Tracing the Various "Caractor" Documents: Part III of 19th

[_grindael]

'Tracing the Various "Caractor" Documents: Part III of 19th Century Photo of Joseph Smith’s “Caractors” Discovered

http://mormonitemusings.com/2013/10/08/ ... documents/

[_The Erotic Apologist]

Fascinating stuff. Again, thanks for posting it. Do the scans of the documents at your site come from the Joseph Smith Papers site?

[_grindael]

Thanks a lot EA. Some of the scans came from the JSP. Others from the Church History Library. Brent Metcalfe gave me some material, and Dan Vogel gave me a LOT of material, also H. Michael Marquardt. Others, I have collected over the years (like the Stick Of Joseph Broadside). I have been trying to get as hi-res as I can. It has gotten better. A lot has changed since the days of the Tanner's and their mimeographing.

One more part to go. Hopefully I won't have out of control footnotes with this part. I've got more good scans too in that part...

[_Uncle Dale]

...I've got more good scans too in that part...

Here's a graphic for you to play with, if you like -- might fit into
the timeline where the Book of Mormon characters overlap with
what was going on in Book of Abraham "translation."



or, maybe this one is better:
http://www.olivercowdery.com/smithhome/ ... helps3.jpg

Dale

[_ludwigm]

...I've got more good scans too in that part...

Here's a graphic for you to play with, if you like -- might fit into
the timeline where the Book of Mormon characters overlap with
what was going on in Book of Abraham "translation."


or, maybe this one is better:
http://www.olivercowdery.com/smithhome/ ... helps3.jpg

Dale

A sympathetic figure. I would buy an used car from that man.

My avatar doesn't fit...

[_The Erotic Apologist]

W. W. Phelps, right? When was this image taken?

[_Uncle Dale]

W. W. Phelps, right? When was this image taken?

I'd guess c. 1848. Phelps went back east for a spell, and picked
up a couple of "spiritual wives" -- the gallant, dashing devil that
he was -- perhaps this delightsome daguerreotype was a wedding
present to those happily ignorant brides.

UD

[_The Erotic Apologist]

W. W. Phelps, right? When was this image taken?

I'd guess c. 1848. Phelps went back east for a spell, and picked
up a couple of "spiritual wives" -- the gallant, dashing devil that
he was -- perhaps this delightsome daguerreotype was a wedding
present to those happily ignorant brides.

UD

Thanks for the information! 1848 would put it in the early-to-mid daguerrean era. Would you happen to know anything about the image's provenance?

[_Uncle Dale]

... 1848 would put it in the early-to-mid daguerrean era. Would you happen to know anything about the image's provenance?

Well, according to a Google search, Bruce A. Van Orden says
that it is "William W. Phelps, Joseph Smith's political clerk
ca 1853 image (reversed), Daguerreotype Collection,
LDS Church Archives..."

Phelps enters into the "Caractors" controversy both early and late
in the game. His letter to E. D. Howe (published in Nov. 1834) was
probably the first that most Gentile readers were made aware of
Martin Harris' trip east to show the document to Anthon, et. al.

But then Phelps also had his hands in the Kirtland Book of Abraham
cookie jar, and, to some extent at least, the Alphabet & Grammar
overlaps the Nephite reformed Egyptian.

Phelps probably knew that it was a hoax -- see his "translation"
of "Lamanite" inscriptions for Gunnison...

(the item immediately above this URL target):
http://www.olivercowdery.com/smithhome/ ... htm#041160



UD

[_The Erotic Apologist]

Thank you very much, UD!

This is probably outside your area of interest, but would you happen to know if Lucian Foster was the first daguerreotypist in Nauvoo? Were there any other photographers there before him?