Clarence Snyder’s Personal Childhood Bible

Presented to Clarence by His Mother on His Sixth Birthday — December 26, 1908

Extensively Annotated by Snyder · Professionally Conserved by the Northeast Document Conservation Center

Few surviving objects connected to the earliest history of Alcoholics Anonymous are as deeply personal—or as historically compelling—as this Bible.

Offered here is Clarence Henry Snyder’s personal childhood Bible, presented to him by his mother on his sixth birthday, December 26, 1908. Snyder would later become one of the most important figures in early Alcoholics Anonymous: an early Cleveland member, founder of Cleveland A.A. Group No. 3, a prolific sponsor, and a central figure in the explosive growth of A.A. in Cleveland during the fellowship’s formative years.

This was not a Bible acquired by Snyder after Alcoholics Anonymous entered his life. It accompanied him from childhood.

The handwritten presentation inscription on the front flyleaf records:

“This Bible was Presented to Clarence Henry Snyder by His Mother on His sixth Birthday which is Today ‘the’ 26th day of December 1908 at 1280 E. 89th St. Cleveland Ohio.”

Beneath the presentation inscription is an additional family record documenting Clarence’s baptism.

From Clarence Snyder’s Childhood to Alcoholics Anonymous

Clarence Snyder entered what would become Alcoholics Anonymous in Cleveland in 1938, after being introduced to the Akron recovery fellowship and Dr. Bob Smith. He became one of the most consequential members of A.A.’s earliest generation.

Snyder is particularly associated with the establishment of A.A. in Cleveland and with the rapid expansion of the fellowship there. His approach to sponsorship retained many features of the early Akron program, including an emphasis on personal sponsorship, spiritual commitment, the Twelve Steps, the Four Absolutes, and the Bible.

That history gives the surviving annotations within this particular volume exceptional interest.

Throughout the Bible are extensive handwritten annotations, underlining, check marks, brackets, references, and study notes. The markings occur throughout both the Old and New Testaments and continue into the Bible’s reference material, dictionary, index, and concordance.

Among the passages identified in previous historical examination of the Bible are several closely associated with the spiritual influences and Biblical study of early A.A., including the Sermon on the Mount, 1 Corinthians 13, the Book of James, John 3, Hebrews 11, Psalms, and passages concerning forgiveness, healing, faith, and spiritual rebirth.

These annotations transform the volume from a Snyder family keepsake into something considerably more significant: a surviving working document connected with the spiritual life of one of Alcoholics Anonymous’s most influential early members.

Historical Examination by A.A. Historian Dick B.

The Bible was personally examined by recovery historian and author Richard G. Burns (Dick B.), who conducted extensive research into the Biblical and spiritual influences surrounding early Alcoholics Anonymous.

Dick B. had considerable familiarity with Clarence Snyder material. He interviewed Clarence’s widow Grace, examined Snyder books and papers, worked with individuals who had been sponsored by Clarence, and participated in research surrounding Snyder’s history.

After examining this Bible, Dick B. wrote extensively about what he found.

His conclusion regarding its identity was unequivocal:

“For sure, it was Clarence’s Bible.”

Of particular interest to Dick B. were the extensive annotations. He observed that numerous marked passages corresponded with Biblical material associated with Dr. Bob, Clarence Snyder, and early A.A. spiritual practice.

He described finding “pages and pages of annotations, check marks, bracketed sections,” including numerous passages that he considered significant to understanding Snyder and early Alcoholics Anonymous.

He ultimately referred to the Bible as a “new treasure.”

A copy of this historical correspondence accompanies the provenance of the volume.

Professionally Conserved as an Artifact

The importance of preserving the Bible was recognized well before its present offering.

In October 2008, the volume underwent extensive professional conservation by the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC).

The conservation documentation is particularly noteworthy because the conservators explicitly recorded:

“Provenance for this volume is significant, and the volume is considered an artifact.”

Rather than attempting to make the Bible appear new, the conservation treatment was designed to stabilize and preserve the surviving original material.

Treatment included written and photographic documentation; collation and disbinding while retaining the original sewing; surface cleaning where necessary; nonaqueous alkalization/deacidification; selected repairs using Japanese paper and wheat starch paste; stabilization and repair of the binding using airplane linen and Japanese paper; and archival housing.

The Bible was originally housed in a custom drop-spine conservation box following its preservation treatment by the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) in 2008. That protective box no longer accompanies the Bible. 

Photographs of the original conservation box and NEDCC preservation documentation remain as a record of the treatment.

Provenance

The volume contains multiple layers of provenance.

The original 1908 presentation inscription identifies Clarence Henry Snyder by name, records that the Bible was given to him by his mother for his sixth birthday, and provides the Snyder family’s Cleveland address.

The rear pastedown also retains an ownership label for Edward R. Andy of Lorain, Ohio, an early A.A. member and collector associated with the preservation of Alcoholics Anonymous history.

The Bible was subsequently examined by historian Dick B., professionally conserved by the Northeast Document Conservation Center in 2008, and preserved as an artifact because of its historical provenance.

Together, the inscription, Snyder’s extensive use and annotation of the volume, subsequent ownership history, historical examination, and professional conservation documentation create an unusually substantial chain of evidence surrounding the artifact.

Condition

This Bible survives in heavily used and historically worn condition, consistent with both its age and extensive lifetime use.

The original leather-covered semi-limp binding shows substantial wear, deterioration, losses, exposed areas at the corners, and previous structural damage. Numerous leaves exhibit age toning, staining, edge wear, tears, losses, and other evidence of prolonged use. The title leaf has significant loss and old tape repairs. Numerous pages contain handwritten annotations and markings in various media.

The volume underwent professional conservation in 2008 to stabilize the surviving original material rather than cosmetically restore it. Repairs and conservation work are therefore visible and form part of the documented history of the artifact.

The gilt page edges remain visible, and the volume retains its extraordinary collection of Snyder annotations and inscriptions.

Please examine all photographs carefully for the condition and surviving contents of this historically important volume.

An Exceptional Artifact of Early A.A. History

There are collectible books associated with Alcoholics Anonymous, and then there are surviving personal artifacts belonging to the people who actually shaped its earliest history.

This Bible belongs firmly in the latter category.

Presented to Clarence Snyder by his mother when he was six years old, carried forward through his life, extensively studied and annotated, and ultimately preserved because of its recognized historical provenance, it provides an unusually intimate connection to one of the pivotal personalities of early Alcoholics Anonymous.

For the serious collector or institutional archive, it represents something that cannot be recreated by rarity of edition alone:

a personal object belonging to an early A.A. pioneer, containing the physical record of his own study, thought, and spiritual life.