State Capitol Visitors Center Unveils New Exhibit

Photo courtesy of the Utah State Historical Society

SALT LAKE CITY—One hundred years ago, a lumbering steam shovel bit into winter-cold soil on a hill just north of Salt Lake City. It was December 26, 1912, and Utah’s state capitol was finally being built—65 years after the arrival of the first pioneers and 16 years after Utah attained statehood. 

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the construction of the Utah State Capitol, the Capitol Preservation Board is pleased to present a new Visitors Center exhibit, Step Back in Time: A Centennial Celebration of the Capitol Construction. Using a collection of striking historic photographs, this new exhibit breathes life into the fascinating stories behind the planning and construction of the Capitol.

“We are thrilled to provide a unique and educational opportunity for all Capitol visitors to experience the vibrant history of this wonderful building,” said Allyson Gamble, executive director of the Capitol Preservation Board.

The exhibit opens on January 24, and will be on view weekdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. On January 24, at 10:30 a.m., a special presentation will formally welcome the public to the exhibit.

Admission to Step Back in Time is free. Digital images used in the reproduction of the exhibit’s historical photographs were provided courtesy of the University of Utah J. Willard Marriott Library, the Utah State Archives and Records Service, the Utah State Historical Society, and the Territorial Statehouse State Park Museum.

For more information, please contact 801-538-1800 or showard [at] utah [dot] gov.

In the Capitol Gallery: Threads of the Silk Road

The history of the Silk Road is filled with legendary explorers, wandering armies, pilgrims, spies, merchants, and mercenaries. Its vast 7000-mile network of trade routes from China to the Mediterranean existed for almost 2000 years, connecting the Far East to Europe. This collection of evocative photographs by Edgar Gomez-Palmieri, along with a selection of hats and headdresses, depicts surviving remnants of this great ancient highway and descendants of the historic peoples along its route.

About the Artist

Edgar Gomez-Palmieri worked in Asia as the director of international outreach for the Utah-based Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation. During his travels, he took thousands of photographs along the ancient caravan paths known as the Silk Road, from China through the Near East to Europe.

This exhibit is supported in part by Zions First National Bank, a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, and by funds from the Utah Division of Arts and Museums. Now through December 20, 2012, on the fourth floor of the Capitol. Admission is free. Visit our website or call 801-538-1800 for more details.