Spring has arrived here in the Mountain West, and with it, a windfall of new collections we’d love you to get to know. Read on to learn more about the newest content contributed by University of Utah (Marriott Library) and Utah Valley University (Fulton Library). You can always find our newest collections at the top of our About page!

Marriott Library

First up, the David Hisato and Tamaki Tsubokura Yamate papers span 1942-1968 and document their incarceration during World War II at the Central Utah Relocation Center in Topaz, Utah. The papers join a number of other collections in MWDL documenting this action by the War Relocation Authority.

The Mike Cassidy Independent Film Collection offers a look into independent filmmaking in the 1970s-80s. Cassidy’s (Attack of) The Giant Brine Shrimp may be his best-known work, but we can’t help but wonder if 1973’s Mondo Sleazo is a nod to John Waters’ Mondo Trasho (1969). Either way, we think the Pope of Trash would approve.

The Harry Nelson papers may delight theater historians and theater goers alike, as they document the life of Maud May Babcock (1867-1954). Babcock taught and directed theater at University of Utah from 1892-1938. Meanwhile, the Rudger Clawson Papers proved a firsthand look into a lifelong LDS member’s life, including three years’ imprisonment for practicing polygamy.

Fulton Library

Utah Valley University Historical Newspaper Clippings Collection spans 1951-1986 and contains excerpts from various Utah newspapers, especially in Utah and Salt Lake counties. These offer insight into local area history and school development at that time. For more Utah newspapers, be sure to check out Utah Digital Newspapers as well!

The Salt Lake City Fire Department Collection includes annual reports for select years spanning 1940-2003. Also included are reports on the 6th-11th Firemen’s Training school in the 1950s, the 1976 SLC Fire Department master plan, and other black-and-white photographs. You may also want to check out UVU’s Utah Fire and Rescue Academy collection.

The Jans B. Wager Interviews offer two fascinating oral histories with Black Utahns in the Ogden area: Betty Moore and Joe McQueen. The New Zion Baptist Church Collection (Weber State University) also offers a look into Black culture in Utah and includes newspaper clippings featuring both Moore and McQueen.

Finally, two additional collections focus on the Deaf community: United States of America Deaf Basketball and Utah Association of the Deaf. The USA Deaf Basketball collection contains materials related to the administration of that organization, which was first established in 1945. UAD was founded in 1909 and is one of the oldest state associations for the deaf in the United States.

That’s all for now and we’ll tune in again as soon as we have more exciting items to share!