Oregon Historical Society and Newspace Center for Photography Present Unearthed

Friday, August 07, 2015

Briauna Skye McKizzie, GoLocalPDX Contributor

The photos were all painstakingly colored by hand. Photo Credit: Myostis; Peter Kerr, country garden, no. 3163, Portland Garden Club Collection, Oregon Historical Society (Image Cropped)

Earlier this week, The Oregon Historical Society (OHS) and Newspace Center for Photography announced the upcoming opening of their exhibit Unearthed, which opens Friday, August 7th.

Unearthed is a collection of images created by George C. Stephenson (1866-1940), the official photographer of Portland Garden Club (PGC) during the early 1900's. Stephenson created this group of photographs of Portland gardens over the span of fifteen years, 1920-1935.

The collection was created for the PGC, in an effort to record something beautiful in the aftermath of the First World War. Stephenson created images of some of the most beloved gardens at that time, such as the gardens at Kerr and Frank Estates. Later, the photos were all painstakingly colored by hand.

At the exhibit, enlargements of the original photographs and the originals will be on display.

This will be a unique and free exhibit that reminds visitors of Oregon’s history and the beauty that exists even in times of unrest.

Unearthed Exhibit on display at Newspace Center for Photography, 1632 SE 10th Ave. Friday, August 7th through Saturday, September 26.

Homepage Photo Credit: Azalea border, Van E. Anderson, no-3494, Portland Garden Club Collection, Oregon Historical Society

Related Slideshow: Oregon Black Pioneers Exhibition Opening at Oregon Historical Society

The Oregon Black Pioneers have partnered with the Oregon Historical Society to present a Community on the Move, an in-depth exhibit about the impact of WWII Shipyards, the Vanport Flood, and urban renewal programs on Portland-area black families and businesses in the 1940s and 50s.

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The state’s premier Black heritage organization is dedicated to illuminating African Americans’ contributions to Oregon’s history through research, publications, exhibits, and community outreach. The organization’s newest exhibition, A Community on the Move, directly builds on two highly successful collaborations with the Oregon Historical Society and reflects the all-volunteer organization’s increasing capacity to create meaningful opportunities for community dialogue and learning.

Launching Tuskegee Victory Ship, 1946

Photo Credit: Oregon Historical Society (image cropped)