Gisbert Bossard/Max Florence photograph collection
Scope and Contents
The Gisbert Bossard/Max Florence Collection consists of about 60 glass lantern slides and 56 black and white images used by Max Florence for a series of lectures he delivered in New York City in 1911. Included in the slides are rare interiors of the Salt Lake Mormon Temple by Gisbert Ludolf Gerhart Bossard. Bossard was a Swiss convert to Mormonism who fell out with the church and took these pictures as a form of revenge in 1911. He gave the images to Max Florence who tried to sell them in New York City. Florence was not able to find a buyer and after the LDS Church published "The House of the Lord," with better quality interiors of the temple in 1912, the issue became moot. The other views consist of American Presidents, a woman behind bars with the caption "The White Slave" across it, Salt Lake politicians and boosters such as Florence and Samuel Newhouse, views of a streetcar in front of several buildings including the Elite Theatre and the Tribune building, portraits of LDS Church leaders, the Florence Film Exchange, the Elite Theatre, and the Luna Theatre. Some of these images were taken by Charles Ellis Johnson. Box 2 also includes a typed letter from Bossard to Florence, dated September 1913, in which the author details elements of his plan to recover some money despite the introduction of the book "The House of the Lord," which Bossard readily admits ruined the value of his photos.
Dates
- Creation: 1908-1912
Language of Materials
Material in English.
Restrictions
No restrictions on use except: not available through interlibrary loan.
Copyright
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.
Permission to publish material from the Gisbert Bossard/Max Florence photograph collection must be obtained from the Special Collections Photograph Curator and/or the Special Collections Department Head.
Biographical Note
Max Florence was born in 1865 to Russian-Jewish parents in Latvia. He moved to America when he was nineteen and made his way West. Eventually he ended up in Salt Lake City where he owned several motion picture theaters and the Florence Film Exchange. He apparently sold these businesses in 1911 or 1912. After 1911 he ran a restaurant, owned an express truck, and marketed alcohol during prohibition. After serving a sentence in prison for conspiracy to transport contraband liquor, he moved to Farmington, Utah. He died of cancer in 1932. Gordon Van Fleet purchased the Florence home after a fire in 1944 and discovered the hidden slides. Mr. Van Fleet donated the images to Special Collections in 1991.
Extent
2 boxes (1.25 linear ft.)
Abstract
The Gisbert Bossard/Max Florence Collection consists of about 60 glass lantern slides and 56 black and white images used by Max Florence for a series of lectures he delivered in New York City in 1911. Included in the images are rare interiors of the Salt Lake Mormon Temple taken by Gisbert Ludolf Gerhart Bossard. Bossard was a Swiss convert to Mormonism who fell out with the church in 1911 and took these pictures as a form of revenge. He gave the images to Max Florence who tried to sell them in New York City. Florence was not able to find a buyer and after the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) published the book "The House of the Lord," with better quality interiors of the temple in 1912, the issue became moot. The other views consist of Salt Lake City, Utah politicians and boosters such as Florence and Samuel Newhouse, and views of a streetcar in front of several buildings. Some of these images were taken by Charles Ellis Johnson. Box 2 also includes a typed letter from Bossard to Florence, dated September 1913, in which the author details elements of his plan to recover some money despite the introduction of the book "The House of the Lord," which Bossard readily admits ruined the value of his photos.
Arrangement
Arranged in numeric sequence according to box and item.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated to Special Collections by Gordon Van Fleet in 1991.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gordon Van Fleet purchased a home previously owned by Max Florence after a fire in 1944 and discovered the hidden slides. Mr. Van Fleet donated the images to Special Collections in 1991.
General
The description listed next to each image is transcribed directly from the information written on the envelope containing each lantern slide. The physical condition of the slides is generally good, although some have small cracks. The black and white images exhibit no descriptions except on two of the images, which are in Bossard's cursive script and written, presumably, in his native language. These descriptions are not recreated here; instead, the locations within the temple depicted in the photos are included.
Processing Information
Processed in 2001 and 2014
Genre / Form
Geographic
Topical
- Architecture
- Bossard, Gisbert Ludolf, 1890-1975
- Bossard, Gisbert Ludolf, 1890-1975
- Bossard, Gisbert Ludolf, 1890-1975
- Electric railroads -- Utah -- Salt Lake City -- Cars.
- Images
- Mormon temples -- Utah -- Salt Lake City.
- Mormon temples -- Utah -- Salt Lake City.
- Mormonism
- Newhouse, Florence -- Portraits.
- Newhouse, Samuel I. -- Portraits.
- Railroads
- Salt Lake Temple -- Pictorial works.
- Salt Lake Temple -- Pictorial works.
- Title
- Guide to the Gisbert Bossard/Max Florence photograph collection, 1908-1912
- Author
- Finding aid/Register created by Daniel Davis and Cory M. Nani
- Date
- ©2014
- Description rules
- Finding Aid Based On Dacs (Describing Archives: A Content Standard, 2nd Edition)
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid encoded in English.
- Sponsor
- Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant, 2007-2008
Revision Statements
- 2009: Template information was updated to reflect Archives West best practice guidelines.
Repository Details
Part of the Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives Repository
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
3000 Old Main Hill
Logan Utah 84322-3000 United States
435 797-8248
435 797-2880 (Fax)
scweb@usu.edu