Mormon Publications: 19th Century - Route from Liverpool to Great Salt Lake Valley

Digital Collections at BYU > Mormon Publications: 19th Century > Learn More About These Titles > Route from Liverpool to Great Salt Lake Valley

PIERCY, Frederick. Route from Liverpool to Great Salt Lake Valley illustrated with steel engravings and wood cuts from sketches made by Frederick Piercy, including views of Nauvoo and the ruins of the temple, with a historical account of the city; views of Carthage Jail; and portraits and memoirs of Joseph and Hyrum Smith; their mother, Lucy Smith; Joseph and David Smith, sons of the Prophet Joseph; President Brigham Young; Heber C. Kimball; Willard Richards; Jedediah M. Grant; John Taylor; the late chief patriarch, father John Smith; and the present chief patriarch, John Smith, son of Hyrum. Together with a geographical and historical description of Utah, and a map of the overland routes to that territory, from the Missouri River. Also, an authentic history of the Latter day Saints' emigration from Europe from the commencement up to the close of 1855, with statistics. Edited by James Linforth. Liverpool, Published by Franklin D. Richards, London, Latter-day Saints' Book Depot, MDCCCLV, [1855]. viii, 120 p. 30 plates, folding map. 32 cm.

View Document

Early in 1853, Samuel W. Richards and Frederick Piercy conceived the idea of publishing an illustrated travel book to encourage the English Saints to emigrate to Utah. At the time Richards was president of the British Mission, and Piercy was a twenty three year old convert of five years who also was a skilled artist and engraver. Financed by Richards, Piercy left England for the United States in February 1853. Before making the overland journey, he visited Carthage and Nauvoo where he sketched Carthage Jail and the ruins of the Nauvoo temple, and drew portraits of Lucy Smith and two of Joseph Smith's sons. Along the overland route he sketched the most prominent landmarks; and in Utah he drew a wonderful panorama of the Great Salt Lake City and sketched Brigham Young's portrait. In addition, Piercy wrote a detailed narrative of his travels, recording the sights and people, and his own impressions as he made his way to Utah. When he returned to England early in 1854, he handed his sketches and narrative to James Linforth to edit. Linforth was an assistant editor of the Millennial Star; and to Piercy's narrative he added lengthy footnotes and a comprehensive summary of the LDS emigration up to 1855. The book was published in fifteen monthly parts, beginning in July 1854.

Route from Liverpool ranks as the most beautiful book published by Latter day Saints. Many of its steel engravings still have high artistic merit. Although it is now a rare book, its illustrations still find their way into many books written on Mormon history.

Excerpted and edited from Peter Crawley and Chad J. Flake, A Mormon Fifty: an exhibition in the Harold B. Lee Library in conjunction with the annual conference of the Mormon History Association. (Provo, Utah, Friends of the Brigham Young University Library, 1984). Item 46, p. [33-34].

Used by permission of the authors.