Bible Society of Maine, 1959

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Creator

Collection

Portland Press Herald Still-Film Negatives Collection

Document Type

Still Image

Call number of Original

93529B

Contributing Institution

Portland Public Library Special Collections & Archives

Location

Portland, Cumberland, Maine, USA

Creation Date

8-16-1959

Format of Original

4 x 5" gelatin silver negative

Description

Governor Percival P. Baxter (Maine Governor from 1921-1925), with Reverend Hammond I. Peterson, at the Bible Society of Maine offices (19 Pine Street). Baxter is pointing to his handwritten entry in the unique Bible made entirely by Maine people in 1923.

As described by the Bible Society of Maine:
"The desire was for a broad cross-section of citizens to participate. The oldest was Aunt Mary, a 91-year-old Quaker from Brunswick; the youngest was a 6-year-old who wrote, "Jesus wept”. One page was written by a millionaire, one by a pauper. One copyist was a college president; another was a man whose whole school life consisted of only a few weeks. Another was written by then Governor Percival Baxter, and yet another by a prisoner serving a life term. A Jewish Rabbi and a Greek Orthodox Priest wrote their pages with equal grace, and the Book of Ruth was copied by girls named Ruth. Many of the copyists were students at secondary schools or colleges, including a student from Cuba. Each signed their name at the bottom of the page. There are also beautifully ink-drawn, full-page illustrations."

Through its history since 1809, the Bible Society of Maine has provided Bibles and Christian resource material in numerous languages to organizations such as youth ministries, churches, and prison ministries, as well as serving in the capacity as a place of prayer and instruction for the public.

Photo published in the Portland Sunday Telegram, on 16 August 1959

Additional Files (links below) show details of the large, handwritten Bible.

Recommended Citation

"Bible Society of Maine, 1959" (1959). Businesses & Buildings - Portland Newspapers (Guy Gannett) Still Film Negatives. 338.
https://digitalcommons.portlandlibrary.com/pphnegs_images_business/338