A Mormon Chronicle: The Diaries of John D. Lee, 1848-1876
San Marino, CA: Huntington Library Press, 1955. First printing. Hardcover/dust jacket. 2 vol set. Inscribed on half title of vol. 1: "Sincere good wishes/Juanita Brooks/July 3, 1959." Debossed stamp and written name of Ray R. Canning on endsheet. Two large chips missing from top edge of dust jacket on vol. 1, vol. 2 lacks dj.
The process of publishing John D. Lee's later diaries (Charles Kelly had earlier published his 1846-47 and 1859 journals) began in 1949 when Juanita Brooks found several diaries in the hands of descendants, though these particular diaries would ultimately not be published. She got access to one when she (somewhat surreptitiously) borrowed it from the sister of the owner and promised to give it back—with a free photostat! Over the next several years, she consulted with Robert Cleland about publishing diaries located at the Huntington Library as well as those in possession of the Church Historian's Office. The diaries at the Huntington came from the daughter of the US Marshal to whom Lee had given his papers before his execution. Brooks excitedly dove into her work, sharing excerpts with Dale Morgan and others, even discussing her research with the (in)famous Swearing Elders. The diaries were finally published in November 1955 and sold for a hefty $15 (~$125 today). This is the first signed set we have had.
Ray Canning (1920–1994) was a longtime professor at BYU and the University of Utah. He had a wide interest in Mormon topics–some of that appeared in a posthumous work: My Continuing Quest: Sociological Perspectives on Mormonism. Condition: Very good+. Item #37606
Price: $200.00