Calligraphy in Brigham Young's Office

Utah Historical Quarterly

Vol. 45, 1977, No. 3

Calligraphy in Brigham Young's Office

BY RONALD G. WATT

TUCKED AWAY IN SOME little-known financial volumes in the LDS church archives are examples of beautiful, handwritten title pages with fine lettering and fancy flourishes. This calligraphy is reminiscent of the manuscript illumination practiced by medieval scribes. William Appleby and Joseph M. Simmons, two of Brigham Young's clerks, were responsible for this calligraphy. Altogether, these two men, between January 7, 1851, and November 4, 1853, illuminated nine volumes, one trustee-in-trust ledger, five trustee-in-trust day books, and one tithing record book.

Of the two men, Appleby embellished seven title pages, including the first one, and he probably encouraged Simmons to illuminate the other two. A few years earlier Appleby had elaborately drawn the title page to his own journal. Done in black and blue ink, this page probably took most of his spare time in one day, since he did not start writing in the journal until the following day. The title pages he did in the president's office were never that elaborate. Appleby's journal shows that he was concerned with his readers, especially his own descendants. He expressed his testimony of the truthfulness of the church often and told about his spiritual experiences in great detail. His writing portrays an articulate man. Verbally he expresses himself very well. His work characterizes him as an artistic man who was able to plan and execute a drawing of some detail.

Appleby inscribed his first title page in the trustee-in-trust volumes on January 17, 1851. It is entitled, "Day Book B," and it has the date he began the volume, followed by the location, "G.S.L. City, State of Deseret," and ends with his initials. Daybook C has a similar but more elaborate format, but it does not give the location. The outline of the title is formed by the flowing horizontal lines which end in gentle curls. In the middle of these lines, Appleby has accented it with some short heavy vertical lines that grow longer toward the center. The eye in a quick glance sees one continuous line. The lettering is done in a cursive style and is accented with horizontal lines under each word. The "C" is almost lost in his gentle, flowing lines. He signed this page as an artist would sign a painting, framing it with curls and scrolls.

Daybooks D and E are unsigned, but they, too, were undoubtedly done by Appleby. The same curls and scrolls are there. Daybook D, however, has a more elaborate scroll in a half-circle under the identification which is the focus of the title and also accents the rather simple cursive letters above. Daybook E is even more simple and has a block "E" in the very center. On November 4, 1853, Appleby illuminated Daybook G which is reminiscent of his earlier "C" because it is almost lost in his many lines.

On August 24, 1852, Appleby began a new tithing record that he illuminated with scrolls and short, heavy, dark vertical lines—characteristics of Appleby's title pages. The writing shows versatility, since each word is a different style, but is unified by the dispersion of similarly treated curving lines. He accents the word "record" with varying widths of lines. He also has flowery configurations on these wide lines, which gives a light and airy appearance. Immediately after the word "record," he puts what appears to be a small exclamation point. He slants the remainder of his cursive lettering to the left. The word "tithing," the focal point of the page, appears in big, black straight lines. Like the "record," Appleby's "No." has an airy appearance, but it is not ready to float off. The distinguishing characteristic is an arrow through the "n" with the point and feathers being easily discernible. He wrote out the location, dated it, and signed his name. Of the seven titles, this was his most superb effort.

Simmons drew the title pages for only two of the volumes: Daybook F and Ledger C. The outstanding part of the daybook page is the blockish, three-dimensional aspect of the title. Simmons has used blue and black ink to create this effect. The letters in the daybook have a leftward slant which gives the impression that those two words are lying down. The "F" is upright and is the focal point of the title. The scrolls above the title are cloudy in appearance. In fact, with only a little imagination, one can see rain and almost feel the wind that blows the water in sheets upon the soil. The "Journal History of the Church" records that on August 17, 1852—only a few days before—"There was a very boisterous wind in the night with heavy rains and vivid lightening." Only the lightning is missing in Simmons's title page. He also dated it and signed it. The letters seem to be resting upon his three straight lines below each set of words which give them a sense of stability.

Ledger C is very different from Simmons's earlier drawing in the daybook. Gone are the blockish letters and in their place is substantial cursive lettering. The capital letters, especially the "T," become part of the embellishments that frame his entire title. The focal point of the title should be the name, "Trustees Ledger," but instead it is the lines that flow from that name. He has accented them in brown and red inks. This title page has the same curlicue lines as his other title page, and again he has underlined all the words. The former title page has a military appearance, whereas this title page seems to have a dramatic form. Perhaps it documents the two sides of Simmons: the Nauvoo Legion man versus the man of the theatre. As with the other title page, he has slanted the letters differently. This whole title page leaves one with, in modern terms, a psychedelic feeling, which is especially noticeable because of the motion and activity of the radiating, spiraling lines.

Some biographical information on both men may be helpful in understanding the two artists. William Appleby, born in 1811, was converted to the Mormon church in 1840 in New Jersey. For the next few years, he proselytized in his hometown and the immediate area. In 1844 he journeyed to Nauvoo and met the Prophet Joseph Smith. A year later he became a high priest and presided over the LDS branches in Pennsylvania and Delaware. In 1849 he migrated with his family to Utah in the company of George A. Smith, one of the early apostles. Immediately upon his arrival he began working in the president's office, which was his main employment until he left on another mission in 1856. In that seven-year period, he was also clerk of the supreme court and first judicial courts of the territory, regent of the University of Deseret, trustee of the Utah library, and treasurer of the territory. He also executed soldiers' bounty warrants and powers of attorney. He had many duties and responsibilities, yet he still found time to illuminate seven volumes with beautifully drawn titles. Appleby's formal education of only a few years did not qualify him for positions of prominence usually reserved for the educated, but he was gifted and even taught school in his home state and served as a justice of the peace before his conversion. Very little is known about J. M. Simmons before he came to Utah in 1850. He stopped in Salt Lake City on his way to the gold mines of California and was converted to the church. Brigham Young employed him as a bookkeeper in the president's office. He spent his leisure time in two endeavors—as a member of the dramatics association and as commander of the first division of the Nauvoo Legion.

Appleby's last decorative title page was done on November 4, 1853. He probably no longer had the time, being deeply involved in civic responsibilities. His call to the Eastern States Mission ended his work in the president's office. Simmons continued to work at the president's office for some time, but he never inscribed another title page. In the late 1850s Horace K. Whitney became the tithing clerk in the president's office, and he was too businesslike to decorate title pages. There is also the possibility that during the early 1850s the clerks had an excess amount of time. Shortly after Appleby drew the last title page, Brigham Young cut down on the number of clerks in the office. Thus passed from the scene a very artistic part of the president's office, as aesthetics gave way to practicality.

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