The Joseph F. Smith Library Archives and Special Collections has recently received several new collections relating to the history of the Hawaiian mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the history of Hawai'i. This announcement is the first in a series of announcements on the new collection items as they become available for patron use, and will also spread awareness of valuable and interesting collections which have been long available to researchers.
The Frank Call Collection
This is a collection of photographs and transcripts of letters taken and written by a missionary from Idaho who served in the Hawaiian mission from 1908-1911 named Frank Call. There are a total of over 110 original photographs documenting the daily activities of residents of Hawaii, islands scenery (including old La'ie and Maui chapels), and various scenes and activities from O'ahu, Hawai'i, and Maui. Also included are transcripts of letters sent from Frank Call to both his mother and sister. The collection is unique in that it is a set of original photographs taken by one person over a specific period of time with corresponding narration in the form of the letters, and provides an incredible glimpse of Hawaii in the early twentieth century as seen through the eyes of a young L.D.S. missionary. In addition, the collection was donated by a BYUH alumni who has children, nieces, and nephews that are currently students at BYUH. We would like to offer special thanks to the family and descendents of Frank Call, especially Jim Sibbett, Curt Hussey, and the rest of Frank Call's descendents, for their generosity in this donation as well as for their incredible dedication to preserving and compiling these remarkable images and transcripts. The Frank Call Collection is currently being processed and is available to patrons on a limited basis. The full collection will be available to researchers soon.
