Comments on: Documenting history

By: Connell O'Donovan

Connell O'Donovan — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 21:51:44 +0000

Many excellent and valid points made, Robin! I’ve had to consider all this and more in my biography and documentary history of Young’s second polygamous wife, Augusta Cobb. Hopefully I’ve done justice to the 200 hundred plus documents which she left us as her “testimony”! (And to the hundreds more that are about her.)

Connell

By: J. Stapley

J. Stapley — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 21:23:40 +0000

Thanks Robin. Would you possibly have a recommendation for a quick primer on this sort of analysis of documents collections?

By: Christopher

Christopher — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 00:46:47 +0000

Excellent, Robin. Thanks.

By: Kevin Barney

Kevin Barney — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 20:01:05 +0000

Is there such a thing as a bibliographic essay on the sources for BY? Those sources are so voluminous, it seems as thought there ought to be, as a sort of road map for explorers to come.

By: Ignacio M. Garcia

Ignacio M. Garcia — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 05:24:16 +0000

Good points Robin. I also believe in archival research and believe too many young scholars depend on historigraphy to do much of their work. But there is, however, a danger as in all historical work of over-emphasizing the primary sources. While they might say much about what a person does, they are nonetheless–especially for a person like B.Y.–a reflection of what they want people to think they do. Given what I’ve read of Turner’s Brigham, it is hard not to imagine him “manipulating” the image he wanted others to have of him. Most people of that caliber spend a lot of time constructing a narrative of their lives. In fact, most people do but they do not leave such a large paper trail. Also, having others filter their actions is a way a person can still say much about himself/herself but do it in a way that makes others think it is an independent view. I worked for an incredible man who was very much like Turner’s Brigham and I remember unintentionally promoting his narrative until we parted ways and I was no longer under his influence. Actions have consequences and there is often where we truly understand a person’s life.

By: n8c

n8c — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 04:36:09 +0000

Excellent point! I wondered if writing this brigham biography was harder to research than RSR simply because there exist so many documents! Also knowing the hard work it is for the JSPP to see it’s publishing day…can we expect a systematic publishing or even cataloging of the Brigham papers to assist future works on BY? Or do we expect the Turners to write well, research well, and be experts in reading micro film (didn’t that hurt his eyes?)