C. C. A. Christensen

Danish American artist

Carl Christian Anton Christensen (November 28, 1831 – July 3, 1912) was a Danish American artist who is known for his paintings illustrating the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints (LDS Church). Of him it has been said that he "did more than any other person to capture the images of the history of Mormon migration to Utah and the life lived there". While in Christiana, Christensen taught Danquart Anthon Weggeland, who became another prominent early Utah artist. During his time as a missionary in Norway, Christensen was twice put in prison due to government officials not approving of the preaching of Mormonism

In 1857, at the end of his service in Norway, Christensen set off for Utah Territory, stopping en route in England. He had met Elsie Scheel Haarby while serving in Norway, and he and Elsie married in Liverpool, England. They had planned to wait until reaching Utah to get married but leaders felt the trip would be easier if engaged couples got married before starting the journey. and they sailed for America on the Westmoreland. After reaching New York City, they traveled by railroad to Iowa City, Iowa, the end of the line, and from there set out for Utah Territory, traveling with the Christian Christiansen handcart company.

In 1862 Christensen did stage painting for a theatre in Springville, Utah. Early in his time in Utah, he could find so little demand for his artistic skills that he worked as a housepainter. The first major art work that Christensen undertook while in Utah was a commission from Dimick B. Huntington to do a collection of paintings from the Bible and Book of Mormon, in collaboration with Dan Weggeland. Christensen is best known for his Mormon Panorama, a series of 23 large paintings that depict the history of the church. Christensen's Book of Mormon paintings were originally issued by the Sunday School for use in classrooms; they were later issued in lithography form. Christensen began touring with the 175 feet (53 m) long Mormon panorama in 1878. Christensen would transport it about Utah, Idaho and Wyoming, giving presentations along with the panorama. He did this during the winter when he was not busy working on his farm. After Christensen's death the panorama was stored away. Many years later it was discovered again and brought back to light, partly by the efforts of Boyd K. Packer. It would gain its fullest recognition almost a century later when it would be shown at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City. Christensen often collaborated with Dan Weggeland in his work in Utah.

During his first days in Utah, Christensen found little time to paint. He did various odd jobs such as laying brick and burning charcoal as well as farming. Christensen wrote many LDS hymns in Danish. Some years ago I was chairman of a committee of seminary men responsible to produce a filmstrip on Church history. One of the group, Trevor Christensen, remembered that down in Sanpete County was a large canvas roll of paintings. They had been painted by one of his progenitors, C. C. A. Christensen, who traveled through the settlements giving a lecture on Church history as each painting was unrolled and displayed by lamplight. The roll of paintings had been stored away for generations. We sent a truck for them, and I shall not forget the day we unrolled it. Christensen's 1900 painting Handcart Pioneers (not part of Mormon Panorama) "has become the most widely published painting of the Mormon pioneer experience by an actual pioneer."