If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 482

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Utah, ca 1912 to 1925

 

This unused C.T. American Art Colored postcard was produced by Curt Teich and published by the Deseret Book Company of Salt Lake City, Utah.  As mentioned in previous postcard posts, Curt Teich’s company was in operation from 1898 to 1978.  The company used various numbering systems during the years it operated.  Because this card is identified as C.T. American Art and that series was predominant during the period between 1912 and 1925 we can guess that it dates from that time.  The numbers are not prefixed by letters or have hyphenated two digit dates, so it is not possible to be more exact.  The numbers that appear on the bottom border, along with a title, are 544, at the left, and 55876 at the right.  The picture shows the Tabernacle building and the Seagull Monument with part of the Assembly Hall shown at the left side.

 

 

Clara Lee, ca 1913-1915

 

A.C. Lee, brother of I.C., moved to Salt Lake City around 1893 and raised his family there.  His daughter, Clara, is seen in the above photo taken around the time the Seagull Monument was dedicated in 1913.  The second picture, seen below, was taken in 1985 and shows the monument base and the bronze seagulls on top.

 

 

 Seagull Monument, 1985

 

In 1848 crickets descended on the farms and began to consume the pioneers’ first planted crops.  In answer to prayers offered up by the pioneer farmers, flock of native seagulls arrived and devoured the crickets.  The event is often referred to as the miracle of the seagulls and the monument is a commemoration of the event. 

 

 

 Part of the refurbished Tabernacle, 2016

 The Tabernacle was closed and refurbished between 2005 and 2007.  The upgrades included retrofitting for earthquakes, new gold leafing to the organ pipes, new plumbing, new dressing rooms and a music library, and more.

 

 

The Salt Lake Tabernacle, also known as the Mormon Tabernacle, is located in the heart of Salt Lake City in Temple Square.  It was built between 1863 and 1875 and was used for church meetings including the semi-annual General Conferences.  General Conference is now held in the newer and much larger Conference Center.  The Tabernacle is still used for overflow crowds during Conference and for some of the televised Music and the Spoken Word programs featuring the Tabernacle Choir. 

 

 

 

The shape of the Tabernacle was inspired by plans to build a canvas tabernacle in Nauvoo, Illinois that was never built.  The exterior of the building is constructed of granite blocks.  The foundation and the 44 supporting pillars for the domed roof are made of sandstone.  The lattice-truss arch system is held together by dowels and wedges with very few nails as nails were scarce during pioneer Utah.  The acoustics are amazing.  During a tour of the Tabernacle there is a demonstration of the acoustics by dropping a pin at the front of the room by the organ that can be easily heard at the very rear of the building.  

 

 

 Manger scene by the Tabernacle during Christmas holidays

 

 A few of the Christmas lights at Temple Square

 

 

 During the Christmas holidays Temple Square is decorated with thousands of outdoor lights and Christmas scenes.  When we visited a couple of years ago the manger scene was by the Tabernacle.  Another scene was in the reflection pond by the Temple.

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_Lake_Tabernacle

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seagull_Monument

https://www.newberry.org/sites/default/files/researchguide-attachments/Teich_Postcard_Dating_Guide_2016.pdf

http://www.metropostcard.com/publisherst.html