Creator
CHARLES R. SAVAGE (1832-1909)
Title
Laying the Capstone of the Mormon Temple, April, 6, 1892, Salt Lake City
Date
1892
Description
Savage immigrated to New York from England in 1855 after converting to Mormonism. By the time he left for Salt Lake City five years later, he had been trained in photography and immediately established himself as a professional photographer upon his arrival. Savage's work offers a singular view of the development of this center of Mormonism and its inhabitants. He even photographed the various construction phases of the Salt Lake City Temple over a period of decades and was there to witness its completion on April 6, 1892. The moment was a significant one for Mormons, who regarded the laying of the capstone as symbolic of their long-awaited arrival in the promise land. The building in the lower left-hand corner is Savage's studio, called Art Bazar.
Format
Albumen print
Source
Princeton Collections of Western Americana, Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, Purchase, J. Monroe Thorington Fund.