Charles Roscoe SAVAGE
Charles Roscoe Savage (American, 1832-1909), Saltair, circa 1905, gelatin silver print.
British American, 1832-1909
Gelatin silver print
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The first Saltair was built in 1893 by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on the shores of the Great Salt Lake. It was envisioned to be the "Coney Island of the West" or a "wholesome place of recreation" for families to swim, dance, attend traveling shows, and enjoy amusement park rides. The Islamic architecture-inspired building, designed by Richard K.A. Kletting, was destroyed by a fire in 1925. Saltair III, which was constructed in the 1980s from a salvaged airplane hangar, continues to be used as an entertainment venue today. Where do you go to have fun in Utah? What do you like to do?
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Charles Roscoe Savage emigrated to Salt Lake City in 1860 and set up a photography studio. His "Art Bazar" was a popular place for tourists and locals alike to purchase photographs of the American West.
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John Telford reprinted this photograph from Savage's original glass-plate negative in 1979. More research is needed to determine how Telford acquired the negative, as Savage was notoriously careful with his negatives to protect the copyright.