North Morrow Volume XXIIII Number 2 September 4, 2015
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NW Photography Archive to present Community rallied to “Wild Beauty” program at Irrigon help long time resident
A special community presentation by the Northwest Photography Archive featuring extremely rare historic photographs of the Columbia River Gorge will be held at Irrigon on Thurs., Sept. 10. “Wild Beauty” will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the new Irrigon Public Library. The program is sponsored by the Oregon Trail Library District and Libraries of Eastern Oregon (LEO). All ages are welcome. The program will be presented by the archive’s exec. director John Laursen, publisher and co-author of the award-winning book Wild Beauty: Historic Photographs of the Columbia River Gorge 18671957. Wild Beauty illuminates the rich photographic heritage of one of the most magnificent landforms of the American West with 134 images by three dozen photographers, including the well-known Carleton Watkins, Benjamin Gifford, Fred Kiser, Lily White, Sarah Ladd, Alfred Monner, and Ray Atkeson. These photographs were gathered from private collections and heritage organizations over a few years of research. Most of them were previously unpublished, then meticulously restored and reproduced in a four-color process to capture the nuanced tones and subtle coloring of albumen silver prints, gelatin silver prints, platinum prints, hand-colored photographs, and early Kodachromes. Much of the extraordinary work created during this period by Watkins and his successors had never previously been available to public view. The original prints or negatives are fragile; they exist today primarily because they have been preserved in archival collections. In Wild Beauty, the authors present some of the finest surviving photographs of the Columbia
Brent Dean shows off the ramp with handrails that a group of community members built for his assistance into his home and business, Why Not Upholstery.
Photo Contributed
River Gorge framed by insightful text, offering a stunning portrait of one of the West’s primal landscapes through nearly a century of dramatic change. Laursen’s program will feature photographs presented in large scale on screen. An engaging presenter, he will tell the stories behind many of the photos. For more than 150 years, photographers have been chronicling the land, people, and events of the Pacific Northwest. The resulting visual record is a wealth of compelling images, both artistic and documentary. These photographs — scattered in public and private collections throughout the region and beyond — are rarely seen, and their existence is largely unknown. The nonprofit Northwest Photography Archive is dedicated to re-
storing significant cultural resources to public view by publishing the finest of the Northwest’s historical and contemporary photographs in book form, and conducting public programs about them. Laursen will have copies of the Wild Beauty book available for attendees to purchase if interested. The “Wild Beauty” program has been presented at other libraries in eastern Oregon to rave reviews as the most well-received community program ever held at several of the locations. For further information, contact library district director Kathy Street at 541-481-3365 or LEO at leolibraries@gmail.com. To learn more about “Wild Beauty” and the NW Photography Archive, please see www.northwestphotography.org.
Living in the Boardman community is special: when a resident is in need of help, there always seems to be community members who step up. When long time resident Brent Dean fell while working in his home-upholstery shop and broke his hip the first of July, he was not accustomed to asking for or seeking others’ help. Because Brent’s hip was broken, he spent time in Good Shepherd Hospital for hip reconstruction surgery, and then was transferred to Regency Rehabilitation Center, in Hermiston. Because Brent lives alone in a mobile home with steps to the entrance, he could not be released from the rehabilitation facility without special assistance. Boardman resident Joe Powell, who has been a friend of Brent Dean’s for years, got on Facebook and began gathering other friends to solve the problem. Before long, Joe Powell was joined by Mic Town, Smokey Joe Wightman, Fabian Meza, John Tompkins, Stan Henkle and Doug Pope, who de-
veloped a plan. Donations came from Home Depot, Pacific Ethanol, Seco Pallets, W.I. Inc. and other firms that wished to remain anonymous. The group built a ramp to Brent’s front door which will accommodate a wheelchair, walker, or someone who just needs a little help up the incline. Metal handrails (also donated) provide handy assistance, too! Dean was at a loss for words to thank the fine group who came to his rescue, but wanted to let everyone know how thankful he is for his good friends and the community support. Brent Dean’s business, Why Not Upholstery, has provided fine upholstery services since 1962, and in the Boardman area for 19 years. He has a wide selection of upholstery fabrics to choose from, and also uses his commercial sewing machines to stitch up boat covers, car seats and all sorts of furniture and much more. Brent can be reached at #2 Hilltop Drive, Boardman, phone 481-2781.