theme is the replacement of Catholic doctrine with democratic law.

Without feeling the thin pages and physically interacting with the original work it would be much harder to conclude that the audience is the general public. If the reader only had the words themselves it’s likely they would conclude that Juarez only wrote it for lawyers. However, touching the original page transports the reader to 1859. A lawyer doesn’t hand over the newspaper, an excited Indian does. He talks about how much it means to him that an indigenous Mexican is representing him and that the government is openly talking about issues that until recently were taboo. This newspaper article proves that information essential to understanding literature is hidden everywhere the words aren’t, preserving words isn’t enough, the physical objects and their connection to the past must be preserved or our understanding of older texts might never dive beneath the surface.

Bound Together in Honor of Its Memory, from Marisol Padilla Fragosso

Madrid Comico
Madrid, 1885-1897?
AP111 M347

The book that caught my eye on my third visit to the Rare Books section of the Marriott Library, or as I and several of my classmates have called it, the “Restricted Area,” was Madrid Comico, “Comical Madrid” in English, a Spanish magazine published between 1880 and 1923. This magazine contained anti-Modernism propaganda and was full of humorous stories and comics, as the title implies. The issues in Rare Books have been bound together in what appears to be a binding contemporary to the time period of the magazine’s run. At some point, the owner of these issues had them bound together, giving the sense of a commemorative book. Who did this and why they did so is not known, however, it would be appropriate to guess that this book came to be because the magazine shut down in 1923, as if the issues were bound together in honor of its memory.

From all of my experiences and interactions in the Rare Books area, I have learned to appreciate books even more than I did before. Some of these books are centuries old and are in incredible condition, which is great for the reader because this means the text is legible instead of smudged, pages contain no significant rips or tears (if any), and no pages appear to be missing. This is important to the reader’s experience. There is no gap in the flow of the text, due to illegibility, a condition that might ruin the world of the reader and what the author had in mind.

When you touch a book that is over a hundred years old, you can’t help but feel awestruck and humbled; of course, precautionary measures are taken so that the oils in human skin don’t harm the books (that’s what the baby wipes are for) and you have to be gentle with the binding — opening, closing, and flipping through the pages gingerly. Another thing that I realized from my experience with these rare books, is that books truly are precious treasures: If they were not to be treasured, someone would not have taken the time to carefully preserve them in the best condition possible.

While holding these amazing books, I couldn’t help but apply textual analytic tools that I learned in my textbook for my Spanish class, Aproximaciones al estudio de la literatura hispánica, 6ª ed. The main tool that I used was looking at the Who, Where, When, Why, and How. Once you are able to answer these questions about a book, you are better able to understand the depth of the text and the author’s, as well as the publisher’s, vision for it. When I apply this tool to my analysis of texts, I feel as though I am tapping into the mind of the author and publisher, almost as if I was a profiler looking at a crime scene, figuring out who did it, when they did it, how it was done, and the motive behind the crime.

A Personality Distinct From All Others, from Tosh Noskowski

Siluetas: con retratos y…
Urbano Gonzalez Serrano (1848-1904)
Madrid: R. Serra, 1899
PQ6072 G6

Urbano Gonzalez Serrano was a literary critic as well as philosopher and professor. Siluetas is a compilation of brief biographies about various authors of his time.

Each biography begins with a picture of each author and a copy of something handwritten by him that includes a signature.

The book, in and of itself, is really small — it can fit in the palm of your hand. This makes is very approachable, as many large books can be intimidating and bring a sense of prestige with them. A small book makes the literary analysis easier because it does not give the impression of being above reproach.

Literary analysis can be augmented by being in physical contact with the book because it brings to light how the book was meant to be read, and can even help identify target audiences for the text. The size and weight of it may limit those who were meant to read it, which can be a key factor when analyzing aspects of a text.

The literary analysis tools focus on trying to understand the meaning and purpose of any given text. It can be approached via different questions and angles depending on the genre of the text, but seeing the books in person truly gives weight to these questions. It’s not just a bunch of words in a textbook any more, it gives purpose to what the literary analysis is trying to do. Simply analyzing a text on a screen or in a textbook doesn’t represent the work as it was meant to be. The physical form, age, and wear and tear of a work gives it a personality distinct from all others. From here, the analytic tools learned through a textbook can be applied in a much more meaningful way.

The Search for Truth, from Camille Morgenstern

González Videla, el laval de la America Latina: Breve biografía de un traidor
Mexico City, 1949
First edition
F3099 G6 N4

When perusing the rare texts around the themes of “ensayo” and “decir la verdad,” i.e. the search for truth, this folleto by Pablo Neruda caught my eye because of the interesting and rich historical context surrounding the piece, but also because of Neruda’s specific use of the book as a medium for disseminating his truth.

The folleto is presented as a collection of brief pieces in a wide range of genres, from poems to essays to letters to testimonies, all denouncing Gabriel González Videla. Neruda was, at the time, a Communist Party senator and member of the Communist Party of Chile. Videla was a presidential candidate representing the Radical Party and asked Neruda to be his campaign manager. Once in office, Videla turned against the Communist Party, violently repressing a Communist-led miner’s strike. Neruda disassociated from Videla, and began to publicly critique him in speeches, which carried over into the form of the folleto. In this text, Neruda compares González to Pierre Laval, prime minister of collaborationist France during German occupation in WWII.

What fascinated me most was Neruda’s use of the physical book to convey his truth. The book itself is very small and lightweight, facilitating the circulation and distribution of the text. The cover art, by renowned Spanish (and Communist) muralist Josep Renau, is strikingly bold, and is the only color found throughout the book. His use of strong imagery here mirrors the forceful tone of the texts inside, and his use of other images such as posters and photographs to supplement the vignettes strengthens his story and allows the book to reach a wider audience as well. The folleto contains a number of different essays in forms such as denouncements, poems, records, and more, with titles such as “El Complice de los Nazis,” “Violader de Convenios Internacionales,” and “El Traidor Contra su Pueblo,” presented together in a format resembling a newspaper. This method enhances the underlying argument that Neruda’s experiences are truth, and breaks the truth down into simple yet poignant terms.

Interacting with the physical form of the book was a much richer form of literary analysis because it provided another layer of understanding. By holding the form in which the text was intended to be absorbed, I was able to connect the text itself to the physical format and understand more clearly Neruda’s intentions behind creating the folleto in the way he did. Additionally, it connected me more closely to the historical context in general, because I was in contact with a tangible object from that time.

I Will Be Coming Back, from Cameron Dower

Excavator, Barcelona, Excavador
Jake Tilson (b. 1958)
London: Woolley Dale, 1986

During the time I had the opportunity to visit the Rare Books Department at the J. Willard Marriott Library at the University of Utah, I found some amazing books. One that really reached out to me was Excavator, Barcelona, Ecavador. This book has photographs and text. It was made from a clandestine pro-terrorist publication on police detecting methods. The chapters are as follows: 1-1 Burial attempt. 1-2 Immortal Man. 2-1 Horizontal Clock, Barrio Gatico. 2-2 Department of Correction. 3-1 How to Film a Panic. 3-2 Making Impressions Visible Again. 4-1 The Killing Jar. Thought provoking, no? Just the titles themselves make you want to take a second glance.

The cover has aspects of the world, people, secrets and color you would not normally find in modern day art, or in classical art.

Each picture contains answers to questions you want to ask. Slices of humans, places, world politics and personal views are riddled into the art. Tilson uses maps and locations in sections. The style seems almost crude. It has a very rough yet very thought-out look. It feels as if you could look at only one part of the painting and feel enraptured.

The text is in the art itself. It is rarely in a paragraph. Tilson adds poetry in and around the vivid yet vague images. This invokes an uneasiness in the reader. In only short verses Tilson alludes to politics, science, government and controversial social topics. As the reader turns the page, he fears that he will miss something important in each corner of the painting. Tilson uses symbols. The reader may see them in each of the photographic works. This reader found symbols of government, Egypt, cartography, cities, numbers, dials, clocks, measurements, footprints, fingerprints, hidden societies, and landmarks, all seeming to mean completely different things within the art. Within each piece and as a collection, there is tension and the suspicion that all have aspects in common, yet part of a puzzle — we don’t see the big picture…yet.

This was a fantastic experience and I would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in the rare, the historical and the bizarre, an experience not the same as we have every day from mainstream media. Thank you. I will be coming back.

*Editor’s note: minimal changes of one form or another have been made to each of these short essays, reflecting a few minor corrections in spelling and punctuation, or in slight clarification of the text, or in reducing the text to fit the blog format.

Books of the Week — Sara Langworthy

26 Monday Feb 2018

Posted by rarebooks in Book of the Week

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Tags

blotters, Book Arts Program, Bulmer, Cave Paper, clamshell, College Book Arts Association Conference and Annual Meeting, cotton, Dante, drum leaf binding, Emilie Bach, flax, handmade paper, hemp, Iowa, J. Willard Marriott Library, Kitakata, Kozo Kiga, linoleum, Oxford, photopolymer plates, Salt Lake City, Sara Langworthy, sewing manual, sumi ink, tatting manuals, The University of Utah, UICB Papercase Natural, University of Iowa Center for the Book, Utah, Vandercook #4

Everything Speaks In Its Own Way
Sara Langworthy
2003
N7433.4 L355 E8 2003

Printed from photopolymer plates and linoleum on blotters using a Vandercook press. Drum leaf binding. Edition of twenty copies. Rare Books copy is no. 14, signed by the author/bookmaker.

New Patterns in Old Style
Sara Langworthy
Oxford, IA: Sara Langworthy, 2013
N7433.4 L355 N48 2013

From Sara Langworthy’s website: “[This] began as an investigation of two opposing definitions of the word ‘CLEAVE’…The book combines images and text printed from photopolymer plates with hand-brushed sumi ink painting…The text…was constructed from a series of random/chance exercises using [the words from the definitions]. The first signature sets the scene of the word ‘cleave’ fighting itself; a passionate joining with a violent separation. The second signature examines the results of the repeated joining and separating. The first signature is printed primarily in pale greys and greens; the second signature is equally monochromatic, but uses a pink/orange/yellow palette…The papers used are Kitakata, Kozo Kiga, University of Iowa Center for the Book handmade text sheets in a variety of fibers including hemp, flax and cotton, and overbeaten flax/cotton combination, and offcut left over from paper specially commissioned from Cave Paper…The book is sewn into a modified limp paper binding, cover paper is UICB Papercase Natural. The book is housed in a clamshell.”

From the colophon: “Text is digitally set in Dante and Bulmer, and printed…on Vandercook number 4.” The images originat[ed] from scanned leaves and tracing of plants. The text is assembled from two sources: the definition of the word ‘CLEAVE’ and instructional language found in tatting manuals. The title of this book is borrowed from a sewing manual of the same name by Emilie Bach.

Edition of twenty-four copies. Rare Books copy is no. 5, signed by the author/bookmaker.

This book was exhibited as part of the fifth annual College Book Arts Association Conference and Annual Meeting, January 2-4, 2014, Salt Lake City, Utah, hosted by the Book Arts Program, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.

On Jon’s Desk: Putting Earth First! by observing National Skip the Straw Day, with contemplation on Edward Abbey

23 Friday Feb 2018

Posted by Jonathan Bingham in On Jon's Desk

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Tags

A Sand County Almanac (1949), Aldo Leopold, Arizone, Bart Koehler, Brave Cowboy (1956), Dave Foreman, Desert Solitaire (1968), Earth First!, Fulbright Scholar, Howie Wolke, Marvin Chester Stone, Mike Roselle, National Skip the Straw Day, New Mexico, Ocean Gyres, Rachel Carson, Ron Kezar, Silent Spring (1962), Susan Tate, The Coral Keepers, The Monkey Wrench Gang (1975), Utah, Walden, Whitehall Middle School

“Like Pallas Athena springing fully armed from the brow of Zeus, EARTH FIRST enters the wilderness fray…

‘What!?’ you say. ‘Another wilderness group? There are more wilderness groups than plague fleas on a New Mexico prairie dog! I already belong to nine of the damn things. Why another one? Why EARTH FIRST?’

Because we’re different.”

~ Earth First!, Volume 1, Number 1 (Samhain, Nov. 1, 1980)

Title: Earth First!

Author: EARTH FIRST! Organization

Editors: Dave Foreman and Howie Wolke

Published: Rio Rancho, NM: Earth First! (Vol. 1, No. 1 – Nov. 1, 1980)

Call Number: xGE195 E17

Happy National Skip the Straw Day!

Before you groan, “Not another silly national day,” please allow me to take just a moment and explain what Skip the Straw Day is all about. In the 1880s, inventor and philanthropist Marvin Chester Stone (1842 – 1899) created the first “modern” drinking straw. Drinking straws have been in use since the Sumerian civilization, the oldest known example being a golden tube found in a tomb dated to approximately 3000 BCE. It was believed to have been used to avoid fermentation sediments while drinking beer. In South America a sieve-like device called a bombilla, used for drinking mate tea, has been in use for hundreds of years. During the 19^th century, natural rye grass straws (hence the name) came into common use in the United States, but these added a “grassy” flavor to the drink. For that reason Stone invented the “modern” straw, first experimenting with rolled paper and then paraffin-wax coated Manila paper. In the 1960s plastic straws began to be manufactured. It is estimated that today over 500 million plastic drinking straws are used daily in the United States. That’s a lot of plastic. Inevitably, some of those plastic drinking straws end up in the environment.

Plastics are especially harmful to oceanic ecosystems, where due to currents they tend to collect into what are called “gyres.” According to the National Skip a Straw Day webpage, “straws and other plastics cause harm to marine life in many ways. Birds, fish, and other sea life consume plastics accidentally or when they mistake it for food. Plastics don’t biodegrade. They break down into smaller and finer, microscopic pieces. When plastics break down, they produce bisphenol A (BPA) which interferes with reproductive systems in marine life. It also produces styrene monomer which is a suspected carcinogen.” A group of activists called The Coral Keepers, comprised of students at Whitehall Middle School in Whitehall, Michigan (along with their advisor, Susan Tate) “founded National Skip the Straw Day in 2017 to encourage Americans to give up the straw habit and help spread awareness about the damage caused by disposable plastics.” The Registrar at National Day Calendar declared the day to be observed annually on the fourth Friday in February. While it may not be an official national holiday, it is a great way to bring awareness to the harm plastics are causing in the environment.

“What does this have to do with books?” you may ask. A fair question, which I thank you for asking. Environmental activist groups have been around for a long time. One of the most important things these groups do is to bring awareness to the problem. One way in which these organizations accomplish this is through publication, commonly via newsletter. An excellent example of one such environmental advocacy group that emerged in the southwest United States in 1980 is Earth First! The founders (Dave Foreman, Mike Roselle, Howie Wolke, Bart Koehler, and Ron Kezar) were inspired by – yes, you guessed it – books. The founders of this specific organization were inspired by Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring (1962), Aldo Leopold’s “Land Ethic” (the final essay in the 1949 A Sand County Almanac), and Edward Abbey’s The Monkey Wrench Gang (1975). The Earth First! organization is known for its radical activism, characterized by public stunts. Edward Abbey, revered by those who were part of the movement, spoke often at early organization gatherings.

Edward Paul Abbey (January 29, 1927 – March 14, 1989) was an American author and essayist noted for his advocacy of environmental issues, criticism of public land policies, and anarchist political views. In addition to The Monkey Wrench Gang (1975), he wrote The Brave Cowboy (1956) and Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness (1968). Abbey was born in Indiana, Pennsylvania, graduating from high school there in 1945. Eight months before his 18th birthday, when he would become eligible for the draft into the United States military, Abbey decided to explore the American southwest. He traveled by foot, bus, hitchhiking, and freight train hopping. During this trip he fell in love with the desert country of the Four Corners region. In the military Abbey had applied for a clerk typist position but instead served two years as a military police officer in Italy. Abbey was promoted in the military twice, but then demoted twice due to his propensity for opposing authority, before being honorably discharged as a private. His experience with the military left him with a distrust for large institutions and regulations. This influenced his writing for the duration of his career and strengthened his anarchist beliefs.

When he returned from Italy to the United States at the end of his military service, Abbey took advantage of the G.I. Bill and attended the University of New Mexico. He received a B.A. in philosophy and English in 1951 and a master’s degree in philosophy in 1956. While an undergraduate, Abbey was the editor of a student newspaper in which he published an article titled “Some Implications of Anarchy.” A cover quotation of the article stated, “Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.” University officials seized all of the copies of the issue and removed Abbey from the editorship of the paper. After graduating, Abbey traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland, where he spent a year at Edinburgh University as a Fulbright scholar.

In 1956 and 1957, Abbey worked as a seasonal ranger for the United States National Park Service at Arches National Monument (now a national park), near the town of Moab, Utah. In the 1960s Abbey worked as a seasonal park ranger at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, on the border of Arizona and Mexico. Desert Solitaire, Abbey’s fourth book and first non-fiction work, was published in February 1968. This year marks the 50th anniversary of its publication.

Desert Solitaire is regarded as one of the finest nature narratives in American literature, and has been compared to Thoreau’s Walden. In it, he recounts his stay in the canyonlands of southeastern Utah from 1956-1957. Abbey vividly describes the physical landscapes of Southern Utah and delights in his isolation as a back country park ranger, recounting adventures in the nearby canyon country and mountains. He also attacks what he terms the “industrial tourism” and resulting development in the national parks (“national parking lots”), rails against the Glen Canyon Dam, and comments on various other subjects.

So in observance of National Skip the Straw Day let’s all sip our beverages from the rim of the cup and perhaps take a look at the Earth First! newsletter and The Monkey Wrench Gang or Desert Solitaire. I believe that Edward Abbey and the founders of Earth First would be happy to know that today, thanks to The Coral Keepers, we are adding a few less plastic straws to the landfills and ocean gyres.

~ Contributed by Jon Bingham, Rare Books Curator

On Jon’s Desk: Vapor Trails: 1949, 191st Fighter Squadron

11 Saturday Nov 2017

Posted by Jonathan Bingham in On Jon's Desk

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191st Fighter Squadron, 1949, 61st Fighter Wing, Air Force, Brigadier General J. Wallace West, Jon Bingham, Lieutenant Colonel Alma G. Winn, Mercury Publishing Co., National Guard Bureau, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Municipal Airport, Utah, Utah Air National Guard, Vapor Trails, Victorville Air Force Base

“Dedicated to the officers and men of the Utah Air National Guard whose past accomplishments, sincere endeavor, and esprit de corps have been an inspiration to all air units and with whom it has been our privilege to serve.”

Title: Vapor Trails: 1949, 191st Fighter Squadron

Author: Utah Air National Guard

Published: Salt Lake City: Mercury Publishing Co., 1949

Call Number: xUA489 V37 1949

“It is with the feeling of pride that I take this opportunity to commend all members of the 191st Fighter Squadron and its allied units for the outstanding records achieved in the past three years. Your ratings of ‘Superior’ and the results of your Operational Readiness Tests, indicate that you are one of the outstanding air units of the United States. I salute you as a Utah National Guard unit, that fully merits the confidence of the people of our state.”

– Brigadier General J. Wallace West, The Adjutant General (Commanding Officer) of the Utah National Guard, page five of Vapor trails: 1949, 191st Fighter Squadron

“I am proud, as you yourselves are proud, to have been a part of this organization which has made such an enviable record in its short history. I congratulate all of you, whether your job is on the ground or in the air, on your contribution to the work that has made the Utah Air National Guard the outstanding air unit it is today.”

– Lieutenant Colonel Alma G. Winn, Commanding Officer, 191^st Fighter Squadron (1949)

“Organized as a tactical unit prepared to implement the regular Air Force in time of emergency, the 191st Fighter Squadron, after several months of extensive planning and preparation, was federally recognized November 18^th, 1946. In its infancy, the squadron was commanded by Lt. Col. Jack J. Oberhansly who was later succeeded by the unit’s present commander, Lt. Col. Alma G. Winn. In its brief but colorful history, the squadron has grown from a complement of fifty-six officers and enlisted men to its present strength of three hundred and fifty – over ninety-seven percent of its authorized personnel. Based at Salt Lake’s Municipal Airport, the squadron began recruiting men from all communities in a widespread vicinity.”

“The first aircraft arrived on the base the 23^rd of December, 1946. In the ensuing five months additional aircraft were received and by the 4^th of June, 1947 the unit had all its planes and both Utility Flight and the Fighter Squadron were in full operation. The squadron now had twenty-six F-51s, two C-47s, four B-26s, and four T-6s. With the advent of the aircraft, recognition of the Air Guard by the public became evident and a marked increase in morale and interest was indicated by all members of the organization. The roar of the planes overhead became commonplace to the citizenry of surrounding towns and cities as the squadron’s fighters streaked across the skys in successive flights. Pilots, crew chiefs, armorers, radio men – needed technicians and rated airmen were attached from the ranks of the ex-servicemen. Untrained recruits were enlisted and classified in “on-the-job-training” status, practical and classroom instruction was initiated and the training program gathered momentum.”

“During the nationwide “Operation 88, 888,” the unit exemplified itself in procurement of personnel. Detachment “C,” 244th Air Service Group, won national acclaim in recruiting and received a bronze plague [sic] from the National Guard Bureau for its efforts.”

“Publicity was received by the organization in its beginning. ‘Utah Air National Guard Unit to Hold Exhibit,’ ‘Air Guard Group to Conduct Enlistment Drive,’ ‘Guard Squadron Aids in Feeding and Rescue of Livestock,’ and numerous other articles began to appear in local and national publications. Such activities and accomplishments soon established the 191st Fighter Squadron as one of the outstanding units of the Air National Guard.”

“The first building used by the Air Guard was the old Army hangar at the Salt Lake Municipal Airport. This structure was shared with an Airline and the arrangement proved very unsatisfactory due to the influx of men and equipment which could not be properly housed. Although this condition appeared to reduce efficient training and operations, the organization continued to progress. A new area, formerly part of the Salt Lake Army Air Base and located at the northern end of the airport, was allotted to the unit. A modern hangar and adjoining shop and supply buildings were constructed. Barracks, classrooms, mess hall and supply warehouses, long vacated, were renovated and prepared for use. The new area flourished and prospered until all needed facilities were available for squadron use.”

“The squadron has participated in three summer encampments since its activation. In 1947 the units were ordered to their first fifteen day tour of duty at their home station. Summer Camp in 1948 again found the squadron operating from their home base for a fifteen day period. During the summer of 1949, all units were flown to Victorville Air Force Base, California, for joint operations with units from California and Nevada under command of the 61st Fighter Wing. These summer camps were the “proving grounds” of the training and experience received during months of Monday night drill periods.”

“As the pages of this book are turned, the story of the squadron, its accomplishments and achievements, its work and its pleasures, its heartaches and its laughter, will be found. Reminisce these three years past, Air Guard, and resolve to maintain and fulfill the responsibilities which are yours to the citizens of the United States.”

– from “The Organization – Its History” (pages ten and eleven) of Vapor Trails: 1949, 191st Fighter Squadron

~ Contributed by Jon Bingham, Rare Books Curator

On Jon’s Desk: Pictures of an Inland Sea – Every Book a Treasure

29 Friday Sep 2017

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Alfred Lambourne, artist, Brigham Young, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, England, Great Salt Lake, Gunnison Island, immigration, Jon Bingham, Mormonism, Pictures of an Inland Sea, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Theatre, Samuel E. Cassion, sketches, solitude, transcendentalism, treasure, Utah, Zion Canyon

“Across the distance there comes a change. The horizon is melted away; the mountains are all blurred. Distant chains appear to part and to become peaked islands. The sky seems water; the water, sky. Soon substance and shadow are indistinguishable. In plainer words, it is the beginning of a noonday mirage.”

– From Chapter III “Sea Horizons,” Pictures of an Inland Sea, page 39

Title: Pictures of an Inland Sea

Author: Alfred Lambourne

Published: Boston: Samuel E. Cassion, 1895

Call Number: xPS3523 A44 P53 1895

First edition

An entire month has escaped me. It seems to have fallen into a crevasse. It was mid-August and then suddenly here we are at the end of September. I looked at the calendar today and realized it has been a month since I wrote and published the last On Jon’s Desk post. Subsequently, having no idea whatsoever as to what I should write my next post on, I began scanning my desk to see what books I may find. That is when I found an amazing book. It just goes to show that every book is a treasure, waiting to be found. This book was on my desk because I needed to follow up on a question posed by someone who came to Special Collections to read it and was then waiting to be returned to its place on the shelf. Little did I know that this amazing book, only a few feet away from me this whole time, is such a gem. I had no previous knowledge of the author or this work. I am very happy that I now do. Here is what I found.

Alfred Lambourne was born in Chieveley, Berkshire (on the River Lambourn), England, on the second of February, 1850. Alfred manifested artistic talent while young and his parents (William and Martha) encouraged him in the pursuit of this interest. During the 1860s, Alfred’s family converted to Mormonism and subsequently immigrated to the United States, residing in St. Louis, Missouri for a time before completing its journey to Utah. Alfred arrived in Salt Lake City at the age of sixteen (having kept a sketch book of scenery along the way from Missouri to Utah) and upon arriving in Salt Lake City began painting set scenery for the Salt Lake Theatre. In 1871, he accompanied Brigham Young (then President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and former Governor of Utah Territory) to Zion Canyon, where he made the first known sketches of that area. During his mid-life, Alfred traveled not only throughout the West but also across the continental United States painting many natural settings and geologic features he visited. In his later life he concentrated on writing, sometimes illustrating his books. He wrote fourteen works in total before he died in Salt Lake City on the sixth of June, 1926.

When most of us think of the Great Salt Lake, we think of a stinky place with lots of bugs. Alfred was enthralled by the Great Salt Lake, referring to the body of water as an “inland sea.” It was a source of adventure and joy for him and his preferred place for solitude. It also acted as a source of artistic inspiration for him. His relationship with the lake spanned decades and resulted in a body of beautiful works, of which this book, Pictures of an Inland Sea, is one. He sketched and painted the lake from multiple vantage points. At the same time, his paintings focused on his favorite aspects of the lake: travel by boat, soaring birds, and of course the ever-changing water, sky, and atmospheric phenomena of the lake.

Pictures of an Inland Sea is a transcendentalist work that provides both factual information on the lake from a nineteenth century vantage point and images of divinity sketched out for us by Alfred both visually and textually. This book is a treasure because through it we are drawn into a world of natural phenomenon that he could see and with this work interprets for us. So next time you catch an unsatisfactory whiff of the Great Salt Lake and fail to appreciate its fascinating existence, just look to Alfred and his sketches and you may find it just a little easier to appreciate our inland sea.

~ Contributed by Jon Bingham, Rare Books Curator

On Jon’s Desk: The “S” Book, 1928 – Fast Times at LDS College

29 Tuesday Aug 2017

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1928, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, David O. McKay, FLDS, Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Gordon B. Hinckley, Grace Louise Cannon, Granite School District, J. Quayle Ward, Jack Jones, LDS College, LDS High School, Paragon Printing Company, polygamy, Richard Bennett, Rulon T. Jeffs, Salt Lake Engraving Company, Utah, Yearbook

“Ever beautiful and stately, the L.D.S. campus appears as remote and unconquerable as a medieval fortress to the unsophisticated young entrant. He stares with a mixture of awe and emotion at the green, quiet lawn and the old, grand buildings; he is sure that he will never feel at ease in those halls so full of dignity and learning. But when the years draw to a close and the student is graduating, he stands and gazes with a new emotion at the buildings that are now dear to him. The feeling of awe has vanished and in its place there is deep and sincere love for that campus with its weather-beaten buildings and its student-trodden halls.”

– From the “About the Campus” in The “S” Book, 1928

Title: The “S” Book, 1928

Published by the Students of the Latter-day Saints College at Salt Lake City, Utah

Printed by the Paragon Printing Company, Salt Lake City, Utah

Engravings by The Salt Lake Engraving Company

Editor in Chief: Richard Bennett

Business Manager: Jack Jones

It’s that time of year again. The time that many people dread, but some few, perhaps, may secretly look forward to. The start of a new school year. Each August institutions of learning reopen, and many return to their halls, some kicking and screaming the entire way there (and not necessarily all of them students). I would hazard a bet that it was no different ninety years ago for those attending the Latter-day Saints College in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Despite the once-felt pain of starting those many school years, most of us bought the so called “yearbooks,” which we find ourselves, against our better judgement, pulling from a box or off a dusty shelf to peruse every few years. They sure bring back memories, don’t they? Whether they bring back good memories or bad, they do provide a record of the past. As terrible as some of those school pictures are or as silly as some of the end-of-year signings can be, yearbooks often become very interesting historical records. Take, for example, a 1928 yearbook (The “S” Book) from LDS College bought by Grace Louise Cannon. This book has some interesting aspects which should make us happy Grace didn’t do what most of us are tempted to do when looking at our own yearbooks, namely, commit them to the landfill.

LDS College, sometimes called LDS High School, was a secondary school located in Salt Lake City, Utah operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The school was closely associated with Latter-day Saints’ University, the last vestiges of which are now LDS Business College. Both trace their beginnings to the Salt Lake Stake Academy, which started in 1886. The LDS High School name was adopted in 1927. In 1931, LDS High School was closed, leaving about 1,000 students to attend public high schools, most notably the newly built South High, which opened in the fall of the same year. The closure was a late example of a process of closing most LDS run secondary schools in Utah.

Grace was a senior the year (1928) this “S” Book was compiled and she had some very interesting classmates: Gordon B. Hinckley and Rulon T. Jeffs. Gordon B. Hinckley went on to become the 15^th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving in that position from March 1995 until his death in January 2008. Rulon T. Jeffs, on the other hand, became President of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), a Mormon fundamentalist organization based in Colorado City, Arizona, from 1986 until his death in 2002. The FLDS Church is one of the largest Mormon fundamentalist denominations and one of the largest organizations in the United States whose members practice polygamy. It emerged in the early 20th century when its founding members left The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The split occurred largely because of the LDS Church’s suspension of the practice of polygamy and its decision to excommunicate its members who chose to continue the practice.

Who would have guessed that the concurrent leaders (1995 – 2002) of these two opposing organizations were once high school classmates?

After attending LDS College (High School) with Hinckley and Jeffs, Grace went on to study at the University of Utah. She graduated in 1935 and was married to J. Quayle Ward in September of that year by David O. McKay, then second counselor in the First Presidency of the LDS Church. She became a school teacher in Granite School District (where she taught for sixteen years), raised five children, and died in July of 1997 at the age of 86. She undoubtedly achieved many great accomplishments. As arbitrary as it may sound, I would rank her saving this 1928 “S” Book as one of them.

So as tempting as it may be to commit your yearbooks to the landfill, think of Grace and how her yearbook has helped to make us a little more aware of obscure historical fact, and just hold onto them. Who knows what they’ll tell us in ninety years.

~ Contributed by Jon Bingham, Rare Books Curator

On Jon’s Desk: Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah, A Celebration of Heritage on Pioneer Day

24 Monday Jul 2017

Posted by Jonathan Bingham in Book of the Week, On Jon's Desk

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1913, biographies, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Emery, Francis Lyman, Frank Esshom, Jon Bingham, Joseph Smith, Oregon, photographs, Pioneer Day, Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah, Salt Lake City, St. George, Utah, Utah Pioneers Book Publishing Company, Vernal, Weber, Yellowstone National Park

Photograph by Scott Beadles

“The greatest inheritance of man is a posterity; the greatest inheritance of a posterity is a Christian Ancestry – that these greatest inheritances may live in record, this volume is issued.”

– From the Title Page of Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah

Title: Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah

Author: Frank Esshom

Published: Salt Lake City, Utah: Utah Pioneers Book Publishing Company, 1913

Call Number: F825 E78 1913

First Edition

Happy Pioneer Day! What better way is there to celebrate Pioneer Day than to look at some photographs and biographies of the Utah pioneers themselves? Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah makes it easy to get an idea of who these pioneers were. Compiled by Frank Esshom over the course of six years, Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah is a collection of 6,482 photographs and biographies published in an edition of 5,000 copies in 1913. In the preface, speaking on reasons why he is proud of the work, the author wrote, “… it will live as a memorial to those men whose deeds were rapidly being forgotten. The story of the leaders has been told repeatedly, but that of the rank and file, the ones who did the actual pioneering and building has not been told before. This will cause them to live on perpetually, and each succeeding generation will know their labors; their deeds will increase in miraculousness; their valor will be more greatly appreciated; their heroisms stand out unprecedented, showing the quality of the men who dared to turn their faces toward an unknown desert and to build homes, and an empire.” (page 11)

Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah is organized into three sections. The first section contains the photographs of the men profiled. The second section is comprised of their biographies, arranged alphabetically by the earliest male head of household by that name, followed by entries for his male descendants. The biographical entries typically list vital information, date of arrival in Utah, marriages and children, LDS church office held, occupation, and other information of interest. The third section includes a chronological history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the ancestry of Joseph Smith, Junior.

The two primary faults in this collection of biographies are that some of the records contain inaccuracies (no source data is included) and that there were approximately 70,000 pioneers – meaning this work contains only about ten percent of them. Many of those were, of course, women, who probably lost husbands or fathers along the way. Many stories of the “rank and file” who actually did most of the pioneering and building did, even after this book’s publication, go untold.

But let’s not be too hard on Esshom’s work. Despite its lack of completeness, what was gathered and published was actually quite extraordinary under the constraints of the time it was compiled. Describing the process used to gather the information for this book the author wrote,

“After a year of gathering material and data in Salt Lake City, a year was spent in Weber and Utah counties in the same quest. Then a thorough search was started, as a beginning to the end; the Bishop of every ward from Yellowstone National Park and Upper Oregon on the north and northwest to Vernal, Emery and St. George on the south and southeast in Utah, was visited. … [the bishop] gratuitously furnished the author with the names of the Pioneers who had died in his ward, and the names of their representative male descendants, also the names of the Pioneers who were living in his ward and the names of their representative male descendants. … After this organization was perfected, the author, assisted by a corps of solicitors visited each house in every ward in all of the stakes in the territory above mentioned, where a Pioneer or the descendant of a Pioneer lived as given by the Bishop of the ward, or could be secured from inquiry, and gathered the portraits and genealogies as complete as it was possible to so do, and arranged for the information unobtainable at that time to be sent to him. The gathering of this data, which could be acquired in no other manner, probably required more than fifty thousand calls, the assistance of every photographer in the territory, [and] the traveling of thousands of miles, which was made over every kind of roads in all kinds of weather, and by every mode of conveyance.” (page 11)

It is no wonder the preface for Francis Marion Lyman points out that, “In nineteen hundred and eight, after a year’s labor gathering data for the Pioneers’ history, the vastness of the undertaking dawned upon its promoters and depressed them to almost stupidness.” (page 6)

It’s a miracle we have what we have in this one volume of Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah. So grab your favorite cast iron cooking device, fry some flatbread, and discuss your pioneer heritage with the family on this Pioneer Day. Then come check out Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah and see how close Frank Esshom got with the records of your pioneer ancestors. It’s fun for every pioneer-heritaged family.

~ Contributed by Jon Bingham, Rare Books Curator

OPEN BOOK

~ News from the Rare Books Department of Special Collections at the J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah

Tag Archives: Utah

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