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A remarkable association copy with more than a century of documented Wilcken family history.
Offered here is an original 1882 first edition of The Martyrs: A Sketch of the Lives and a Full Account of the Martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith by Lyman O. Littlefield, published by the Juvenile Instructor Office in Salt Lake City.
Far more than an ordinary copy, this book contains an extraordinary period presentation inscription that appears to read:
“To David Wilcken
from his father
C. H. Wilcken
April 29/82”
The names, date and surviving family inscriptions strongly indicate that this was presented by prominent Utah pioneer Charles Henry Wilcken to his young son David Wilcken during the book’s year of publication.
Charles Henry Wilcken was a German-born soldier and Utah pioneer who came west with Johnston’s Army before joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He later became a trusted friend, driver, messenger and bodyguard to prominent Church leaders, including Presidents John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff.
Later inscriptions preserve the book’s passage through additional generations of the same family, naming Hugh Alonzo Wilcken—David Wilcken’s son—and Gilbert Hugh Wilcken. The final inscription is dated December 1983. Together, these inscriptions record approximately 101 years of continuous Wilcken family association, beginning in territorial Utah in 1882.
This is a fascinating early LDS association copy connecting an important account of Joseph and Hyrum Smith with a prominent pioneer who personally served leaders of the nineteenth-century Church.
BOOK DETAILS:
* Title: The Martyrs
* Author: Lyman O. Littlefield
* Publisher: Juvenile Instructor Office
* Place: Salt Lake City, Utah Territory
* Publication year: 1882
* Edition: First edition
* Binding: Original decorated cloth hardcover
* Length: 120 numbered pages
* Bibliographic reference: Flake/Draper 4959
* Subject: Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, early LDS history and persecution of the Saints
CONDITION:
This historically significant copy is in poor, fragile condition and is offered primarily for its rarity and exceptional family provenance.
The original cloth covers show heavy fading, rubbing, fraying and edge wear. The binding is badly compromised, with failed hinges and separation between the text block and covers. The rear endpaper is extensively torn. Page 120—the final numbered page—is present but has substantial edge damage and an old yellowed tape repair along the gutter that extends into portions of the printed text. Additional tears, chips, stains, age toning and handwritten ownership inscriptions are present.
The book has not been professionally collated and is being sold as found. Please examine every photograph carefully for the most accurate description of condition. No attempt has been made to remove the old tape or perform further repairs.
The attribution of the original inscription to Charles Henry Wilcken is based upon the names, date and documented Wilcken family relationships.
A compelling survivor from territorial Utah—and a rare opportunity to acquire an original 1882 LDS first edition with a traceable pioneer-family history extending across four generations.
