"The Yellow Ochre Club": B.F. Larsen and the Pioneer Trail Art Tour, 1936

Pioneer Trail Art Tour bus and artists by Church Butte on the Mormon Trail, 1936. Courtesy of the LDS Historical Department Archives, Salt Lake City.

"The Yellow Ochre Club": B. F. Larsen and the Pioneer Trail Art Tour, 1936

BY NOEL A CARMACK

TRUE TO THEIR HERITAGE, Latter-day Saints have perpetuated an undying enthusiasm for pioneer nostalgia This fervor has resulted in the memorialization of the pioneer experience through song, verse, pageantry, and visual art. The trek west in 1847 has evoked in many Latter-day Saints a deep sense of affection for their devoted forebears Innumerable examples of artistic expressions in honor of the exodus have served to underscore this sense of piety toward the Mormon pioneers.1 Such a deep affinity with the early Saints has never been more fully expressed than during the dreary years of the Great Depression. At a time when many Americans were unemployed and facing financial crises, many Latter-day Saints were closely associating the trials of the depression with the adversity of their predecessors Helping to establish this connection, Mormonism, after a century of growth and refinement, was working to preserve its past. With the help of preservation groups and independent agents, the LDS church had begun to acquire historic sites and landmarks As a result, a number of sites were restored and identified with markers.2

On February 6, 1936, several officials at Brigham Young University discussed the possibility of sending an art excursion over the pioneer trail. This meeting with BYU President Franklin S. Harris followed several informal conversations between Harrison R Merrill, director of the Extension Division, and B. F. Larsen, professor of art. The tour, as initially proposed by Merrill and Asael C. Lambert, acting dean of the Summer School and Extension Division, called for a survey of the trail, a visit to art centers in Chicago, and a leisurely return home. The trip would be billed as the most extensive visual documentation of the pioneer trail ever undertaken. With Harris's approval, Larsen was invited to head the trip.3

By 1936 Professor Bent Franklin Larsen was known not only as the progressive force behind the BYU Art Department but also as an inspirational teacher and artist. He had first joined the Art Department faculty in July 1908 while working part-time toward a degree. After receiving an A.B. degree from BYU in 1912 and an M.A. degree from the University of Utah in 1922, he pursued advanced studies at the University of Chicago and the Art Institute of Chicago. He also took two sabbaticals to Europe to refine his art skills—one during 1923—24 and the other during 1929-30. His time in Europe included intensive study in Paris at the Academie Julian, Academie Colarossi, Academie La Grande Chaumiere, and Academie Andre L' Hote. Having attained a high level of experience himself, Larsen sought to instill proficiency, skill, and a greater spirit of creativity in his students After his European studies he resumed teaching at BYU and became head of the Art Department in 1936.4

Larsen taught that artistic endeavors often reflect the conditions of society—whether characterized by primitivism, sophistication, prosperity, or privation. "In America," he wrote, "a new renaissance seems to be taking form rapidly. It is characterized by a new spirit of nationalism." Despite its undesirable attributes, this new movement was, according to Larsen, not without its positive manifestations. He believed that among these was the tendency to use American subjects as motifs, the increased use of western subjects, and the revival of interest in American primitives. He wrote:

The depression has undoubtedly helped to give direction to this national trend. In times of prosperity we experiment with technique. In times of depression we are prone to revert to realism. Abstract forms of expression become inadequate We are shifting from our interest in pure design We are confronted with problems of hunger, suffering, evictions, mental stupor, spiritual backsliding. When the painter tries to express these ideas, he finds abstract forms unsatisfactory.5

He later noted: "Highly conventional and abstract design may express great aesthetic achievements, but it cannot compare with good pictures, in calling to mind great human thoughts, struggles, and achievements."6

In keeping with this ideal, Larsen desired to emulate the work of earlier Mormon artists who had captured the spirit of the trek through visual media. Among others, non-Mormon artist and photographer William H. Jackson had put to canvas what he had experienced and what he had seen through the lens of his camera. Mormon artists such as Frederick Piercy and C. C. A. Christensen and photographer George Edward Anderson are but a few of the visual artists who had depicted the sense of time and place along the pioneer trail.7 At the prospect of sending an excursion to record trail landmarks, Larsen was reported to have said, "I am glad to undertake this trip. . . . Ever since seeing the sketches and paintings of the pioneer artists I have wished that I might spend some time visiting historic spots and sketching over the route the heroic Mormon pioneers traversed in coming to Utah."8

He, like others before him, envisioned the prospective grandeur of documenting the westward trek of the faithful Latter-day Saints

On Monday morning, June 15, 1936, the students arrived at BYU carrying their luggage and art supplies. Besides Professor Larsen and his wife, Geneva, the group included some fifteen artists from Utah

and surrounding states: Wilford Biggs, Phoenix; Euray Anderson and Viola Hale Curtis, Salt Lake City; Merla Robinson, Coalville; Ralph Huntsman, Bunkerville, Nevada; Lorin Covington, Hurricane; Effie M. Carmack, Winslow, Arizona; Ethel Strauser, Springville; Thera Lou Olsen, Manti; Anna R Williams, Ogden; MaryJensen, Brigham City; Georgiana Johnson, Provo; Alton and Myrtle Peterson, Jensen; and George Strebel, Vernal.9

As the bus was being loaded and prepared for the trip, the students said their last goodbyes to friends and family. After a few parting snapshots and interviews for the press, the participants boarded the bus, and it finally rolled out of Provo about 1:30 P.M. Four miles down the road, however, the bus sputtered to a halt. It appeared that in all the clamor to leave, no one had thought to fill the tank with gas Graciously, George Strebel, their patient driver and fellow student, hiked to the nearest service station to fill a gas can. The bus was back on the road by mid-afternoon.

Geneva Larsen kept the daily travel log. Her diary, written with a pencil in a ruled notebook, provides an intimate account of the group's activity and observations along the trail. Though she did not employ the monumental language of a lyric novelist, her diary is yet anticipatory of written observations like those in Thomas Wolfe's burgeoning image of America, A Western Journal, written only two summers later.10 Her entries, often visiblyjoggled from the movement of the bus, stand as enlightening captions to the group's art work.

Passing through Emigration Canyon and northeast through Coalville, the bus made its way toward Fort Bridger, the projected first stop All along the way Professor Larsen pointed out the old pioneer campsites and recounted the story of the immigrants' hardships. Beyond Coalville the towering rock walls of Echo Canyon greatly impressed the artists. By dusk they could see the Uinta Range to the south; but before reaching Fort Bridger, the group bedded down in an unfinished campground.

After an uncomfortable night on the open plain, the artists were eager to resume traveling. "We stopped at Fort Bridger for breakfast," Geneva wrote, "and also kept the post office busy Most of the group wrote home. . . . We stopped about two hours to see the ruins of the old fort."11 Although unrestored, the fort still bore the recognizable features of the old lodges and stables. The students made a few pencil drawings and watercolor sketches but were soon ready to continue, anxious to keep moving toward Nauvoo.

Crossing Black's Fork River, the bus headed northeast toward Granger and the Green River region. To keep their minds occupied, the artists amused themselves with a friendly game or competition. Geneva noted:

The group decided some identification was needed so a contest was held, a terse expression was desired Mrs Carmack won the five cent prize with "Pioneer Trail Art Tour." Paint kits were rifled . . . and soon it shone in blue paint from either side of the bus.

...We stopped again to get sketches of the Green River with the bluffs behind it It was to[o] beautiful to pass up The group intends to hurry to Nauvoo and do most of the painting on the liesurly return trip, but we couldn't pass this view up [At Green River City] We stopped for films, ice cream cones, etc, and looked for the post office, but found no place to mail letters People here just stop a passing car to mail a letter.

. . . The group sang and told stories to pass the time. Mrs. Carmack even composed a poem and Mr. Biggs gave good advice.12

Like Geneva's travel diary, Effie Carmack's narrative poem tells the story of the tour with added charm Besides offering narration, the poem often expresses candid observations like the jovial character of Wilford Biggs, the silent devotion of Georgiana Johnson, or the traces of human toil in the landscape. Her impression of the Wyoming grasslands reveals her thoughtful approach:

We are now in the great sheep country, And some of our company say From a little town called Wamsutter Great loads of wool go away.

The sheep owners shears have been busy, And that with the dampness and cold Has proven too much for the old and the weak, And they've gone to the good shepherds fold

We came to a hill so long and so steep That our old bus groaned and steamed; We halted and sketched while it cooled off a bit And the sun on our sketch pads beamed Near the place called Lyman we passed the graves of three of the pioneers. We read their names and pitied the ones Left to take the long trail in tears.

The next is the place that is called Church Butte13

Where the emigrants stopped to pray

Auid give thanks to their maker for guiding their feet

To water along the way—

Water—that lifegiving, soulcheering sight,

No wonder their hearts were raised After long dry reaches of prairie waste In prayers of thanksgiving and praise.

The Green River next appeared to our view, That stream of historic fame; It has been the subject in story and art Of many a noted name.

Our driver shaved while we sketched the bend With its cliff that frowned above, An island with willows, big trees on the bank, A place any artist would love.14

Instead of continuing north to South Pass, the group took U.S. Highway 30 toward Cheyenne Before arriving at the Wyoming capital, however, the group stopped at Summit, a Forest Service observation tower southeast of Laramie. At this vantage point the artists felt compelled to break out their sketchpads. The scenic vista was like no other they had yet experienced. As Geneva described it,

This is a real beauty spot one of the finest. I stood on the observation tower and could see hundreds of miles This is like a rounded nole in the middle of a plain with mountains, probably 300 miles awayin every direction The Rockies to the west are snow capped The view can only be compared with that of Mount Bauldy or Old Mt Timp The ranger says the trees are lodge pole pine but they are so norald and twisted with a different character in each The artists are all thrilled and made a lot of sketches Even Mrs. Curtis felt so good she got one and Thera Lou produced a masterpiece.15

But the pressing itinerary required them to leave before finishing their work. Understandably, the group was slow-footed when returning to the bus. Effie remembered amusingly,

We hated to leave it, our sketches half done, But Cheyenne must be reached by dusk, We made it a rule to not drive after dark, So leave the old hilltop we must.

We piled in the bus and were moving away

When we heard Mrs Curtis bemoaning

"Miss GeorgianaJohnson's still painting away"

She almost got left in Wyoming

When nearing Cheyenne on the left of the road

Some queer looking cattle we spied, With humps on their shoulders and odd looking heads, That all close inspection defied.16

After a night's stay outside Cheyenne, the trekkers crossed the Wyoming-Nebraska line. But before leaving the Platte River trail crossing at Maxwell (east of the town of North Platte), the bus gave out. Making the best of their misfortune, the artists investigated the local environs, paint boxes in-hand. Geneva noted: "While we waited for our buss to be repaired at Maxwell we walked a mile South to the north Platt and painted; That evening we stayed at a hotel[;] next morning our buss . . . had another trouble before we got the first cured. Biggs promised a painting to the garage man if. . . [he] would show us the interesting things in the vicinity."17

The following day, as repairs continued, the artists took a rented truck to Sioux Lookout near Fort McPherson. They climbed to the summit where Indian scouts had once spied passing wagon trains. By mid-afternoon the bus was ready to move. The group reached the town of Kearney before sunset but decided to stop for the night at a nearby campground.

In Omaha the next morning the artists found enough diversions to occupy most of the day. They visited the Winter Quarters monument under construction, the pioneer graveyard, and the art shops and museum. Some miles east of present Council Bluffs, Iowa, the group made another lengthy stop at the Mount Pisgah monument marking an important Mormon Trail way-station. The artists painted views of the monument overlooking the river valley.

When they arrived at Montrose, Iowa, across the river from Nauvoo, Illinois, the artists took the ferryboat City of Nauvoo across the Mississippi. After crossing the backwater created by the Keokuk Dam downstream, the group disembarked at the Nauvoo House landing Effie again recorded her impressions in verse:

We've had our first glimpse of the river With Nauvoo, the lovely, in sight, But Catholic church spires point to the sky where once our loved temple gleamed white The dam they have built on the river Has made it look more like a lake; A horseshoe bend circles the city It winds on its way like a snake.18

Although much of the township had deteriorated, a few of the principal residences and landmarks still stood. In her diary, Geneva Larsen described the rustic appearance of the enduring structures:

"The greater part of the old homes have disappeared. The [majority of the] ones still standing are built of a scarlet brick which age has softened."19

After unloading their baggage at the Nauvoo House, the group was invited to attend a meeting of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by a Mr Page, the hotel caretaker There, the artists enjoyed his inspiring discourse on the rise of Nauvoo and the martyrdom ofJoseph and Hyrum Smith. As a host, Mr. Page was unequaled. Under his kind hospitality, the artists stayed two weeks at the Nauvoo House. He introduced them to local citizens and directed them to historical highlights in the area. They slept, cooked, and ate at the Nauvoo House, using many of the same furnishings and utensils that had been in use during Emma Smith's lifetime.

After settling in, the artists began working in earnest:

Each morning we sallied forth lugging

Our easels, stools, canvas and paint,

We usually worked until evening,

And straggled in hungry and faint,

We found many beautiful buildings— T

hey built for endurance those days,

Their heavy wood doors staunch and rigid

They show that good work really pays.

There are many old buildings still standing,

Some almost a hundred years old

That are still firm and solid as ever,

With memories more precious than gold,

Not only for strength, but for beauty

They built in that short Golden Age,

Carving woodwork and stone into symbols

That stand out on history's page. 20

In a town of about one thousand inhabitants, the caravan aroused no small interest. Not long after they arrived on Sunday, the press correspondents were sent out to cover the story The Fort Madison Evening Democrat sent a reporter and photographer to take pictures and get interviews. But even before Nauvoo's weekly paper went to press on Thursday, nearly all the locals had already heard about the art caravan from Utah.21

Nauvoo became the fulcrum of the tour. Most of the artists had some familial connection with the Mormon settlement and were not about to pass the time without gathering histories as well as visually documenting the sites. While George Strebel took photographs, many of the students collected relics and interviewed old-timers who remembered Emma Smith, her children, and other early Nauvooans. Among the historic sites the visitors painted and photographed were the Nauvoo House, the site of the Nauvoo Temple, the scene of the organization of the women's Relief Society, and the Joseph Smith Mansion House A visit to the Carthage Jail gave the artists one of the more solemn experiences of their stay. They were also invited into many RLDS, Catholic, and Protestant homes where they were treated warmly. Effie Carmack expressed the urgency the group felt to record places and events:

There were so many old folks to visit,

And so many things to do,

That although we worked every minute,

Our two weeks fairly flew.

There were deeds, wills and maps to copy, A

nd bits of old history rare,

And photos and sketches and paintings

To be caught the short time we were there.22

Although the artists took time to enjoy the curiosities of local history, they had much to accomplish. Evidently, the artists were so engaged by the local subjects, as well as by Larsen's valued instruction, that they decided to forfeit the proposed trip to Chicago to allow for more time in Nauvoo. Geneva commented, "The artists are all painting pictures. Most of them work on two each day. I bieleve this is the best group of students B. F. Larsen has ever had the privelege to instruct They certainly are a delightfull group to be with."23 Effie later recalled the energetic stimulation of working together and having group critiques:

We all painted every day. Then, in the evening, we exhibited our pictures and professor Larsen criticized them I had never used very brilliant colors in my paintings, and they all teased me, and would say, "Here comes Carmack and her pictures that look like an Arizona dust storm had struck them." But I didn't care, I liked to reproduce the natural colors as I see them, and I liked the results.24

Because of their interpretive field work, the students' paintings captured a sense of time and place Most of the oil paintings had a natural, spontaneous quality as did the loosely rendered watercolor sketches. MaryJensen and Ethel Strauser were considered by their fellow students to be the most proficient in sketching with line and watercolor. Thera Lou Olsen not only showed marked skill in draftsmanship but also in the application of oil colors.

A crucial ingredient to the success of the tour was the increasing unity that made the day-to-day activities run smoothly In the evenings the students took on household chores:

We worked every day until sunset,

Then cooked and ate supper by night,

Then slept soundly six or eight hours,

And up and away at daylight.

The women took turns at the cooking, T

he men brought the water and wood

And helped with the dishes at evening,

Each one doing all that he could.25

The daily routine of carrying out domestic chores together exemplified the harmonious spirit of the group. Each artist seemed to understand the importance of preserving the group's unity.

Sadly, the artists prepared to leave onjuly 4 to make room for incoming summer students. Several townspeople came to bid them farewell as they loaded their belongings on the bus. By the time they left, the mid-day heat was almost unbearable. The sun had made the bus a virtual oven. 26

At Bloomfield they stopped for cold soda pop during the Fourth of July festivities. They must have been somewhat relieved farther along the road to see the green vegetation at Garden Grove, another Mormon Trail station east of Council Bluffs. They took this opportunity to find relief in the shade and see a few more important sites. Their brief sightseeing jaunt was made all the more pleasant when a woman offered to point out the old places in town, including the meetinghouse and early historic homes. She also took them to the old pioneer graveyard where they spent much of the time paying their respects to the ill-fated Saints Lamentably, however, many of the gravesites had not been maintained, and some markers lay scattered about in nearby pastures.27

Passing through Council Bluffs and crossing into Nebraska, the group stopped in what is now called Florence, a suburb of Omaha, and once again visited the old Mormon supply settlement of Winter Quarters. Here, they revived their previously aroused interests in the pioneer remnants. "We spent the day at the old Mormon Cemetary," Geneva noted, "Painting a Hory wind marked tree The work being done on this spot is progressing They are to erect the Tragedy of Winter Quarters by Avard Fairbanks."28 At this site many weary Saints endured bitter cold during the winter of 1846-47. As a way-station it provided later Mormon emigrants with needed provisions for the rest of the journey. As one might expect, the artists found a number of fascinating sites and structures to paint. Effie wrote:

We sketched the old mill on the west side of town,

'Twas once a great source of supply

In furnishing caches when food could be had

For emigrant hordes passing by.

We spent one whole day in the graveyard

In a gale that was hard to endure,

We weighted our easels with boulders,

But that wasn't always the cure.

Loren Covington's picture was perfect

When "wallop!" it went in the dirt,

That wasn't the only disaster,

Mine [gave] me ajolter that hurt.

They acted like sails on a sailboat, and pulled like a Percheron team,

But the wind and the hilltop were better

Than the lowlands, mosquitoes and steam.

The last day they tried the bank building,

It's about the same age as the mill,

I was lazy and sketched the clerks faces,

The vault and the safe—sitting still.

We found the old pawn shop that evening

And bought a sweet sounding guitar29

To help keep our harmony closer,

They can now hear our noise from afar.30

Once again the local community became enamored of the students' work, and a few business people expressed interest in purchasing paintings of the more prominent structures. Thera Olsen's Bank of Florence Nebraska was purchased on commission by R. H. Hall, the vice-president of the institution.31

Onjul y 10, after camping at North Bend, the bus continued heading west. Geneva scribbled a few lines: "We are now near Grand Island, drawing and photographing buffalo, a herd of 8 cows 3 bull and 5 calves in a field beside the road by a pond."32 That morning storm clouds had begun to roll in, eventually bringing new challenges. Then, that evening, by the time they reached Chapell, some eightyfive miles east of the Wyoming border, the bus had run out of gas and suffered a flat tire.

The next landmarks the artists hoped to paint were Chimney Rock and Scotts Bluff, prominent sites along the North Platte River. The students were well on their way to finishing their pieces at Chimney Rock when a cloudburst cut their diversion short. Farther along, at Scotts Bluff, they were able to create a few finished landscapes. Near the foot of the Bluff stood the homestead of Tony Kempfer where the group decided to set up camp.

On Sunday night, July 12, perhaps by the glow of the campfire, the artists decided to name their group in recognition of the friendships they had forged on their journey. As a nostalgic reminder of the color of the summer landscape, "It was resolved that this club should be called 'The Yellow Ochre Club.' The pass word should be (which I hope) motto (I's Have it.) Theme Song (Fair Thee well for I must leave Thee.)"33

On Wednesday they passed through Guernsey, Wyoming, crossed the Platte Bridge, and turned east to a chalk cliff on the Oregon Trail. Geneva wrote:

There old rocks are worn by wagon wheels from four to six feet deep. We sketched and photographed them. These ruts are in Solid rock and are about the only places that the wheel marks are not destroyed We arrived at a little town 4 miles East of Casper and camped two nights. At Casper we had our photos developed[;] by taking several hundred they made us a special price of 3$ each.34

By this time the daily travel and the stress of managing the tour was beginning to affect Professor Larsen's health. During their stop outside Casper, Geneva wrote, "Daddy [B. F. Larsen] is a little ill[,] a sinas Headache. He does more work managing the Tour than teaching. The ordering and distributing of several hundred pictures from about five cameras to a crowd of 17 took at least a day."35

Beyond Casper the group stopped to visit the notable landmarks of Independence Rock and Devil's Gate. Near Devil's Gate they saw the cliffside called Martin's Cove where Captain Edward Martin's handcart company suffered decimating starvation during the winter of 1856 while waiting for supplies from Salt Lake City. The group found these landmarks perhaps the most awe-inspiring of the trip. The view across the Sweetwater River provided a breathtaking panorama. B. F. Larsen's painting, Devil's Gate, was delightfully vigorous and painterly. Ethel Strauser produced a wonderful interpretation of the Sweetwater River Valley. From the valley of the Sweetwater, a gentle climb took them to the rolling saddle of South Pass on the Continental Divide where water flows west to the Pacific and east to the Atlantic. The pioneers who had gone before them must have felt disheartened at this site as they looked toward the desert lands ahead, for they had not enjoyed the convenience and comfort of a tour bus. Describing the artists' passage into the Wyoming desert, Effie wrote:

We came down the slope helter-skelter, The miles and the minutes flew by, Past Church Buttes and on to Fort Bridger, Where we planned to find old Fort Supply

There were so many things here historic,

We hardly knew which we should do,

The old Mormon well—the first school house,

The Pony Express stables, too.

There's a fine man that keeps the museum,

So many old truths he can tell

He has many a priceless old relic,

And unwritten stories as well.

We went out some twelve miles from Bridger A

nd found ruins of old Fort Supply,

The stumps of the stockade still showing,

With rocks of their chimneys nearby.36

During the last few days of the tour the artists expressed sadness at the thought of the expected completion of their experience. At Fort Bridger, on the last night of the trip, the artists gathered around the campfire to roast marshmallows, sing, and reminisce. Effie conveyed her sense of frustration that remaining time was soon to expire:

From Fort Bridger straight to the valley,

Can it be that our time has all gone,

I haven't done all that I meant to,

The calendar must be all wrong.

I sketched the old millstone and furtrap,

A skillet, some blacksmith had made,

Got the pony express stables outlined,

Then I began feeling afraid

That my many belongings were scattered,

So 'twould take me an hour to pack.

The old bus was getting her load on, S

o I made a mad rush for our shack.

'Twas three, and we left at three-thirty,

And just after dark that night

As we rounded a curve down the canyon

The valley lights burst on our sight.

Some brighter, this view, than the first one,

The lights stretching far into space,

A prophet's eye saw this in vision,

When he looked and said,

"This is the place."37

After visiting nearly all the important landmarks along the trail, the group entered the valley in time to participate in the Pioneer Parade on the morning of July 23.

An inventory of the artists' work revealed that the tour had been very productive In a letter to President Harris on July 27, Larsen reported the successful completion of the trip:

I had expected that the time taken in traveling would hamper very much our painting and sketching activities, but to my great surprise we did more work than any summer group that I have ever supervised. During the six weeks we made sketches as follows: 645 pencil sketches, 666 water color sketches, 287 oil sketches This makes a total of 1593 sketches, besides a number of pen and ink and pastel pieces. More than 1000 photographs were taken on the trip. I believe this is an all-time record for work.38

Besides several one-man shows in their respective church meetinghouses, the artists received considerable attention for their work along the trail. The unforeseen success of the tour prompted a full season of exhibitions throughout the state. The exhibit originally scheduled for the University Gallery at BYU in late September was moved to the Jade Room of the Hotel Utah during October 2-5 to draw a larger audience during the LDS General Conference. The BYU exhibit was postponed until Leadership Week also to allow for wider viewing. In mid-October, P. A. Barkdull, head of the Logan City schools, requested the works to be displayed in Logan during the month of November Ralph Huntsman asked that the exhibit be shown at Dixie College during their annual Leadership Week and the remainder of the month of January.

As it turned out, the greater availability of space at BYU permitted a larger body of work to be shown The BYU exhibit ran from January 25 toJanuary 29, 1937. It included the oil sketches as well as a group of watercolors and the photographs taken by George Strebel. A few of the more noteworthy pieces that were exhibited included Larsen's vista of Platte River at Scott's Bluff Nebraska, First School in the Rockies at Fort Bridger, Joseph Smith's Mansion House, and Fhe Orson Hyde Home by Viola Hale.39

Interest in the tour continued for a short time. Although local curiosity was sustained during Leadership Week, patron enthusiasm diminished thereafter One concerned woman wrote to Larsen suggesting that he issue "a set of prints made from these paintings and mounted as a booklet. . . ."40 To encourage other students to cultivate a similar vein of camaraderie, the artists proposed a continuing art group or guild. The Deseret News reported that "The spirit of jolly good fellowship and co-operation among the artists resulted in the formation of the Yellow Ochre Club which the members desire to perpetuate. It may be that it will become permanent, and students of B.Y.U. who make outstanding achievements in art will be admitted."41

Unfortunately, it appears that the 'Yellow Ochre Club" was shortlived. Except for an unpublicized trip to northern Arizona the following year, little was heard of the group since most of the participating artists went their separate ways and could not stay to promote the venture.

Even more discouraging, the body of artwork produced by the group was not held together as a complete collection. A number of pieces were dispersed to hang in private homes or in various meetinghouses. Others were simply kept by the families and friends of the artists. Nevertheless, seventeen art tour paintings and numerous sketches and notes by Effie Carmack are in the possession of her grandson Joh n K. Carmack of Salt Lake City. The series of photographs taken by George Strebel was donated to the Church Historian's Office,42 and a few sketches and oils went to permanent collections at BYU and the LDS church.

Not since the Paris art mission in 1890 had a group of Mormon artists been so noted for a season of intensive study. Although they came from a variety of formal and informal artistic backgrounds, each participant made a unique contribution to the memorialization of the Mormon trek west. For those who desire to maintain the enduring legacy of the pioneer exodus, the art tour and the many works its participants produced are worthy of a place in the chronicles of Mormon art and of the overland trek. Perhaps an interested art student will be inspired by these long forgotten works and seek to revive the spirit of the 'Yellow Ochre Club." "

NOTES

Mr Carmack is preservation librarian at Merrill Library, Utah State University, Logan He is currently completing an MFA at USU He is a great grandson of Effie M Carmack, an art tour participant

1 Robert R King, "The Enduring Significance of the Mormon Trek," Dialogue: Afournal of Mormon Thought 13 (Summer 1980): 102-7; Stanley B Kimball, "The Power of Place and the Spirit of Locale: Finding God on Western Trails," fournal of Mormon History 16 (1990): 3-9.

2 Paul L Anderson, "Heroic Nostalgia: Enshrining the Mormon Past," Sunstone 5 (July-August 1980): 47-55; Davis Bitton, "The Ritualization of Mormon History," Utah Historical Quarterly 43 (1975): 67-85; Stanley B Kimball, Historic Sites and Markers along the Mormon and Other Great Western Trails (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1988); U.S., Department of the Interior, Historic Resource Study: Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trailby Stanley B Kimball (Denver: National Park Service, 1991) For a few examples of trail memorialization see Charles L Ray, "Historic Pioneer Grounds," Improvement Era 24 (July 1921): 32-34; "On the Pioneer Trail of 1847: Photographs of Important landmarks by Mr George Ed Anderson, Springville, Utah, taken on a trip over the trail with Church Historian Andrew Jenson, July, 1926," Improvement Era 30 (July 1927): 763-68; Joh n D. Giles, "Mormon Caravan to Independence Rock," Improvement Era 33 (September 1930): 734-41, 760-62; John D. Giles, " From the Green Mountains to the Rockies," Improvement Era 33 (November 1929): 26-31, idem, 33 (December 1929): 131-34, idem, 33 (April 1930): 385-87, idem, 33 (July 1930): 615-18, idem, 34 (November 1930): 25-27; John D Giles, "The M.I.A Preserves History," Improvement Era %% (February 1935): 82-87; "Nauvoo 'Opera House' Acquired by Wilford C Wood," Improvement Era 40 (June 1937): 356; Bryant S Hinkley, "The Nauvoo Memorial," Improvement Era 41 (August 1938): 458-61.

3 Franklin S. Harris to B. F. Larsen, February 6, 1936, B. F. Larsen Papers, University Archives Department, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah (hereafter cited as BFL). See also "B.Y.U Plans Art Caravan Over Mormon Trail in June," Deseret News, May 21, 1936 All quotations appear as they were written in the manuscripts with spelling, punctuation, and grammar retained Editorial insertions appear in brackets.

4 Max Edwin Bunnell, "A Study of Bent Franklin Larsen as Artist and Educator" (M.A thesis, Brigham Young University, 1962).

5 B F Larsen, "Recent Trends in Art," Utah Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters 12 (1935): 89-91.

6 B F Larsen, "In the Interest of Better Art in Ou r Churches," Improvement Era 42 (July 1939): 410-11

7 See, for example, James Linforth, Route from Liverpool to Great Salt Lake Valley (Liverpool: Franklin D Richards, 1855) Peter O Hansen also made a number of sketches along the trail during the 1846-47 exodus (see Stanley B Kimball, Heber C. Kimball: Mormon Patriarch and Pioneer [Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1981], illustrations following Part II) For other sources on Mormon Trail artists, see Wilford Hill LeCheminant, "'Entitled to be Called an Artist': Landscape and Portrait Painter Frederick Piercy," Utah Historical Quarterly 48 (Winter 1980): 49-65 ; Rell G Francis, The Utah Photographs of George Edward Anderson (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1979); Nelson B. Wadsworth, "A Village Photographer's Dream," Ensign 3 (September 1973): 40-55; Richard L.Jensen and Richard G Oman , C. C. A. Christensen, 1831-1912: Mormon Immigrant Artist (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1984); Carl Carmer, "A Panorama of Mormon Life," Art in America 58 (May-June 1970): 52-65 See also Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, Their Faces Toward Zion: Voices and Images of the Trek West (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1996).

8 H R Merrill, "While Yet the Old Trail Lasts: Artists Plan Trip to Preserve Historic Scenes," Deseret Nezus [Church Section], February 22, 1936.

"B.Y.U Artists to Visit Nauvoo as Part of Trip," Deseret News, June 16, 1936.

10 Thomas Wolfe, A Western Journal: A Daily Log of the Great Parks Trip, June 20-fuly 2, 1938 (Philadelphia: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1951) See also V L O Chittick, "Tom Wolfe's Farthest West," Southwest Review AS (Spring 1963): 93-110; Richard H Cracroft, "Through Utah and the Western Parks: Thomas Wolfe's Farewell to America," Utah Historical Quarterly 37 (1969): 290-306; Brian F Berger, Thomas Wolfe: The Final Journey (West Linn, Oregon: Willamette River Press, 1984).

11 Geneva Larsen, "B.Y.U Summer School Art Tour" Diary, holograph [June 16, 1936], BFL.

12 Ibid. Mrs Carmack later recalled, ".. when we were sailing along and everyone was writing industriously, Professor Larsen ha d the driver stop the bus, an d told us that we were not going on this trip to write diaries, but to sketch and paint along the way, an d to be ready to put finishing touches on our sketches in the evening H e said that he would have a reading of all the diaries so far, and then he would choose the best on e an d have that one keep the diary the rest of the trip, an d the others should spend their time on art. I had written my diary in rhyme, and the committee voted for m e to be the one to keep the record of the trip. They suggested that the others give me copies of their snapshots of the trip, and in return I would give each of them a copy of the diary." Effie M Carmack, Down Memory Lane: The Autobiography of Effie Marquess Carmack (Atascadero, Calif: Atascadero News Press, 1973), p. 162. A new edition of Effie Carmack's autobiography, edited by Karen Lynn Davidson, is forthcoming.

13 A photograp h of th e grou p at Churc h Butte is shown unde r th e title "Art Caravan Follows Mormo n Trail," Deseret News, July 4, 1936.

14 Effie M Carmack, "Story of The Pioneer Trails Art Tour," typescript [June 17-July 22, 1936], pp 2-3, BFL; photocopy in my possession.

15 Larsen, "Art Tour" Diary, Jun e 17, 1936.

16 Carmack, "Story of The Pioneer Trails Art Tour," p 4.

17 Larsen, "Art Tour" Diary, Jun e 20, 1936.

18 Carmack, "Story of The Pioneer Trails Art Tour," pp 6-7.

19 Larsen, "Art Tour" Diary, June 21, 1936.

20 Carmack, "Story of The Pioneer Trails Art Tour," p 7.

21 Larsen, "Art Tour" Diary, Jun e 27, 1936 See "Utah Artists are Visiting Nauvoo Scenes," (Fort Madison) Evening Democrat, Jun e 25, 1936; "Party of Artists Visiting Nauvoo," Nauvoo Independent, Jun e 25, 1936; "Art Students from Utah at Nauvoo House," (Burlington) Daily Hawk-Eye Gazette, June 25, 1936.

22 Carmack, "Story of The Pioneer Trails Art Tour," p 8.

23 Larsen, "Art Tour" Diary, Jun e 25, 1936.

24 Carmack, Down Memory Lane, p 163.

25 Carmack, "Story of The Pioneer Trails Art Tour," p 8.

26 See "Art Caravan Turns Home," (Provo) Sunday Herald, July 5, 1936.

27 "Artists From Utah Visit Town Sunday," (Garden Grove) Gazette-Express, July 8, 1936.

28 The monument was dedicated on September 20, 1936 See Joh n A Widtsoe, "'Winter Quarters' Is Immortalized in Stone," Improvement Era 39 (October 1936): 595-97, and "Winter Quarters Dedication Scenes," Improvement Era 39 (December 1936): 776-77.

29 "It was a good guitar," Effie wrote, "and we were glad to have it. From then on we sang our way along We had a theme song as we were leaving the towns We sang, 'Fare thee well, for I must leave you.' It is a miracle what an old guitar can do for a group of pretty good singers Every evening we had a song fest Most of the group could sing, and enjoyed it." Carmack, Down Memory Lane, p 162.

30 Carmack, "Story of The Pioneer Trails Art Tour," p 10.

31 "Landmark on Pioneer Trail," Salt Lake Tribune, September 6, 1936.

32 Larsen, "Art Tour" Diary.

33 Ibid., July 12, 1936.

34 Ibid., July 15, 1936.

35 Ibid. See also "L.D.S Artists' Caravan Starts Homeward Journey," (Provo) Sunday Herald, July 19, 1936.

36 Carmack, "Story of The Pioneer Trails Art Tour," p 16.

37 Ibid., p. 16.

38 B F Larsen to Franklin S Harris, July 27, 1936, BFL See "Artist's Caravan Returns from Successful Art Tour," (Provo) Sunday Herald, July 26, 1936.

39 The Western Artist [Denver Artist Guild], July-August, 1936; "At the Galleries," Deseret News, August 8, 1936; "Sketches Made on Old Trail to Form Show," Salt Lake Tribune, August 9, 1936; "Group of 'Mormon Art Tour' Oil Paintings will be Exhibited," The YNews, September 11, 1936; "B.Y.U to Exhibit Mormon Trail Paintings at Hotel Utah," Deseret News, September 26, 1936; "Pictures Painted Along Old Mormon Trail in Exhibit," Salt Lake Tribune, September 27, 1936; Deseret News, October 3, 1936; "Salient Items in 'Mormon Trail Show,'" Salt Lake Tribune, October 4, 1936; "Pictures of Old Mormon Trail Attract Attention of Visitors," Salt Lake Tribune, October 5, 1936; "Logan Asks for Tour Pictures," The Y News, October 16, 1936; "Old Mormon Trail Exhibit at Logan," Salt Lake Tribune, October 18, 1936.

40 Ida E Skinner to B F Larsen, August 26, 1936, BFL.

41 Carlton Culmsee, "Spiritual Significance of an Art Tour," Deseret News [Church Section], August 15,1936.

42 A number of Strebel's photographs were used to illustrate E Cecil McGavin's, Nauvoo the Beautiful (Salt Lake City: Stevens and Wallis, 1946).