Archives West Finding Aid
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Utah's Silver Queen: Susanna Egera Bransford Emery Holmes Delitch Engalitcheff photograph collection, 1860-1996
Overview of the Collection
- Title
- Utah's Silver Queen: Susanna Egera Bransford Emery Holmes Delitch Engalitcheff photograph collection
- Dates
- 1860-1996 (inclusive)18601996
- Quantity
- 293 Items
- Collection Number
- P1082
- Summary
- The Utah's Silver Queen: Susanna Egera Bransford Emery Holmes Delitch Engalitcheff photograph collection consists of 293 black and white, color, laser print copies, and photocopies of photographs; five generations of photographs. There is historical evidence that one of the photos dates to l850 because a member of the family in the photo was present when the picture was taken and died in 1850 in Missouri. The most recent photos date to 1996 when the book, The Silver Queen, Her Royal Highness, was published. They were collected by Judy Dykman and Colleen Whitley as part of the research for their book. The photographs were originally collected in a scrapbook which was disassembled when the collection was processed. All captions are from the authors. Also included are copies of maps and building plans.
- Repository
-
University of Utah Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library
University of Utah
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City, UT
84112-0860
Telephone: 8015818863
special@library.utah.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.
- Languages
- English
Historical NoteReturn to Top
BIOGRAPHY OF SUSANNA EGERA BRANSFORD EMERY HOLMES DELITCH ENGALITCHEFF
Utah's Silver Queen or Susanna Egera Bransford Emery Holmes Delitch Engalitcheff was one of the West's most colorful and unconventional millionaires/socialites. She was born May 6, 1859 near Richmond, Missouri and was the third of six children. As a child she crossed the plains to California in a covered wagon; as a teenager she survived a stagecoach holdup; as an adult, she traveled around the world four times and lived in a palace. Married four times, she outlived all of her husbands even though two of the men were many years younger. She met kings, queens, presidents and statesmen, conferred with a pope and conversed with Hitler and Mussolini. Affectionately known as Susie to her family and friends and as Utah's Silver Queen to the press, she was loved by some and vilified by others. At the turn of the nineteenth century, her rags to riches story as a part owner of Park City's Silver King Mine, made her legendary across the country as one of Utah's and America's wealthiest women.
Her palace was Brigham Young's Gardo House and was one of Salt Lake City's showcase homes until it was torn down in 1921. Although she married four times she left no children or grandchildren as her only child was adopted and childless and died many years before her. By the time of her death in 1942 Susie was nearly bankrupt as her flamboyant lifestyle, the Depression and two gigolo husbands robbed her of her money, homes and jewelry. She committed suicide August 4, 1942 in Norwalk, Connecticut at the age of 83. Her estate was so confused that it took five years to probate it even though she left a will. Her nieces and nephews fought over her remaining money with her best and last friend, Culver Sherrill. The following collection attempts to document her story.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Silver Queen Collection consists of 293 black and white, color, laser print copies, and photocopies of photographs; five generations of photographs. There is historical evidence that one of the photos dates to 1850 because a member of the family in the photo was present when the picture was taken and died in l850 in Missouri. The most recent photos date to 1996 when the book, The Silver Queen, Her Royal Highness, was published. They were collected by Judy Dykman and Colleen Whitley as part of the research for their book. The photographs were originally collected in a scrapbook which was disassembled when the collection was processed. All captions are from the authors. Also included are copies of maps and building plans.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library’s Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.
Preferred Citation
Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | |
| 1 | 1 | Missouri Years
|
| 1 | 2 | California Years
|
| 1 | 3 | Park City Years
|
| 1 | 4 | John Bransford / Wallace Bransford
|
| 1 | 5 | Edwin Holmes Years
|
| 1 | 6 | Grace
|
| 1 | 7 | Oakwood, Lambs
|
| 1 | 8 | The Lambs
|
| 1 | 9 | Nellie / Hartmans
|
| 1 | 10 | Dr. Rada Delitch
|
| 1 | 11 | El Roble Years
|
| 1 | 12 | Lorrie Snow
|
| 1 | 13 | Engalitcheff Years
|
| 1 | 14 | Adele Blood
|
| 1 | 15 | Culver Sherrill
|
| 1 | 16 | Silver Queen's Peers
|
| 1 | 17 | Pictures of Susie
|
| 1 | 18 | Miscellaneous
|
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Personal Names
- Engalitcheff, Suzanne Bransford Emery Holmes Delitch, 1859-1942--Photographs
- Silver Queen (pseud.)
Family Names
- Bransford family--Photographs
Geographical Names
- Salt Lake City (Utah)--History--Photographs
Finding aid created by Judy Dykman.
2003 (last modified: 2018)
