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<FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>Dear Directors: Here is an announcement from John Laursen of the Northwest Photography Archive about a free copy of his recent book <I>Wild Beauty </I>coming your way, as well as an opportunity to have John present a program on the book at your library. The State Library is assisting with the distribution. Most of you that use the Orbis Cascade courier will be receiving your copy on the courier. I hope you will be watching for it. Here is John’s message .... --> Jim<BR>
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<HR ALIGN=CENTER SIZE="3" WIDTH="95%">Dear Oregon Public Library Directors:<BR>
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<I>Wild Beauty: Photographs of the Columbia River Gorge, 1867–1957</I> was published last fall by the Northwest Photography Archive and Oregon State University Press. Co-authored by John Laursen and the late Terry Toedtemeier, longtime curator of photography at the Portland Art Museum, the book presents 134 beautifully reproduced photographs of the Gorge accompanied by a lively and insightful text that places the pictures in their cultural and historical context. Designed, printed, and bound in Oregon (rather than being produced in Asia, as most large-format photography books are), <I>Wild Beauty</I> led to a hugely successful exhibition at the Portland Art Museum and an hour-long <I>Oregon Experience</I> documentary on Oregon Public Broadcasting, <I>The River They Saw</I>. The book has been widely acclaimed, including winning a Pacific Northwest Book Award from the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association. Jeff Baker, book critic at the <I>Oregonian</I>, named it the best Northwest book of 2008.<BR>
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The publishers, with a generous grant from the Collins Foundation and with the assistance of the State Library, are donating a copy of this clothbound book (retail $75.00) free of charge to every public library and branch in Oregon. Your library should be receiving its complimentary copy(ies) in the next couple of months.<BR>
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In conjunction with this effort and again with financial help from the Collins Foundation, the Northwest Photography Archive and <I>Wild Beauty</I> co-author John Laursen are offering to give a slide presentation on the book and the photographs at half a dozen or so libraries in communities large and small around the state. These presentations, lasting around an hour and with ample time for audience questions, have been well received at venues including Powell’s Books, the Pendleton Center for the Arts, and Columbia Center for the Arts in Hood River. <BR>
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There is no charge to participating libraries for this opportunity, although the Archive would welcome contributions toward travel expenses. Host libraries will be expected to publicize the presentations in their communities well in advance. A poster in PDF format will be made available, which can be printed, emailed, and/or posted on the web. If you are interested in hosting a presentation, please email info@northwestphotography.org <a href="mailto:john@northwestphotography.org"><mailto:john@northwestphotography.org></a> or call 503-231-6360.<BR>
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Best regards,<BR>
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John Laursen<BR>
Northwest Photography Archive<BR>
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