Utah State Capitol Curator's Blog

Flag Highlights: How to Display the Flag --part 8

2010-01-22T17:06:00.000-08:00

We will be offering a series of blogs that highlight different traditions, facts and important information about the United States Flag.These informational facts were taken from a Brochure published in 1966 and found at the Daughters of the Utah Pioneer Museum located next to the Utah State Capitol building.

ON A PULPIT OR AT A CHURCH

When it is displayed on the pulpit or chancel in a church, the flag of the United States should be flown from a staff placed on the clergyman's right as he faces the congregation. All other flags on the pulpit or chancel should be on his left.

However, when it is displayed on the floor of the church, on a level with the congregation, the position of the flag is reversed from that above. It is placed on the right of the congregation, as one faces the pulpit or chancel.

All words, grammar and word usage, has been taken directly from this 1966 brochure.

Utah in the Union Time Line Now Up in the Visitor Center

2010-01-22T17:05:00.001-08:00

Art at the Capitol - Cyclorama

2010-01-21T14:21:00.000-08:00

The Capitol Preservation Board will be doing another series of fun facts and loads of information highlighting different art throughout the beautiful Capitol building.

Today: Cyclorama inside the Rotunda

The Rotunda was unfinished for nearly 20 years until the Works Progress Administration

(WPA) funded art projects for the Capitol. These impressive scenes from 19th Century Utah life contain over 100 figures, many of which are more than ten feet tall. Eight scenes

(Irrigation by Pioneers, Driving the Golden Spike, General Connor Inaugurates Mining, Gulls Save the Wheat Fields, Naming of Ensign Peak, Peace with the Indians, Pony Express and Stagecoach, and a Social gathering at the Old Bowery) were designed by Lee Greene Richards.

Read more of the story HERE!!

Come and See it Before it's Gone!!!

2010-01-21T09:55:00.000-08:00

Old Topographical Map

Come and see this old 3-D map of Utah before it is replaced!! The map has been apart of the Utah State Capitol since the 70's and is missing new crucial landmarks to Utah, including I-215 and other important National Monuments.

Flag Highlights: How To Display the Flag--part 7

2010-01-20T09:31:00.000-08:00

FOR A SPEAKER'S PLATFORM

When used on a speaker's platform the flag should be displayed above and behind the speaker. It should never be used to cover the speaker's table nor to drape over the front of the platform. If flown from a staff it should be on the speaker's right.

All words, grammar and word usage, has been taken directly from this 1966 brochure.

Art At the Capitol - Pendentives

2010-01-20T09:25:00.000-08:00

The Capitol Preservation Board will be doing another series of fun facts and loads of information highlighting different art throughout the beautiful Capitol building.

Today: Pendentives inside the Rotunda

The three-dimensional triangles of the Rotunda piers offer the beautiful spaces for artwork. The Capitol's pendentive murals, designed by Lee Greene Richards (Richards’ other work in the Capitol includes portraits of three early Utah governors and one of the landscapes in the Senate Chamber) illustrate four early expeditions into the Great Basin, each leaving lasting contributions to Utah's geographic and cultural heritage: Father Escalante and other Spanish priests who explored Utah's southern counties; John C. Fremont who mapped the great rivers and lakes of the territory; Brigham Young and the beginnings of Mormon immigration and settlement; Peter Skene Ogden and other trappers and tradesmen of northern Utah.

Find out more HERE!!

Flag Highlights: How To Display the Flag--part 6

2010-01-14T15:11:00.000-08:00

DISPLAYED OVER THE STREET

When displayed over the middle of the street, as between buildings, the flag of the United States should be suspended vertically with the union to the north of an east and west street and to the east on a north and south street.

All words, grammar and word usage, has been taken directly from this 1966 brochure.

Utah We Love Thee interview about author 2nd page

2010-01-12T15:23:00.000-08:00

These pages were published in the 1917 Improvement Era LDS Church publication.
The 2nd page reads:

gatherings of the children of the state, but in many private homes and organizations. Professor Stephens thinks it particularly significant that his song should have had the additional honor which is received, practically at the time of attaining its majority--twenty-one years since it was first sung. Both the Ogden and Salt Lake Tabernacle choirs, on their various trips east and west to a number of National expositions, have sung the new state anthem; and when the silver service, donated by the state, to the United States battleship Utah, was presented in New York harbor, in the presence of nearly two thousand people from this state besides many national officials, it was also sung by the latter choir, this time on the deck of the battleship. For that occasion the author had written two special stanzas for as follows:
Queen of the ocean wave,
Utah, we love thee.
Mann'd by the true and brave,
Utah, we love thee.
Unconcquer'd may'st thou ride
Long o'er the resless tide,
Our country's joy and pride,
Utah, we love thee.
Guard well the land we love,
Utah, we love thee.
A friend to freedom prove,
Utah, we love thee.
Our nation's fame increase,
Bid all oppression cease,
Aid universal peace,
Utah, we love thee.

The text of the resolution adopted by the legislature as it appeared in the press at the time is as follows:

"Whereas, it is fitting and proper that a state should select and officially recognize an appropriate state song; and
"Whereas, the people of Utah are especially favored with patriotic songs which have been produced by both the native and adopted sons and daughters of the stat; and
"Whereas, it is universally recognized that the song, by Evan Stephens, entitled, "Utah, we Love Thee" possesses the supreme merits of a peoples' song; and

Flag Highlights: How To Display the Flag--part 5

2010-01-12T15:13:00.000-08:00

IMPROPER USE

Never use them for decorations. Red-white-blue striped bunting is designed for this use.

All words, grammar and word usage, has been taken directly from this 1966 brochure.

Base Isolators Case video on Youtube.

2010-01-07T13:27:00.000-08:00

Utah Capitol Store SALE!!! U.S.S. Utah postcards for 25 cents!

2010-01-07T11:32:00.000-08:00

Choose from an array of vintage postcards displaying historical photographs taken of the U.S.S. Utah battleship and it's crew.
These postcards can be purchased at the Utah Capitol Store.

Back of card reads:
The ship as completed in late 1911 USN Photo

Back of card reads:
The Utah number One Turret's crew posing under their turret's 12"/45 guns in 1913. Chief Turret Captain Aberaham DeSomer seated at right in the center of the front row. To his right is the Turret Officer, Ensign Arthur S. Carpender. DeSomer received the Medal of Honor for his "extraordinary heroism" during the seizure of Vera Cruz Mexico, 21-22 April 1914 USNHC photo.

Utah We Love Thee interview about author

2010-01-06T12:38:00.000-08:00

These pages were published in the 1917 Improvement Era LDS Church publication.

The 1st page text reads:

Utah, we Love Thee

By Edward H. Anderson

The Legislative Assembly of the State of Utah adopted early in February, 1917, Professor Evan Stephen's "Utah, We Love Thee," as the official song of the State of Utah. It is twenty-one years since Utah entered the Union of states, and this song was especially composed for the inaugural exercises in the Salt Lake Tabernacle which signalized the admission of the state of Utah into the Union, January 6, 1896. At that time the author directed a chorus of one thousand voices, in the singing.

Professor Stephens met the writer of this note on the 10th of February, last, and on being questioned as to his health, he said he was particularly happy that day, as he was just on his way to the capitol to witness the proceedings and hear the adoption of his "Utah, We Love Thee" as the official song of the state. He said that the idea of this song came to him as far back as 1893 when, it will be remembered, the Tabernacle choir was on its way to the World's Fair, in Chicago. It then dawned on him that Utah had no song of her own, nor even one that could be sung in her favor at the exposition. On his return he began the composition of the words and music which were adopted by the late legislature of Utah's official hymn.

After the state inaugural exercises, held in the Tabernacle, at which many thousands of people heard the composition, it became popular in all public audiences, and was sung not only in the public schools, Sunday schools and other...

All text and grammar comes directly from the publication.

Utah in the Union in the News!

2010-01-06T08:38:00.000-08:00

Jeremiah Chin, a graphic designer and researcher, helps install a new exhibit about Utah's entry into the Union in 1896 at the state Capitol building in Salt Lake City on Monday, 114 years after Utah became the nation's 45th state.

Picture Story found in the Deseret News.

Flag Highlights: How To Display the Flag--part 4

2010-01-06T08:08:00.000-08:00

HOW TO DISPLAY THE FLAG
When Hung Flat

When the flag of the United States is displayed in a manner other than by being flown from a staff it should be displayed flat, whether indoors or outdoors.

When displayed either horizontally or vertically against a wall the union should be uppermost and to the flag's own right, i.e., the observer's left. When displayed in a window it should be the same way.

The flag should never be draped or used as a decoration to replace bunting.

All words, grammar and word usage, has been taken directly from this 1966 brochure.

In the News: Utah remembers its roots with Statehood Day

2010-01-05T10:53:00.000-08:00

By Marc Haddock
Deseret News

Utahns first petitioned for statehood in 1849, two years after the Mormon pioneers first established homes in the Great Basin.
But it took 47 years — and an official declaration from the leadership of the LDS Church stating church members would no longer practice polygamy — before President Grover Cleveland on Saturday, Jan. 4, 1896, issued the proclamation admitting Utah to the Union as the 45th state.
Salt Lake City officials, wanting to be properly prepared for the occasion, postponed the official celebration until Monday, Jan. 6.
But residents didn't wait that long. A battery of the Utah National Guard marched to Capitol Hill and fired a 21-gun salute to alert the city. Businesses closed their doors and crowds swarmed the streets, ringing bells, shooting off firecrackers and blowing whistles.
"The news of the admission was welcomed by the firing of cannon and small arms, the shrieking of steam whistles and every other kind of noise which could be produced," wrote James E. Talmage in his personal diary.
An article in the Jan. 4, 1896, Provo Daily Enquirer said that when a telegram announcing the signing of the proclamation was delivered to the newspaper — and the community ?— "precisely at 9:30 a.m. Mountain Time," the celebration started:
"At once the entire Enquirer building was covered with bunting and flags. The city marshal's office was notified and the Woolen Mills was called up by telephone, the Asylum and other places having steam whistles, and the long expected joyful news imparted. In the incredibly short space of time the entire city was reverberating with the shrieks of whistles, the chimes of bells, shooting of guns and cannon, and the happy shouts of freemen out of bondage. The town was decorated as if by magic and flags were soon seen floating from every public place and housetops everywhere."
Through the years, Jan. 4 has been recognized as Utah's Statehood Day. Sometimes the date coincides with the gubernatorial inauguration, which occurs on the first Monday of a new year following an election. On those occasions, the day is marked with inaugural balls and public ceremonies.
Many other years, like this one, the day passes with little or no notice.
Deseret News photographers have been on hand at many formal Statehood Day events, including the first one. Photo researcher Ron Fox has culled the newspaper's archives for these photographs, some that have never been published.
On Jan. 6, 1896, the Salt Lake LDS Tabernacle hosted the state's official celebration, a 45-star flag made for the occasion in the ZCMI overall and fabrics factory stretched 160 feet along the ceiling. It was the largest American flag at the time.

Read more of the article HERE!!

STATEHOOD quiz: Test your knowledge of Utah state history

2010-01-05T10:44:00.000-08:00

Quiz Created by KSL's Amanda Butterfield and the Capitol Curator Judith McConkie.
Take quiz HERE!!!

1 How many constitutions did Utah territorial leaders write in order to become a state?

2 How many territorial governors were sent from Washington, D.C. to be governors of Utah

3 Territory? (A trick question!)

4 Who was the first governor of Utah Territory?

5 How many counties were there when Utah entered the Union?

6 How many counties are there in Utah today?

7 What was the first name for the state?

8 Where did the name Utah come from?

9 How many stars on the 1896 United States flag?

10 Who was Utah's first state governor?

11 Where was he sworn in and why?

12 Where was Utah's first capital?

13 How many years did it take for Utah to become a state?

For quiz answers, click HERE!!!!

Celebrating Statehood Day at the Utah State Capitol

2010-01-05T10:42:00.000-08:00

UTAH IN THE UNION COMING MARCH 3rd 2010!!!!

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Utah in the Union: The Story of the 45th State

2009-12-30T08:19:00.000-08:00

Officially Opening MARCH 3, 2010!!!

On Statehood Day, Monday, January 4, 2010, the Capitol Preservation Board will begin the process of installing a newly developed free exhibit of documents, memorabilia, educator materials, artifacts and program called Utah in the Union: The Story of the 45th State, celebrating Utah’s 1896 entry into the Union.
The building-wide exhibition will be open from March 2010 through January 2011.The exhibit is specifically designed for Utah students and visitors to the state and those particularly curious about Utah’s history.
By March 3, 2010 – the day Utah Territorial Delegate of Congress Joseph Rawlins introduced the Enabling Act to the House of Representatives in Washington D.C., pushing Utah into statehood – all historical objects, educational display cases and vintage photographs related to Statehood will be in place throughout all areas of the Utah State Capitol.
Exhibits feature several major pieces relevant to Utah history. Objects of interest include an original 45 Star flag to be placed in the Freedom Shrine on the first floor of the Capitol, as well as one of the original copies of the Proceedings Utah Constitutional Convention, published in 1896. In addition, there will be a new 7.5 x 6 topographical map of Utah taken from space, more than 30 historic photographs of Statehood celebrations, and an interactive timeline illustrating Utah’s seven attempts to join the Union.
Capitol Curator Judith McConkie, PhD, stated, “We are indebted to scholars and collectors who have gone before,” she said. “The Utah State Capitol seems, however, a fitting place for assembling a free and educational exhibit throughout the Capitol, especially for school children studying the history of Utah and visitors to our state.”
The Capitol Preservation Board would like to give a special thanks to those who have helped contribute to this exciting and worthy exhibition: The Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Church History Library, KUED, Utah State Historical Society and Archives, various state newspaper organizations and universities who have all contributed generously to the exhibition, helping to celebrate the 45th state.

The U.S.S. Utah Battleship Exhibit Continues

2009-12-28T10:42:00.000-08:00

The free exhibition of the U.S.S. Utah battleship will continue to run until the beginning of February 2010. This exhibit, located on the 4th floor of the Utah State Capitol building, tells the story of the United States Navy’s largest battleship, later to become a training ship, which was to historically fall during the attack at Pearl Harbor.
Complete with beautifully arrayed display cases containing newspaper clippings, historical clothing, battleship artifacts and devises, and miniature replicas, as well as vintage photographs adorning the walls along the 4th floor galleries, this exhibit celebrates the history and significance of the U.S.S. Utah vividly.

No fee’s, appointments or tickets necessary. Just walk right in and view the exhibit at your own pace.
Check it out before it ends!!!!!!

U.S.S. Utah Brochure clippings.

2009-12-28T09:08:00.000-08:00

This passage can be found inside the U.S.S. Utah exhibit brochure, available for free in the East entrance of the Utah State Capitol.Because the image is hard to read, the contents are as follows:

The name of the United States Navy’s largest battleship, referred to as a dreadnought because of its compliment of enormous guns, was announced by Theodore Roosevelt in 1903 from the pulpit of the Salt Lake Tabernacle.
Six years later, she was launched with the words, “I christen thee Utah! God Speed!” by Mary Alice Spry, the 18-year old daughter of Utah’s governor William Spray and who had just begun the ambitious project of constructing the new state house. Spry involved the children of Utah in the official commissioning of the ship—an event attended by the Tabernacle Choir and elected dignitaries—by asking each child for a ten-cent donation toward the traditional purchase of a full set of sterling silver serving pieces bearing the navy seal and Utah Scenes.
For more than two decades as part of the Atlantic Fleet, the ship’s crew knew hard work, danger, heroism and their fair share of fun. They stood at attention as well as at ease on a magnificent ship and until she was retrofitted and re-commissioned as what one historian called the “newest radio Frankenstein” of the Pacific—a target training ship—until she docked at Pear Harbor in December, 1941.

Flag Highlights: How To Display the Flag--part 3

2009-12-22T15:45:00.000-08:00

HOW TO DISPLAY THE FLAG

In a Procession

When carried in a procession with another flag or flags, the flag of the United States should be either on the marching right, i.e., the flag's own right, or when there is a line of other flags the flag of the United States may be in front of the center of that line.

All words, grammar and word usage, has been taken directly from this 1966 brochure.

U.S.S. Utah exhibit Brochure!!

2009-12-22T08:46:00.000-08:00

This brochure is available for free to all members of the Public and can be picked up at the East entrance of the Utah State Capitol next to the Visitor Services Center.

FRONT VIEW

BACK VIEW

U.S.S. Still Open!!!

2009-12-22T07:59:00.000-08:00

U.S.S. Utah Closing in February!

The FREE U.S.S. Utah exhibit has been extended until February 7th. This exhibition, located on the fourth floor of the Utah State Capitol building, celebrates the history and significance of one of the most famous battleships at Pearl Harbor.
With beautiful display cases containing newspaper clippings, clothing from crew members, battleship artifacts, and miniature replicas, as well as walls covered with historical photographs of the ship and its people, there is something for everyone.
Make sure you make it up to the Capitol to see this historically powered exhibit before it closes!

No fee’s, appointments or tickets necessary. Just walk right in and view the exhibit at your own pace.

Check it out before it ends!!!!!!

Preserving History in the news: UTA needs to get onboard with preservation.

2009-12-21T12:42:00.000-08:00

taken from the Salt Lake Tribune
Written by Kirk Huffaker

UTA has a stated policy to environmental commitment on their Web site that includes broad statements such as "reduce, reuse, and recycle resources," "encourage citizen awareness and involvement in UTA's efforts to protect the environment," and "consider alternative effective solutions to environmental problems."
UTA is preparing to develop Salt Lake Central Station (the Intermodal Hub) for future growth that will come from southbound commuter rail and as many as four new light rail extensions. With all the positive emphasis on making good choices for our environment and our cities, how can it be an effective and responsible planning choice for UTA to demolish three historic buildings associated with the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad at the Intermodal Hub?
It wasn't even 50 years ago that the railroad still flourished in Utah. Of course the 1860s duel between the Union Pacific and Denver & Rio Grande railroads is legendary history that built thousands of miles of rail through the toughest land in America.
The physical reminders of this history on our landscape are both grand -- such as the Union Pacific and Rio Grande depots -- and less amazing -- such as the box culverts that carried numerous tracks over creeks and streams. But between the grand and the less amazing are incredibly important structures of the everyday man in our city, largely misunderstood and underrepresented.
These include the buildings of the Denver & Rio Grande railroad shops, round house and freight yards, all built by 1910.
As late as 1951, the workingman's section of the D&RG included a boiler/engine shop, balsam shop, round house and turntable, and two freight houses. Located between 200 and 400 South, and 600 West and I-15, this section today only includes three buildings -- one of the two freight houses and the two-building boiler/engine shop. While the south section of the freight house has been renovated into the Intermodal Hub at Salt Lake Central Station, the freight house's north section and boiler/engine shop have been targeted for demolition by its owner, UTA.

read more HERE!!

What you can do:

1) Write to UTA Director John Inglish and let him know that these buildings are crucial for the Westside of Salt Lake City, and that UTA should adhere to their environmental policy to reduce, reuse, and recycle materials through historic preservation.
John Inglish, Director
Utah Transit Authority
3600 South 700 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84119

2) Email Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker and let him know that the city’s partnership to with UTA and historic preservation organizations is crucial to seeing that these important structures are adaptively reused and integrated into the Westside’s development, and that without them the Gateway Neighborhood does not become a unique destination to live in or visit for residents, commuters, or visitors.

For more information, click HERE!!!

Flag Highlights: How To Display the Flag--part 2

2009-12-21T08:31:00.000-08:00

We will be offering a series of blogs that highlight different traditions, facts and important information about the United States Flag.
These informational facts were taken from a Brochure published in 1966 and found at the Daughters of the Utah Pioneer Museum located next to the Utah State Capitol building.

HOW TO DISPLAY THE FLAG

with other flags

When a number of flags are grouped and displayed from staffs, the flag of the United States should be in the center or at the highest point of the group, as illustrated. When it is displayed with any other flag against a wall or in the open, from crossed staffs, the flag of the United States should be on the right, the flag's own right, and its staff should be in front of the staff of the other flag, as shown in the illustration.

All words, grammar and word usage, has been taken directly from this 1966 brochure.

History Facts: From Arsenal Hill to Capitol Hill

2009-12-17T14:34:00.000-08:00

In 1911, the Capitol Commission, created to oversee the building of the State Capitol, focused their efforts on choosing the location of the building.
They contracted one of the most celebrated landscape design firms in the country - the Olmsted Brothers of Brookline, Massachusetts. John C. Olmsted, the son of famed landscape architect Fred Olmsted, visited Salt Lake City. He drew a group of potential plans to transform what was then known as Arsenal Hill (the site of local munitions storage) to the Capitol Hill that we know today. Capitol architect Richard K.A. Kletting drew the final landscape plans and work on the Capitol commenced in 1912. Financial difficulties prevented the realization of Kletting’s original plans for the complex. Yet today some of the central elements of his initial designs are realized through the Capitol Preservation Project.

Read more of the story HERE!

Flag Highlights: How To Display the Flag--part 1

2009-12-17T10:58:00.000-08:00

We will be offering a series of blogs that highlight different traditions, facts and important information about the United States Flag.

These informational facts were taken from a Brochure published in 1966 and found at the Daughters of the Utah Pioneer Museum located next to the Utah State Capitol building.

HOW TO DISPLAY THE FLAG
at Half-Staff

When flown at half-staff, the flag is first hoisted to the peak of the staff and then lowered to half-staff. Before lowering the flag for the day it is again raised to the peak and then lowered. On Memorial Day, the flag is displayed at half-staff from sunrise until noon and at full-staff from noon until sunset.

All words, grammar and word usage, has been taken directly from this 1966 brochure.

Choir Creates Art with their Beautiful Voices

2009-12-16T15:20:00.000-08:00

View more of these videos on our Youtube HERE!!

Flag Highlights: Flag Etiquette

2009-12-16T12:39:00.000-08:00

We will be offering a series of blogs that highlight different traditions, facts and important information about the United States Flag.
These informational facts were taken from a Brochure published in 1966 and found at the Daughters of the Utah Pioneer Museum located next to the Utah State Capitol building.

FLAG ETIQUETTE

-It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, the flag may be displayed at night upon special occasions when it is desired to produce a patriotic effect.

-The flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously.

-The flag should be displayed daily, weather permitting, on or near the main administration building of every public institution.

-The flag should be displayed in or near every polling place on election day and should be displayed during school days in or near every schoolhouse.

-No other flag or pennant should be placed above or, if on the same level, to the right of the flag of the United States of America, except during church services conducted by naval chaplains at sea, when the church pennant may be flown above the flag during church services for the personnel of the Navy.

-The flag should form a distinctive feature of the ceremony of unveiling a statue or monument, but it should never be used as the covering for the statue or monument.

-The flag, when flown at half-staff, should be first hoisted to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The flag should be again raised to the peak before it is lowered for the day.

-"half-staff" is means lowering the flag to one-hour the distance between the top and bottom of the staff.

-That no disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United Stated of America, the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.

-The flag should never be displayed with the union down save as a signal of dire distress.

-The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor or water.

-The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free.

-The flag should never be used as a drapery of any sort whatsoever, never festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free.

-Bunting of blue, white and red always arranged with the blue above the white in the middle and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker's desk, draping the front of the platform and for decorations in general.

-During the ceremony of hoisting or lowering the flag or when the flag is passing in a parade or in a review, all persons present should face the flag, stand at attention, and salute. Those present in uniform should render the military salute. When not in uniform, men should remove the head-dress withe the right hand holding it at left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Men without hats should salute in the same manner. Aliens should stand at attention. Women should salute by placing the right hand over the heart.

-When the National Anthem is played and the flag is not displayed, all present should stand and face toward the music. Those in uniform should saute at the first note of the anthem, retaining this position until the last note. All others should stand at attention, men removing their head-dress. When the flag is displayed, all present should face the flag and salute.

All words, and word usage, as been taken directly from this 1966 brochure.

Utah Press Association Case is here!

2009-12-15T12:21:00.000-08:00

This case is located on the Basement level of the Utah State Capitol next to the Legislative Printing office and the Northwest public elevator. It tells the story of all newspapers created and established in Utah.

These pictures highlight the case.

Letters of Correspondence from 1909

2009-12-15T08:23:00.000-08:00

Read these historical letters between Governor Spry and the Adjutant General of Utah.

These letters discuss the making of the Utah State Flag for the U.S.S. Utah Battleship.

Each letter was found at the Utah State Archives. We would like to thank them for their help in our upcoming Utah in the Union exhibit.

History in the News: Utah woman blazed trail in state politics

2009-12-14T16:12:00.000-08:00

By Marc Haddock
Deseret News

In 1896, Martha Hughes Cannon spent a total of $35 in the campaign that led to her election as a member of Utah's fledgling state Senate.
It was a seminal moment in U.S. politics. In that election, Cannon became the first woman in America to be elected to any state senate. The fact that she defeated her husband in the election made her victory part of Utah's folklore.
As a pioneer doctor, a champion of public health, and a polygamist's wife who was also a leader in the suffragist movement, Cannon carved out a unique place in the annals of the state's history.
The Martha Hughes Cannon Health Building was dedicated in her honor in 1986. An eight-foot bronze statue of her was installed in the Utah Capitol Rotunda in 1996, 100 years after her path-breaking election. The statue was recently re-installed on the Capitol grounds following the building renovation.
Photo researcher Ron Fox has culled the newspaper and other photo archives, and many of those photos can now be seen at the newspaper's Web site, http://www.deseretnews.com./

Martha Maria Hughes was 2 years old when her family converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and emigrated from Wales to New York. A year later the family crossed the Plains to Salt Lake City, burying Mattie's 21-month-old sister in an unmarked grave beside the trail. Her father died days after reaching Salt Lake City in September of 1861.
Martha Hughes was working as a schoolteacher at the age of 14 and worked her way through the University of Deseret as a typesetter for the Deseret Evening News and the Women's Exponent, an LDS Relief Society magazine.
After two years of pre-med studies, she was blessed and set apart by President John Taylor of the LDS Church to study medicine and headed off to the University of Michigan, where she graduated with a medical degree on her 23rd birthday, July 1, 1880. She studied for two more years, earning a degree in pharmacy and oratory.

See more pictures and read more of the story HERE!

more in the News: Utah Capitol architect resigning

2009-12-09T13:16:00.000-08:00

ABC 4 News

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -
The executive director and architect of the Capitol Preservation Board is resigning. David Hart, who oversaw the $250 million renovation of the Utah Capitol, announced his resignation Tuesday.
Hart's last day will be Dec. 31.
He is leaving his job to join MOCA Systems, a Boston-based project management company, as a vice president and regional manager.
The company is opening a Salt Lake office and is expected to help build the federal government's nearly $2 billion spy center planned for Camp Williams.
Capitol Preservation Board spokeswoman Allyson Gamble will serve as interim director.

read more HERE!!

Big News: Utah Capitol renovation director quits!!!!

2009-12-09T13:08:00.000-08:00

By Lisa Riley Roche
Deseret News

David Hart, who oversaw the $250 million renovation of the Utah Capitol during his decade with the state, announced his resignation Tuesday.
Hart, executive director and architect of the Capitol Preservation Board, said he joining MOCA Systems, a Boston-based project management company, as a vice president and regional manager.
The company is opening a Salt Lake office and reportedly will help with construction of the federal government's nearly $2 billion spy center planned for Camp Williams.
"I realized all the goals I had set had been achieved," Hart said. The Capitol renovation, which took four years, included a massive earthquake retrofit of the granite building.
Tuesday, he told board members, including leaders of all three branches of government, that they have reached an "important milestone," moving from renovators to preservationists.
After a closed session, the board appointed its spokeswoman, Allyson Gamble, to be interim director during a review of how the statehouse complex is run.
"We realize this is a change in direction, and we want to make sure we get it right," said the board's chairman, Lt. Gov. Greg Bell. The review could take several months, he said.
Although there has been some talk of changing the structure of the board, Bell said he doubted that would be recommended. Instead, he said, the review will focus on the role of the executive director and other staff.

The Utah State Capitol Commission by Richard Tholen

2009-12-08T16:27:00.000-08:00

In 1909, acting as president of the duly authorized Capitol Commission, Utah’s
Governor William Spry issued the proclamation naming the commission members who
would ultimately preside at the 1916 ceremonies opening the Utah State Capitol.

The proclamation began: “WHEREAS, Under the provisions of Section 1, of
Chapter 64, Laws of Utah, 1909, the Governor is directed to appoint a Commission to
be known as the Capitol Commission . . . ” With that preamble, the governor announced
the other members of the seven-man Commission:
• Secretary of State C.S. Tingey
• Attorney General A.R. Barnes
• Apostle John Henry Smith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints and president of the Utah Constitutional Convention in 1895
• Mr. John Dern, banker and leading Salt Lake businessman
• Mr. C.E. Loose, Provo banker and a owner of mining and industrial
companies
• Mr. M.S. Browning, vice president of Ogden’s Browning Arms Company
The Commission appointed John K. Hardy, the governor's secretary, as "Acting
Secretary." David Mattson, the newly elected Secretary of State, succeeded C.D. Tingey,
and Anthon H. Lund was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the death of John Henry
Smith. Upon his release as a member of the Commission Mr. Tingey was named its
secretary Acting Secretary John K. Hardy.

Beginning in May of 1911, the Commission met regularly for the next seven years
to oversee numberless studies and proposals, the selection of an architect and other
contractors, the contracts for all participants, and enough acrimonious disputes to satisfy
even the most feisty politico. For example, only four months after the first meeting the
Commission published a Program of Competition for the selection of an architect.

The Commission served at its own expense with the exception of their secretary,
who received a modest $100.0T0 per month stipend. That amount was later increased to
$150.00 per month. Secretary Tingey kept meticulous minutes of the meetings. The record
provides a fascinating glimpse into history.

Just two and one half years from laying the cornerstone the Commission was ready
for a formal grand opening on October 9, 1916. In the evening a general public reception
was held – the guests being received by the governor and members of the Commission in
the State Reception Room. Estimates of attendance at the festivities put the number at thirty
thousand guests were received.

The Capitol Commission met for the last time on December 29, 1916, and Secretary
Tingey, presented its biennial report." Copies of the last annual report, dated January 4
1917, (when the Legislature convened) were to be bound, prepared and delivered to the
members. The minutes of that late December meeting are the last entry in more than 545
pages of commission minutes. They illustrate how diligently the Commission had worked.
They were and were faithful overseers of every aspect of Utah’s beautiful, new State
Capitol.

U.S.S. Utah event on the Utah State Capitol's Facebook

2009-12-08T13:38:00.001-08:00

Click HERE to see the Utah State Capitol's Facebook event page!

What it says:

U.S.S. Utah Closing Soon!!!
The FREE U.S.S. Utah exhibit will be coming to an end in December. This exhibit, located on the fourth floor of the Utah State Capitol building, celebrates the history and significance of one of the most famous battleships at Pearl Harbor. With beautiful display cases containing newspapers, clothing, battleship artifacts, and miniature replicas, as well as walls covered with historical photographs of the ship and its people, there is something for everyone. Make sure you make it up to the Capitol to see this historically powered exhibit before it closes!

Capitol Preservation Board meeting

2009-12-08T13:36:00.000-08:00

The Capitol Preservation Board meeting will take place at 2:30 p.m. in the Utah State Capitol complex Board Room located on the East side of the Rotunda.
The Board, created in 1998 by Utah’s Legislature and Governor Leavitt, is headed by all three branches of government. Namely, the Governor, the Chief Justice, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House (or their appointees), the Attorney General, the State Treasurer, the State Historic Preservation Officer and a number of legislators. Each member of the Board currently serves for the length of their term in office.

Learn more about CPB HERE!!

U.S.S Utah in the News: The forgotten ship

2009-12-07T15:55:00.000-08:00

The forgotten ship

Former USS Utah crew members recall lesser known battleship in Pearl Harbor
By Amy Joi O'Donoghue
Deseret News

One hundred years ago she was the belle of Utah's ball, the largest and most powerful battleship in the world, launched in New York on Dec. 23, 1909 with these words: "I christen thee Utah! Godspeed!"
Thirty-two years later on Dec. 7, two torpedoes struck the USS Utah at Pearl Harbor and within minutes she rolled over on her side, taking some of her crew to rest with her forever.
As the decades passed, a solemn tribute to the horrific nature of the attack and the sacrifices of that infamous day was erected over the tomb of the USS Arizona, which would become the Pearl Harbor National Monument.
But on the opposite side of Ford Island rests the rusted hull of the USS Utah, which over the years has been termed "The Forgotten Ship."
Four men who have lived a total of 349 years on Earth ventured to the state of Utah earlier this year to remember what many have forgotten.
In the halls of the state Capitol, where an exhibit celebrates the life and times of the USS Utah, they talked of how good it was to see each other again, and how few they have become.
The four are among 30 or so men left from the 461 survivors of the assault on the 21,825-ton ship.
They felt her shudder from the torpedoes and watched tables, chairs, salt shakers and sugar bowls slide across the floor when she began to list.

Read more of the story HERE!!

Art & Architecture: The Man with the Plan

2009-12-07T11:29:00.000-08:00

Richard K.A. Kletting, the building’s chief architect, designed the Utah State Capitol in 1911 as a part of a competition between many premier architects of his time. Considered by many as the “Dean of Utah Architecture,” Kletting designed many other prominent local buildings such as Saltair and the Salt Palace. He was born July 1, 1858 in Wurttemberg, Germany and traveled to the United States with two of his brothers in 1883. Kletting came to Salt Lake City unintentionally when he followed his bags from his scheduled stop in Denver. He was hired by an architectural firm the day after he arrived.

Read more HERE!

Volunteer to be a Capitol Docent

2009-12-07T11:26:00.001-08:00

The Visitor Services Center at the Utah State Capitol would love your help! Volunteer docents lead visitors through the Capitol on exciting, creative tours. Volunteering as a docent is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the Capitol and the activities that occur on Capitol Hill. Volunteers also provide a wonderful service to the community. To find out more about volunteering at the Capitol please call 538-1800 or send an e-mail to mailto:utahstatecaptioltours@utah.gov.

Click HERE for more info.

More about U.S.S. Utah!!

2009-12-03T08:51:00.000-08:00

U.S.S. Utah Exhibit Opens at the Capitol

A special exhibit about the U.S.S. Utah opened on March 9, 2009 at the Capitol and will remain there until December 7, 2009. The exhibit is the first of its type since the re-opening of the Capitol in January of 2008. It is an effort of the Capitol Preservation Board staff, the Fort Douglas Military Museum, and interested individuals. Its opening marks the U.S.S. Utah’s 100th anniversary year. The production of the exhibit was sponsored by a generous contribution from Ancestry.com, a part of the Generations Network.

The original design of the Capitol included gallery space for exhibitions mounted by the Utah Art Institute. The law governing the Institute was a bill referred to simply as the Art Bill of 1899. Written and sponsored by Alice Merrill Horne, the bill created a mechanism, the first in the country, for sponsoring arts education in schools. It also made provision for sponsoring artists in Utah by purchasing and exhibiting the visual arts. The galleries on the Fourth Floor were designed, together with a Board Room, for the Art Institute. As part of the renovation of the Capitol, the Fourth Floor Galleries will feature rotating exhibits, some curated by the Capitol Preservation Board Office staff, some by visiting and collaborating museums and individuals. All exhibits will feature educator materials for pre- and post-visit (as well as classroom) activities for 4th and 7th graders whose curricula includes Utah History and Civics. This exhibit opens that program.

Read more HERE!!

U.S.S. Utah in the News!

2009-11-23T07:08:00.000-08:00

A salute to the USS Utah

87-year-old William Hughes, a crew member of the USS Utah and a Pearl Harbor survivor, watches as the color guards present colors at the Utah State Capitol during the 100th anniversary of the ship's construction Monday. Artifacts from the ship were also placed on display and will be exhibited through the end of the year. The USS Utah was bombed and quickly capsized at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Fifty-eight enlisted men and six officers died when the Utah sank.

Read about it HERE!
Photo from the Deseret News

Utah in the Union exhibit coming along!

2009-11-18T08:32:00.000-08:00

The opening date for the free Utah in the Union exhibit is on MARCH 3rd 2010!

This building-wide exhibit is free to the public and will be open from March 2010 through Jan. 2011.

More updates and exhibit highlights are soon to follow!

History in the News!

2009-11-18T08:14:00.000-08:00

Downtown Salt Lake City thrived as shopping mecca for century
Stores such as ZCMI and Auerbach's were popular destinations
By Marc Haddock

Deseret NewsBefore there were shopping malls, there was downtown.
And for more than 100 years, Salt Lake City's downtown was the state's number one shopping destination.
With a vibrant commercial district, Salt Lake's Main Street offered a little bit of everything. Businesses that carved a name in the history of downtown include ZCMI, Auerbach's, P.W. Madsen Furniture, the Dinwoodey furniture company and Dayne's Music, to name a just a few.
"Residents who lived in Salt Lake City prior to the 1960s remember how vibrant the city was, full of life and bustle," according to an article at http://www.utahstories.com/. "Arline Markosian says Salt Lake City was so safe, she and her young sister would often ride a trolley to the Orpheum Theater to watch a film — unaccompanied by her parents — for a nickel."
Most of those store fronts, many featuring creative and colorful displays designed to lure window shoppers in from the streets, have disappeared. Some have moved to other locations. Over the years, Deseret News photographers have captured some of the charm and vibrancy of Salt Lake City's downtown in its glory days. Photo researcher Ron Fox has assembled a collection of these photos, which can be viewed at the newspaper's Web site, http://www.deseretnews.com./
When silver was discovered in Utah about 20 years after the Mormon pioneers arrived, the ramifications split the personality of the commercial district.
Anchoring the "Mormon half" of downtown was ZCMI, which was created to combat the inevitable changes the mines would bring. Brigham Young envisioned an organization that would support home manufacturing and to sell goods "as low as they can be sold."
ZCMI sold a variety of goods, including clothing, wagons, machinery, sewing machines and carpets, and also served as an outlet for the products produced by the Saints. In 1876, the several departments were consolidated under one roof to create what has been called America's first department store.
The "gentile half" was the Exchange Place district near the City and County Building.
The one company that defied the "us vs. them" mentality was Auerbach's, founded by Fred and Herbert Auerbach on Broadway, which became Utah's second largest retail store after ZCMI,
Other earlier businesses succeeded by specializing. Daynes Music, for example, started in 1862 in a log cabin on Main Street.
Dinwoodey Furniture and P.W. Madsen Furniture opened in 1874 and 1875 respectively.

T-shirt Contest entry total.

2009-11-18T08:09:00.000-08:00

The Capitol Store had a lot of input and entry forms from high school students throughout the state of Utah! Judging of designs will begin momentarily and the four winners will be contacted as soon as possible. Stay tuned to find out about dates.

High Schools with the most entry forms include; Skyline with 16 entries, North Ridge with 22, and South Summit with 27 entries.
The total amount of the entries received is approximately 85!

The Capitol Store and the Capitol Preservation Board would like to send out a special thanks to all Utah students and schools who participated in this exciting Contest! Thanks!

Interim Parking today!

2009-11-17T10:49:00.000-08:00

Please be aware this week we have interim meetings, Tuesday, November 17 and Wednesday, November 18. Interim parking includes all of reserved Plaza underground, all of G Lot and the posted areas in the upper surface lots. Thank you for your cooperation.

Hope you are enjoying the fall weather.
Allyson

Tour the Capitol using TEXT!!!

2009-11-16T12:03:00.000-08:00

Visitors are now invited to tour the building via their mobile phones through a new text messaging method. After sending descriptive keywords to a specified number, visitors will receive text-message responses of information on various significant elements within the restored Capitol.
“We hope to attract tech-savvy visitors to the Capitol by providing them with a unique opportunity to enjoy a convenient self-guided tour directly from a cellular phone,” said Allyson Gamble, Director of Public Relations, Communications and Visitor Services.

To access the information about the various elements of the Utah State Capitol, simply text one of the keywords below to 83043. Instruction cards are available in the Capitol Visitor Services Center.

Key Words: Lions, Hall, Exhibits, Brigham, Governor, Gold, Dome, WPA, Niche, Lunettes, House, Chamber, Court, Galleries and Base.

Paying Respect for our Veterans

2009-11-12T09:30:00.000-08:00

Although we are a day late, the Capitol Preservation Board would like to pay their respect for the men and women who helped serve this wonderful country throughout the years!

Happy Veterans Day to all!!

U.S.S. Utah exhibit Event!

2009-11-11T08:01:00.001-08:00

The U.S.S. Utah exhibit, located on the 4th floor of the Utah State Capitol building, will be closing in December. To help gain awareness of this closing event, the Utah State Capitol facebook FAN page has created an event page with event information, pictures, videos and contact information.

Click on the picture below to view the EVENT PAGE and join those attending before it is too late!http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=182151658360&index=1

ksl.com - Chief Massosoit returns home to State Capitol

2009-11-10T07:21:00.000-08:00

Massasoit in the News!!! Watch the news clip by clicking the link below!

ksl.com - Chief Massosoit returns home to State Capitol

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Massasoit Re-instillation Pictures!

2009-11-05T15:43:00.001-08:00

Massasoit statue at the Utah State Capitol

2009-11-05T15:41:00.000-08:00

Massasoit returned to the Utah State Capitol on November 5, 2009 after brief interviews with the media. Complete with a granite base and bronze plaque, Massasoit now stands on the East side of the Capitol complex.
Among those in attendance to welcome Massasoit back, were three of his decedents living in Utah. Tenth generation descendent, Glenn Baldwin and his wife Lois, from Salt Lake City, traveled up to view the re-instillation and met with former decedents, Mary Hilliard, 11th generation descendent from Ogden, and her daughter Joni Crane, 12th generation descendent from Vernal.
All three descendents were able to relate some history of Massasoit and take pictures with the famous statue after it had been erected.
They spoke with Denice Dallin Wheeler, relative to Cyrus E. Dallin, the internationally famous sculptor from Utah who sculpted Massasoit and offered him as a gift to the Utah State Capitol in 1922. Wheeler was happy to represent her famous Uncle by giving interviews with the media and speaking personally with the public.
After the re-instillation press conference, lasting no more than an hour, Massasoit was left to welcome future visitors to his new home at the Utah State Capitol.

Re-instillation of Massasoit

2009-11-05T15:23:00.000-08:00

Re-instillation on November 5, 2009.

Massasoit Comes Tomorrow!

2009-11-04T14:11:00.001-08:00

Massasoit will be returning to the Utah State Capitol tomorrow durring a press confrence held at 11 a.m. on the East side of the Main Capitol Complex.
Massasoit, created by nationally recognized sculptor and Utah native Cyrus E. Dallin, is famously known as the Wampanoags Nation Chief who first welcomed the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock after they disembarked from the Mayflower.
Dallin’s sculpture was first unveiled at the Utah State Capitol on July 31, 1922 at a time when Utah struggled economically. The State graciously accepted the generous gift from one of its most famous sons, adding to the Capitol beautiful artwork they could not have otherwise afforded.

North Layton Jr. High Gets Involved.

2009-11-03T11:39:00.000-08:00

Besides placing Massasoit at the Capitol, Utah State Capitol complex offers several beautiful and historical art pieces that honor Utah and its people.
To help involve students while offering them an educational experience, North Layton Jr. High encouraged their students to write in and explain to the Capitol Preservation Board what prominent Utahn they thought should be honored at our Capitol.
The Capitol Preservation Board was happy to receive around 100 letters from excited students! Below is a response written by Capitol Curator Dr. Judith McConkie to the school in thanking them for their involvement.

We have also included copies of some of the letters mailed in by the students. You will find this in future blogs. Some may be hard to read due to the quality of the scanned document.

Massasoit in the News.

2009-11-03T10:12:00.000-08:00

This is a letter that appeared in the Brockton, MA newspaper the week of November 27-29, 2008

Far be it from us to get in the middle of a debate over what kind of American Indian should be portrayed by a statue on the grounds of the Utah State Capitol, but, well, what the heck.

For many decades, a bronze statue of Massasoit, the Wampanoag Indian chief who made peace with the Pilgrims in 1621 and helped the new settlers to establish their thriving Massachusetts colony, has stood there. It is a copy of a statue that looks out over the harbor in Plymouth and was erected on Coles Hill in 1921.

So why is there a copy in Utah? Because the well-known sculptor, Cyrus Dallin, was a native of Utah and gave his original plaster cast to the state, which then made the bronze copy. But since the statue and the area in Utah has been undergoing renovations, some Navajos have come forward to complain that the statue is not representative of local tribes.

That may have some validity, but the Navajos don’t speak for all the Indians of Utah, which was named after the Ute Indian tribe. There are reservations in the state for Goshute and Paiute Indians, but it still remains a state dominated by Mormons, with Indians pushed to the periphery.

Several arguments can be made for keeping the Massasoit statue right where it is. Peggy Baker, director of the Pilgrim Hall Museum in Plymouth, said it is more of a tribute to a famous artist than to Massasoit. There also is the point that no one really knows what Massasoit looked like and Dallin used a “representative” figure to illustrate Chief Massasoit, who also was known as Ousamequin and helped keep peace between Indians and Pilgrims settlers for four decades until his death and the later carnage of King Philip’s War.

Dallin was born in 1861 in Springville, Utah, and studied sculpture in Boston. Among his more well-known works, including Massasoit, are statues of Gov. William Bradford and Paul Revere. But his best-known work is probably “Appeal to the Great Spirit,” which stands in front of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. There also is a museum dedicated to his work in Arlington, but he always maintained his connections to Utah and many of his sculptures remain on display there.

If Utah leaders and Indian groups decide that Massasoit isn’t quite right for Salt Lake City, so be it. But Dallin, a colleague of Augustus St. Gaudens and Daniel Chester French, represents Utah as well as any artist and the state should be proud to prominently display the work of the man who was born a Mormon and never forgot from where he came.

U.S.S. Utah Exhibit Virtual Tour

2009-11-02T16:02:00.000-08:00

Click HERE to see more Youtube videos by the Utah State Capitol.

Massasoit Pictures!

2009-11-02T11:06:00.000-08:00

View more pictures of Massasoit on picasa HERE!!

Chief Massasoit returns to the Utah State Capitol

2009-11-02T10:23:00.000-08:00

Salt Lake City, Utah –
At 11 a.m. on Thursday, November 5, 2009, the monumental bronze sculpture of Massasoit, created by nationally recognized sculptor Cyrus E. Dallin, will return to the Utah State Capitol Grounds. The sculpture greets visitors as they enter the Capitol Hill Complex from the east side of the Capitol. A brief press conference related to the re-installation will take place at the foot of the statue at the time of installation.

Massasoit is famously known as the Wampanoags Nation Chief who first welcomed the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock after they disembarked from the Mayflower. Dallin created the sculpture in the 1920’s. He was born and raised in Springville, Utah, and is known internationally for his realistic rendering of Chief Massasoit as well as the Angel Moroni statue that sits on top of the Salt Lake City Temple.

Dallin’s sculpture was first unveiled at the Utah State Capitol on July 31, 1922 at a time when Utah struggled economically. The State graciously accepted the generous gift from one of its most famous sons, adding to the Capitol beautiful artwork they could not have otherwise afforded.

During the first unveiling, Dallin expressed his desire that the state accept the gift as a token of his love for his native state of Utah. “These mountains are linked with the story of the Indian,” he said. “In setting up this man of peace, who saved the Plymouth Colony, I have a hope…that I might model the old Chief Washakie of the Shoshones, who, too, was a man of peace; and he wielded as potent and saving an influence over the first Pioneers…as ever did Massasoit over the Pilgrims.”

Classically trained in Paris, Dallin practiced sculpting during a period in art history which was a flowering of classical architecture and sculpture.

Capitol Curator Judith McConkie, PhD, noting that Massasoit is often compared to famous European sculptures, states that “The pose and the idealized body are a direct homage to Michelangelo’s David”.

Massasoit originally stood in the center of the Capitol’s Rotunda from 1923 until 1957, when it was moved outside to the South entrance of the Capitol Hill Complex. Now, complete with a new platform, Dallin’s beloved sculpture will be able to once again call Utah’s Capitol home.

U.S.S. Utah Closing on DEC. 7th

2009-11-02T10:20:00.000-08:00

The FREE U.S.S. Utah exhibit will be coming to an end on December 7th. This exhibit, located on the fourth floor of the Utah State Capitol building, celebrates the history and significance of one of the most famous battleships at Pearl Harbor.
With beautiful display cases containing newspapers, clothing, battleship artifacts, and miniature replicas, as well as walls covered with historical photographs of the ship and its people, there is something for everyone.

Make sure you make it up to the Capitol to see this historically powered exhibit before it closes!

Picasa Uploads!!

2009-11-02T10:17:00.000-08:00

Check out our new Picasa uploads HERE!!!

Halloween Party Photos!

2009-10-30T08:46:00.001-07:00

Check out more of the Halloween Party Photos on our Facebook fan page HERE!

Governor’s Office Halloween Party

2009-10-29T14:32:00.001-07:00

“Happy Halloween” and “Trick or Treat” were popular phrases uttered on Thursday at the Utah State Capitol building. Throwing their annual Halloween party, the Governor’s Office staff invited fellow staff members and their families to dress up and participate in the festivities. Children and adults alike dressed up in an array of colors and costumes, walking from office to office Trick-or-treating throughout the Capitol complex.

Pictures of this fun event will be posted soon!

Monuments salute the Mormon Battalion

2009-10-28T12:25:00.000-07:00

By Marc Haddock
Deseret News

For a year of military service, the 500 members of the Mormon Battalion purchased the future of their faith.
From July 1846 to 1847, the battalion made a grueling 1,900-mile march from Council Bluffs, Iowa, to San Diego. And while the battalion never participated in a single military engagement, it helped to pioneer the American West and paid the way for the Mormon pioneers to find a new home in the Great Basin.
A story in the July 1, 2000, Church News by R. Scott Lloyd reported on a talk by Elder Marlin K. Jensen of the Seventy during a Mormon Battalion Heritage Day celebration in which The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints leader spelled out the battalion's contribution:
"A road was carved out of the southwestern wilderness; the Gadsden Purchase (of land in 1853 from Mexico, which became part of New Mexico and Arizona) was accomplished; the acquisition of California certainly was stabilized and probably facilitated more than by any other single group of people or single act; and an economic impact was felt, not just in California with the gold rush, but in Utah as well for many, many years," Elder Jensen said.

Story Continues HERE

Governors: Olene Smith Walker

2009-09-18T09:13:00.000-07:00

OLENE SMITH WALKER
1930–

Olene Smith Walker was born in Ogden, Utah. She received her bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees from Brigham Young University, Stanford University, and University of Utah, respectively. From 1969 to 1992, Walker served as vice president of Country Crisp Foods, a family business.

Before entering politics, Walker founded the Salt Lake Education Foundation and served as its director. She also served as director of the Utah Division of Community Development. Walker was a representative in the state Legislature for eight years and served a term as majority whip. She was Utah’s first woman to be lieutenant governor and spearheaded many important initiatives including education programs, healthcare reform and workforce development. She led the Healthcare Reform Task Force that established the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), ensuring affordable healthcare for Utah’s children.

When Governor Leavitt resigned to serve as Administrator of the EPA, Walker became the first woman in Utah to be governor. During her term as governor, Walker was committed to funding education, providing affordable housing, and supporting literacy programs.

ARTIST

William “Bill” Ferrin Whitaker, Jr. (1943– ), son of painter William Whitaker, Sr., grew up surrounded by art. He earned his degree from the University of Utah and later taught at Brigham Young University. Whitaker studied under the famous Utah artist Alvin Gittins and is known for his beautiful portraits of Mormon church officials and other prominent people. He also painted Governor Leavitt’s portrait.

Governors: Michael Okerlund Leavitt

2009-09-17T07:56:00.000-07:00

MICHAEL OKERLUND LEAVITT
1951–

Michael Okerlund Leavitt was born in Cedar City, Utah in 1951. He graduated from Southern Utah University with a degree in business and economics. Leavitt joined the Leavitt Group, a regional insurance organization founded by his father, and later became president and chief executive officer of the company. Leavitt also served as a member of the Utah State Board of Regents.

Leavitt won the 1992 election for governor with running mate Olene Walker, who became the first woman to serve as Utah’s Lieutenant Governor. During Leavitt’s administration, independent public policy analysts ranked Utah among the best-managed states in the nation. Also during Leavitt’s administration, the state experienced its longest sustained economic expansion in its history. Governor Leavitt made education a priority during his three terms in office and saw education become the highest funding priority of the state government during his 11-year tenure.

In 2003, President George W. Bush nominated Governor Leavitt to the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Leavitt accepted the position and resigned as governor in November 2003. In January 2005, Leavitt was nominated and confirmed as the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services.

ARTIST

William “Bill” Ferrin Whitaker, Jr. (1943– ), son of painter William Whitaker, Sr., grew up surrounded by art. He earned his degree from the University of Utah and later taught at Brigham Young University. Whitaker studied under the famous Utah artist Alvin Gittins and is known for his beautiful portraits of Mormon church officials and other prominent people. He also painted Governor Walker’s portrait.

Governors: Norman Howard Bangerter

2009-09-16T08:36:00.000-07:00

NORMAN HOWARD BANGERTER
1933–

Norman Howard Bangerter was born in 1933 in rural Salt Lake County. For 50 years, with the exception of his college and army days, he lived less than ten blocks from the farmhouse where he was born. He attended the University of Utah and Brigham Young University before serving in the U.S. Army in Korea from 1953–54.

Bangerter began his career as a contractor and over the years became a successful home builder and real estate developer. He entered politics in 1974 after winning a seat in the Utah House of Representatives. His leadership skills helped him become the first Speaker of the House to serve two terms in over 40 years. He became governor in 1984—the state’s first Republican Governor in 20 years. Bangerter outlined his administration’s top priorities, which he called the “Three Es”—education, economic development, and efficiency in government. A fourth “E”, for environment, was added a few years later.

Facing economic difficulties, Bangerter campaigned aggressively to rebuild the state’s economy and successfully recruited new businesses and industries to the state. By his second term, Utah’s economy was growing even during a national recession. During his eight years in office, Bangerter oversaw the establishment of the State Court of Appeals, increased funding and higher test scores for Utah schools, the construction of a performing arts building at the University of Utah and new facilities at the state prison.

ARTIST

E. Keith Eddington (1923–2007) was born in Philadelphia and raised in Lehi, Utah. He served in World War II in both the European and Pacific theaters. Eddington studied art at the University of Utah and was the student of famous artists Arnold Friberg and Alvin Gittins. He later joined the faculty at the University of Utah where he taught for 20 years. During his successful career, he also taught at Brigham Young University and was the head of Keith Eddington and Associates, a highly respected graphic design firm in Salt Lake City. During his retirement, he continued to paint portraits.

Governors: Scott Milne Matheson

2009-09-15T08:22:00.000-07:00

SCOTT MILNE MATHESON
1929–1990

Scott Milne Matheson was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1929. During the early 1930s, his family moved to Parowan, Utah and then later moved to Salt Lake City. He attended East High School and then University of Utah before graduating from Stanford University Law School in 1952. Matheson practiced law in Cedar City for several years and then moved to Salt Lake City to work as the deputy attorney for Salt Lake County. He then worked for the legal department of the Union Pacific Railroad.

An active member of the Democratic party since college, Matheson ran for governor in 1976 and won, making him one of the few Democrats to win that year. At his inauguration, Matheson declined the traditional military cannon salute to emphasize his inaugural address, which stressed the need to use Utah’s resources wisely and to protect the environment.

Matheson faced many challenges during his two terms as governor: devastating drought, increasing population, growing inflation, spiraling Medicaid costs, and fast-growing enrollment in schools. Matheson successfully protested the location of an MX missile system in Utah and the transfer of nerve gas bombs to the state. Because environmental issues were important to Matheson, he opposed nuclear waster dumps in Utah. Three-thousand acres of the Deep Creek Mountains is named Scott’s Basin in honor of Matheson’s conservation efforts. Matheson had the foresight to see that computer technology would play an important role in the future and requested funds for the state to own and manage its own data processing system.

ARTIST

Alvin L. Gittins (1922–1981), one of Utah’s finest painters, came from England to study art at Brigham Young University. He later taught for many years at the University of Utah. Gittins was Utah’s most dominant portrait painter and was noted for his ability to capture his subject’s personality, as well as likeness, and for his masterly traditional styles. He also painted Governor Rampton’s portrait.

Governors: Calvin Lewellyn Rampton

2009-09-14T11:41:00.000-07:00

CALVIN LEWELLYN RAMPTON
1913–2007

Born in 1913, Calvin Lewellyn Rampton was Utah’s third governor elected from Davis County. He attended the University of Utah and served in the Utah National Guard during World War II in Europe where he received a Bronze Star. Rampton’s early career was spent as the Davis County Attorney and the assistant attorney general for Utah. A lifelong Democrat, Rampton ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate in 1954 and 1962. Although discouraged by these losses, he accepted his party’s nomination for governor and won that office in 1964.

Rampton asked the Legislature for increased spending for education, passage of three civil rights bills, and the right to use federal funds for urban renewal, and the Legislature responded favorably to a majority of his requests. The 1967 Legislature approved $117 million for higher education, more than Rampton had requested.

Rampton easily won re-election in 1968 and 1972 making him Utah’s first and only governor to serve three full terms. As governor, Rampton worked with business leaders and championed industrial development, tourism, development of energy resources and expansion of the defense industry in Utah. During his third term, he recommended ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. He supported state building projects, including Salt Lake City’s Symphony Hall (now Abravanel Hall), the Salt Lake Arts Center, and numerous public schools.

Throughout his three terms in office, “Cal” Rampton remained a popular governor. The Calvin L. Rampton Complex, which houses the Utah Department of Transport and the Utah Department of Public Safety, as well as Cal Rampton Boardroom at the Capitol are named after him. After Rampton’s death in 2007, the Salt Palace Convention Center was renamed the Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center in his honor.

ARTIST

Alvin L. Gittins (1922–1981), one of Utah’s finest painters, came from England to study art at Brigham Young University. He later taught for many years at the University of Utah. Gittins was Utah’s most dominant portrait painter and was noted for his ability to capture his subject’s personality as well as likeness and for his masterly traditional styles. He also painted Governor Matheson’s portrait.

Governors: George Dewey Clyde

2009-09-11T17:57:00.001-07:00

GEORGE DEWEY CLYDE
1898–1972

George Dewey Clyde was born in 1898 in Springville, Utah. He earned a master’s degree in civil engineering and taught classes at Utah State Agricultural College (now Utah State University), that focused on hydraulic and fluid mechanics and irrigation methods. He was a successful researcher and published nearly 50 articles in engineering journals. Governor Blood appointed Clyde as the State Water Conservator in 1934, at the height of Utah’s worst drought.

As governor, Clyde emphasized strict economy in government and advocated for states’ water rights against the federal government. Utah saw some great changes during Clyde’s years as governor. He oversaw the construction of a multimillion-dollar interstate highway, the building of the University of Utah’s medical school, and the creation of Canyonlands National Park. He defended minority rights, opposing a “Sunday closing” bill, arguing that not all religions viewed Sunday as the Sabbath. He remained unfailingly dedicated to water projects in Utah during his two terms as governor.

ARTIST

Everett “Ev” Clark Thorpe (1904–1983) began his art career as a sports artist for The Deseret News and The Salt Lake Tribune. In Utah, he studied under LeConte Stewart and Calvin Fletcher. He also studied art at the Los Angeles County Art Institute, Syracuse University, and the Hans Hofmann School of Art in Massachusetts. Thorpe taught art at Utah State University for 40 years, and his work ranged from illustration to portraiture to mural projects. Thorpe painted Governor Clyde in his professional environment, standing in Utah’s arid southwest desert with plans for the Glen Canyon dam in hand.

Governors: Joseph Bracken Lee

2009-09-10T13:08:00.000-07:00

The Utah State Capitol’s first floor will see changes in the upcoming weeks with the addition of biography plaques in the Hall of Governors. A biography plaque will hang next to each portrait of our Utah’s governors. We will be posting an example of what will be on the plaque every day. Stay tuned to read about your favorite Governor!

JOSEPH BRACKEN LEE
1899–1996

Joseph Bracken Lee was born in Price, Utah in 1899. He served in the army during World War I and owned successful insurance businesses and real estate. He began his political career as the mayor of Price, an office he held for 12 years. After Lee made several unsuccessful bids for Congress and governor, he was elected governor in 1948.

Lee gained national attention for his battle against federal income tax and his ideas regarding reform in state government. He made deep cuts in many state agency budgets, despite Utah’s $9 million surplus in the budget. He reorganized the welfare, highway, and education departments and created a state motor pool. A controversial governor, Lee often stated his low opinion of teachers and school administrators, which eventually united the entire educational establishment against him. Despite having some political enemies, Lee’s popularity as governor remained intact enough for him to win a second term.

After losing a bid for a third term, running on the Independent ticket, Lee continued to run for other public offices including senator and mayor. In 1959 he became the mayor of Salt Lake City and served for 12 years. When he retired at age 73, Lee had served an impressive 32 years in elective office for the state of Utah.

ARTIST

C.J. Fox is a mystery to the Capitol Preservation Board. No records remain as to when Governor Lee’s portrait was painted or even what Fox’s first name was.

Governors: Herbert Brown Maw

2009-08-19T14:09:00.001-07:00

HERBERT BROWN MAW
1893–1990

Herbert Brown Maw was born in Ogden, Utah in 1893. At age 11, he went to work to help support his family by selling newspapers on the streets of Salt Lake City and aluminum pans door to door. He also operated an ice cream stand at the Saltair Resort. While working, Maw continued to go to school, attending LDS High School and the University of Utah Law School. During World War I, he served as an LDS chaplain. Following the war, Maw earned a master’s and law degree from Northwestern University. When he returned to Salt Lake City, he taught political science and speech at the University of Utah. He served as Dean of Men at the University from 1928 to 1936.

In 1928 Maw was elected to the state Senate and served there for ten years, four of which he served as Senate President. He was elected governor in 1940, and quickly reorganized the Executive Branch creating fewer departments, which received bipartisan support from the Legislature. With World War II on the horizon, Maw worked hard to attract military installations and industries to Utah. Utah’s location made it ideal for many wartime facilities, which created thousands of jobs and energized Utah’s economy. Maw served his second term as governor during the transitional period from war to peacetime and supported legislation to help veterans return to civilian life and gain access to housing and education. He was particularly dedicated to improving highway systems so that Utah’s scenic attractions would be more accessible. After losing his bid for a third term, Maw retired to private law practice and maintained office hours well into his nineties, handling many pro bono cases for the poor.

ARTIST

Lee Greene Richards (1878–1950) was a well-known Utah artist who studied with J.T. Harwood and trained in France. In 1904, he received honorable mention at the Paris Salon, making him the first Utah painter to receive this honor. Richards’ artwork can be seen throughout the Capitol with murals in both the rotunda and Senate chamber as well as portraits of Utah governors Spry and Mabey.

Governors: Henry Hooper Blood

2009-08-18T13:34:00.001-07:00

HENRY HOOPER BLOOD
1872–1942

Henry Hooper Blood was born in Kaysville, Utah in 1872. He worked at a variety of occupations including manager of Kaysville Milling Company. Blood’s public service career began when he was elected as city recorder of Kaysville in 1893. In 1922, Blood was appointed to the State Highway Commission and in 1925 was selected chairman. This position gave Blood administrative experience and introduced him to local officials all over the state, which helped him in his bid for governor in 1932.

Blood served two terms as governor during the Great Depression. Utah’s unemployment rate was 36 percent—the fourth highest in the nation—and in 1934 the state experienced the worst drought in Utah’s history. Blood’s approach to the state’s problems was to drastically cut state expenditures, implement a pay-as-you-go policy, and obtain federal relief dollars through New Deal programs. He was particularly successful in securing funds for Civil Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration projects, which included murals in the Capitol rotunda. He also worked hard for the construction of dams throughout the state, which provided both jobs and improved area water capacity. Despite his personal opposition to alcohol, Blood supported the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, making Utah the final state necessary for ratifying the 21st Amendment. He was the first governor to live in the Thomas Kearns mansion, which today still serves as the governor’s residence.

ARTIST
Gordon Nicholson Cope (1906–1999) spent much of his career in Utah, training with A.B. Wright and LeConte Stewart before going to Europe to study. He was the head of the art department at LDS University and a teacher for the Work Progress Administration. A gifted painter of both portraits and landscapes, Cope also worked on completing the murals in the Capitol’s rotunda.

Governors: George Henry Dern

2009-08-17T10:26:00.001-07:00

GEORGE HENRY DERN
1872–1936

George Henry Dern was born in Nebraska in 1872 and came to Utah at age 22. He co-invented the Holt-Dern ore roasting process and worked for the Mercur Gold Mining and Milling Company and other local mining companies. Despite being a non-Mormon and a Democrat, Dern was successful in politics. He was elected to the state Senate in 1914, and his election as governor in 1924 made him the only Democrat elected to a statewide office.

Governor Dern was a progressive politician, with accomplishments including requiring teachers to have a teaching certificate and revising tax laws so that they favored middle and lower-income groups. He also secured federal funds for road construction and other programs. Dern declined to run for a third term in 1932 and promoted Henry Blood as his successor.

Dern became the first Utahn to hold a position in a presidential cabinet when President Franklin D. Roosevelt named him Secretary of War, despite Dern’s lack of military experience. He oversaw the enlarging and motorizing of the nation’s military in its preparation for World War II and the creating of the Civil Conservation Corps.

ARTIST

John Willard “Will” Clawson (1858–1936) was a nationally known portrait painter. He studied locally with George Ottinger and in Europe with Impressionist masters Edouard Manet and Claude Monet. Clawson painted the portraits of many society figures of his day, including a portrait of his grandfather Brigham Young and three other Utah governors: Wells, Cutler, and Bamberger.

Governors: Charles Rendell Mabey

2009-08-13T16:45:00.000-07:00

CHARLES RENDELL MABEY

1877–1959

Charles Rendell Mabey was born in Bountiful, Utah in 1877. He attended the University of Utah and worked for ten years as a teacher and administrator. Mabey served in the Utah National Guard during the Spanish-American War and received a citation for gallantry.

Mabey began his political career as a justice of the peace and later served as city councilman and mayor of Bountiful. He also served two terms in the state Legislature. When WWI began, Mabey served again with the Utah National Guard.

In the gubernatorial race of 1920, Mabey campaigned vigorously, promising development of the state’s resources and economy in state administration. As governor he quickly began his plan to streamline state administration, which was very successful—the administration costs decreased nearly $170,000 in one fiscal year. Upgrading the quality of public education was important to Mabey, and under his encouragement, the Legislature increased education funding to the entire state. The state saw the construction of nearly 500 miles of new roads during Mabey’s leadership.

ARTIST

Lee Greene Richards (1878–1950) was a well-known Utah artist who studied with J.T. Harwood and trained in France. In 1904, he received honorable mention at the Paris Salon, making him the first Utah painter to receive this honor. Richards’ artwork can be seen throughout the Capitol with murals in both the rotunda and Senate chamber as well as portraits of Utah governors Spry and Maw.

Governors: Simon Bamberger

2009-08-12T13:25:00.000-07:00

SIMON BAMBERGER

1846–1926

In 1916 Utah voters elected Governor Simon Bamberger, a Jewish Democrat, making him the second Jewish governor in the nation. Bamberger was born in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany and immigrated to the United States at the beginning of the Civil War. He later became involved in the mining and railroad industries. Bamberger opened Lagoon, a local amusement park, in 1896 as a stop on his railway between Salt Lake City and Ogden.

Bamberger’s career in public service included serving on the Salt Lake City Board of Education and in the state Senate. Bamberger had a reputation as a philanthropist who bought flour and coal for those in need and offered free days at Lagoon for disadvantaged groups. He was publicly supported by prominent citizens when he announced his intention to run for governor in 1916.

Bamberger ran on a very progressive ticket, and he fully supported Prohibition, which was considered part of the progressive movement. In his message to the Legislature in 1917, Bamberger urged strict economy and more efficient government. By the time he left office three years later (declining to run for a second term), the state’s budget deficit of nearly half a million dollars had been eliminated.

ARTIST

John Willard “Will” Clawson (1858–1936) was a nationally known portrait painter. He studied locally with George Ottinger and in Europe with Impressionist masters Edouard Manet and Claude Monet. Clawson painted the portraits of many society figures of his day, including a portrait of his grandfather Brigham Young and three other Utah governors: Wells, Cutler, and Dern.

Governors: William Spry

2009-08-06T09:32:00.000-07:00

WILLIAM SPRY
1864–1929

William Spry was born in England and came to Utah in 1875 when his family joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Spry lived in Tooele County and worked at a variety of jobs until he found his place in politics. He served as the tax collector for Tooele County and later as a representative in the state Legislature. An important member of Senator Reed Smoot’s “Federal Bunch,” Spry secured the nomination for governor in 1908 and was elected.

Spry emphasized to the Legislature the need for a state capitol. At first denied, the project was able to go forward in 1911 when the estate of multimillionaire Edward H. Harriman was settled and the state received $798,546 in inheritance taxes. Spry appointed a Capitol Commission to oversee the project, and the Capitol was officially dedicated on October 9, 1916.

Spry’s second term was marked by controversy. Swedish immigrant and Industrial Workers of the World songwriter Joe Hill, was convicted of murdering two Salt Lake City men despite circumstantial evidence and was sentenced to death. Spry received appeals from all over the world, including a plea from U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, to give Hill a new trial. He refused—a stance that resulted in the Spry family receiving numerous death threats. Spry ran for a third term in 1916 but lost the Republican nomination.

ARTIST

Lee Greene Richards (1878–1950) was a well-known Utah artist who studied with J.T. Harwood and trained in France. In 1904, he received honorable mention at the Paris Salon, making him the first Utah painter to receive this honor. Richards’ artwork can be seen throughout the Capitol—murals in the rotunda and Senate chamber as well as portraits of Utah governors Mabey and Maw.

Governors: John C. Cutler

2009-08-05T13:37:00.001-07:00

JOHN CHRISTOPHER CUTLER
1846–1928

John Christopher Cutler was born in Sheffield, England and immigrated to Utah in 1864 when his family converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He became a businessman in Utah and worked for many local companies and banks. Cutler secured the GOP nomination for governor and won the 1904 election with the support of the Federal Bunch—a powerful group of Republicans led by Senator Reed Smoot. In his inaugural address as the state’s second governor, Cutler promised to make “no great changes” in state government and to continue following successful policies.

Cutler’s contributions to the state included establishing a juvenile court system and creating a board to manage state parks. In 1907, Cutler proposed that the Legislature fund the construction of a state capitol building; the Legislature refused. The Legislature also denied Cutler’s request for an institution to care for handicapped individuals. Cutler lost favor with the Federal Bunch and withdrew from the 1908 election for governor in support of William Spry.

ARTIST

John Willard “Will” Clawson (1858–1936) was a nationally known portrait painter. He studied locally with George Ottinger and in Europe with Impressionist masters Edouard Manet and Claude Monet. Clawson painted the portraits of many society figures of his day, including a portrait of his grandfather Brigham Young and three other Utah governors: Wells, Bamberger, and Dern.

Coming Soon: Hall of Governor Plaques!

2009-08-04T13:36:00.000-07:00

HEBER MANNING WELLS

1859–1938

Heber Manning Wells was born in 1859 in Salt Lake City, Utah. While in his teens, Wells began his public service career as a tax collector for Salt Lake City. In 1882, he was appointed City Recorder to fill a vacancy and was elected for three additional terms, serving until 1890. He ran for Salt Lake City Mayor in 1892 but lost. Wells participated in Utah’s 1887 and 1895 constitutional conventions.

At age 36, Wells became Utah’s first (and youngest) governor when Utah achieved statehood on January 4, 1896. Operating from the City and County Building, Governor Wells tackled the job of organizing state courts and offices for the new state of Utah. He signed into law many bills, including Alice Merrill Horne’s bill; which created the State Institute of Art (now the Utah Arts Council), the first state-sponsored arts organization in the country. Wells served two terms as Utah’s governor and spent the rest of his career in various public offices, both for Salt Lake City and the federal government.

ARTIST

John Willard “Will” Clawson (1858–1936) was a nationally known portrait painter. He studied locally with George Ottinger and in Europe with Impressionist masters Edouard Manet and Claude Monet. Clawson painted the portraits of many society figures of his day, including a portrait of his grandfather Brigham Young and three other Utah governors: Cutler, Bamberger, and Dern.

CURATOR’S REPORT MARCH 2009

2009-04-06T13:25:00.000-07:00

First Floor

Two new first floor cases were recently installed. The Utah Mining Association donated the cases and requested the approval of the Art Placement Subcommittee for designing their contents with the understanding that they will not control the contents forever. The designs must be approved by the Subcommittee before installation.

The new case contents with dinosaur bones and items found in an archaeological dig was designed in collaboration with the Utah Museum of Natural History. A press announcement detailed the contents but an education worksheet geared to 7th grade curriculum is in the works.

Nobel Prize winner Mario Copechi and his department and college at the University of Utah have (a) brought the interactive kiosk about bio-genetic studies and Professor Copechi to be on loan to the Capitol for at least three years and (b) agreed to design the contents of one of the cases around great science/scientists in Utah and the Nobel Prize. The medal and scenes from the ceremony will be part of the case.

The People of Utah case designed in cooperation with the Living Traditions and Chase Home Museum in Liberty Park is complete. Text labels should be self-explanatory.

The case on the arts in Utah will be complete In the next few weeks. We have been working with Lila Abersold of the Art Council.

A case on the Supreme Court and famous cases heard in the Capitol’s Chamber is progressing. Actual court dockets and other memorabilia will be loaned from State History and Archives.

They are making a bound facsimile of the original docket and record showing the transition from a territorial court to a State of Utah Supreme Court. We have had superb help and support from Pat Bartholomew and other members of the Supreme Court.

The Visitor’s Center greeting room will have a new panel showing the U.S.S. Utah exhibit and the Gallery Guide and student worksheet. (The exhibit will be on the Fourth Floor until December 23, the date it was officially de-commissioned.)

The mahogany base recently installed in front of the Utah Capitol Store will hold a 3-D model of Pearl Harbor showing the final resting place of the U.S.S. Utah. The model will arrive as soon as the plexiglass cover is finished.

The Topographical Map will be re-installed as soon as we have either (a) updated the old map which is missing any new geographical or man-made/created improvements in the last twenty years since its creation or (b) identified a source and donor for a topographical map made from an image of the State of Utah from space. We made the decision not to install the old map as is for two reasons: It is not accurate; it lacks modern wiring and interactive descriptor panels.

The Freedom Shrine will be installed next to the Liberty Bell. It will feature an authentic 45-star flag and newly printed digital facsimile documents about the United States and Utah in new archival frames.

The Mormon Meteor will not return. John Price purchased the car from the Jenkins family, restored it and our understanding is that it is on loan to a car museum in Denver.

A new case, often referred to as “H” will shortly be installed in the middle of the Hall of Governors. It is a four-sided lighted case built in mahogany and glass. It will hold digital facsimile documents important to the state: the Enabling Act of Congress, the Petition for Statehood, the state Constitution and the Statehood Declaration from the Congress. Those are in process of production which takes a considerable amount of time to “build” quality facsimiles of lasting, convincing appearance. In addition, the case will hold several artifacts (such as the Great Seal of Utah and period photographs) connected to the history of the state.)

New brass and text labels for the governors have been written. Bids and designs for them are still in discussion.

Exterior Sculpture and Monuments

We have recently had some historical information on Massasoit which will shortly be supplied to you if it has not already been. We have selected new stone for the base, discussed the sculpture coming beck to the Capitol with Forest Cuch, sent the plaques to the foundry for repair and polish, and sent measurements of the existing base and the new space for the sculpture to the appropriate individuals and companies.

All plaques (including Fourth Floor Sculptures) will have been moved from the warehouse to the foundry by next week. They will be reinstalled as they become available.

The newest addition to plaza sculpture will be installed perhaps in early May. The sculpture is of Marriner S. Eccles.

The sculpture of Martha Hughes Cannon will be installed in the foyer entry of the Senate Building. She is currently at the foundry for repairs and cleaning.

We will make the appropriate press alerts and release whenever there is a new return or installation.

Fourth Floor Galleries

The U.S.S. Utah exhibit opened on the Fourth Floor on March 9, the date on which she was begun. Gallery Guides, more labels, educator materials will come on-line within the next two to three weeks.

The exhibit is sponsored by Ancestry.com. Ron Fox and Ephriam Dickson, of the Fort Douglas Military Museum, are guest curators. Ephriam, pictured at left in a vintage World War II uniform, has agreed to record a digital tour of the exhibit which can be downloaded to an MP3 player or Ipod.

We will send photos and documents to the web designer for CPB with links to other lending museums and historical societies.

Returning Massasoit to the Capitol

2009-03-31T13:19:00.000-07:00

The other day I asked Google to search for some information on Massasoit, the 17th-century Native American leader whose Utah State Capitol sculptured image has caused a good deal of controversy lately. What came to the top of the list was a blog whose logo features an image of some of Southern Utah’s ancient rock art. The blog seems to be one with a bias, perhaps even a chip on its shoulder, regarding Native American concerns and current affairs. The article on Massasoit had several factual errors the author had evidently picked up from some of the voices weighing in on the topic in the mainstream press. He passed them forward; he was ably corrected by a graduate student researching the life of Cyrus Dallin, the artist who created the controversial sculpture.

Christine Sweet-Hart informed the blog’s readers that No, Dallin had not been a condescending, white male who knew nothing about Native American oppression. She went on to say that “the reason that Dallin did not sculpt a Ute and instead sculpted a Wampanoag was this: he presented his original plaster figure of Massasoit - the bronze casting of which was erected at Plymouth, Massachusetts to celebrate the three-hundredth anniversary of the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock - to his home state as a gift."

(The plaque above, attached to the sculpture at the time it was re-installed out of doors indicates that date. But notice that the plaque misspells Massasoit.)

"It was not a commissioned work by the state of Utah. Had it been,” she concludes, that “sensitive as he was to the plight of the Native Americans at the turn of the century, he would have sculpted a member of a Ute tribe not a member of an East Coast one."

“Take that! Mr. Blogger,” I thought to myself. And then, with a certain amount of righteous indignation and sense of vindication (As the curator of the Utah State Capitol, I have had to field an inordinate number of inquiries about why Massasoit.) I thumped furiously at my keyboard. Finishing with a flourish and a click on the “Post” tab on the website, I filed the following comment:

I read with interest the article on Massasoit at the Utah State Capitol. I am the curator of the Capitol, responsible for re-installing the sculpture. Let me correct a couple of bits of misinformation: Dallin did not create a number of images of Massasoit, thus having a "fetish" for him as you suggest. Rather, the bronzes that exist in Massachusetts, at the Capitol, at Brigham Young University and in several other locations are all one image, multiple castings of the same sculpture. Second, the particular cast of Massasoit was a gift to the state of Utah by Cyrus Dallin himself, after he had become internationally famous. Actually Dallin gave the State a plaster version of the sculpture which was, from 1923 until 1957, exhibited in the rotunda of the newly created state capitol.

The state was penniless at the time and accepted with some degree of gratitude a gift from perhaps one of its most famous sons. In the early days of the state, I rather doubt that there was consideration of any kind of political or religious statement involved except that Dallin, who had left Utah long before that to become such a successful and well-known artist, gifted the state, which was impoverished and largely ignored or even loathed by Easterners, with artwork for their new Capitol they could not have otherwise afforded.

In 1959, the sculpture was moved outside to the south lawn of the building (incidentally designed by an immigrant from Austria via Paris).
Dallin was classically trained in Paris and was sculpting during a period in art history which was a flowering of classical (think Renaissance as well as ancient Greece) architecture and sculpture. Hence, we should expect that Utah's-favorite-son-made-good Dallin would idealize a man who was the 17th century leader or sachem of a number of treaty-bound tribe/nations near the first Pilgrim settlement.
Contemporary accounts of the Pilgrims' first encounter with this very politically and culturally powerful man describe his first meeting with about 20 desperate and starving men. He appeared in nearly silhouette, on a hill with 60 other warriors. His face was painted red, his hair styled with bear grease, and he wore all the trappings of leadership and honor among the Native American nations of the time.

The record describes an individual who was "a very lusty [meaning strong] man, in his best years," with an "able body," "grave countenance" and "spare speech." As the greatest of the sachem he was cultivated and intimidating, and dare I say noble. It is only in this day and time that the word noble, coupled with "savage" puts upon Dallin’s sculpture a derisive or even condescending attitude for Dallin, the Capitol Preservation Board or the Utah State government.

In the debate about bringing back the Massasoit sculpture to Utah's capitol, I worry if we risk superimposing today's politics and the hardened ideology of contemporary culture wars onto what is first, a remarkably fine work of neo-classical (and admittedly romantic) art and second, a valuable gift to the state from a man who remains to this day one of its most artistically successful citizens. I support the idea of raising funds to commission a sculpture of someone who might represent the best of the five Native American tribes of Utah. I do not, however, support that idea at the expense of excluding Dallin’s work. And while I am fully aware that history now questions some of Massasoit's actions -- in much the same way any powerful political leader's behavior is second-guessed by history -- the sculpture Massasoit, by Cyrus Dallin, is an interpretive image of a leader who in a 17th century Native American context was hardly a savage and most likely very noble indeed.

I wonder if anyone has noticed that I did not identify the name of the Blog or the blogger. I did so because there is now, as I write and proof this little essay, some professional consternation about my comments.

The problem is this: While I stand by my preference, I also consider myself to be professional in my scholarship. And I also know that I can be a bit passionate about things like my family, junk food, good dogs, and art. But in my zeal at setting this young man straight, I identified myself and my job and I did not put my essay through a spell check. So there it will stand, right above the capable Ms. Sweet-Hart, with at least five, count them five!, spelling errors.

You think I’d learn. Or find a good editor.