New Episode of Oregon Experience, Airing November 10, Recounts Visual Legacy of Columbia River Gorge Photographers

The beauty and magic of the Columbia River Gorge has attracted photographers for more than 150 years. Oregon Public Broadcasting, in collaboration with the Oregon Historical Society and the Portland Art Museum, presents an hour-long Oregon Experience chronicling the history of the Gorge with rarely seen images crafted by Carleton Watkins, Sarah Ladd, Benjamin Gifford, Al Monner and many others. These early photographers left a stunning visual legacy through images still considered among the greatest landscape photos ever made. Tune in to the stations of OPB on Monday, November 10 at 9pm (rebroadcast on Sunday, November 16 at 1pm).

Carleton Watkins was the first significant photographer to visit the Gorge. He arrived in 1867 and traveled by steamboat and portage railroads upriver and down. He was also a master of large format landscape photography using wet-plate technology -- a remarkable undertaking that meant transporting large amounts of chemicals, a dark tent and heavy glass plates used to make negatives in the field. His photographs offer a glimpse into what life was like in the Gorge during the latter half of the 19th century.

Many photographers -- both amateur and professional -- would follow, each offering a unique look at the landscape, business and industry that was developing in the Gorge.

"The River They Saw" uses an astounding collection of photographs to reveal the immense salmon runs at Celilo Falls, the early canneries and fish wheels. This visual history shows how travelers navigated the untamed river and how technology changed the Gorge with the building of locks and canals, the Columbia Gorge highway and the dams at Bonneville and The Dalles.

Viewers are encouraged to visit the Portland Art Museum to experience the concurrent exhibition "Wild Beauty: Photographs of the Columbia River Gorge, 1867-1957." This stunning selection of historic images, on view at the Museum October 4, 2008-January 11, 2009, features photographs by several of the artists showcased in Oregon Experience: "The River They Saw". An Oregon Historical Society exhibit also running October 4-January 11 features Carleton Watkins' stereoviews of the Columbia River Gorge. The Oregon History Museum will display nearly 100 photographs of the Columbia River Gorge that Watkins printed in the popular, 19th-century stereoscopic format -- two identical photos mounted together that, when viewed through a special lens, make the image become three-dimensional.

About Oregon Experience
Oregon Experience is an exciting history series on OPB that brings to life fascinating stories that help us understand who we are and that reinforce our shared identity as Oregonians. The series, co-produced by the Oregon Historical Society and Oregon Public Broadcasting, takes advantage of the extensive film, video and stills from the archives of OHS and OPB, and draws upon the expertise of OHS researchers and historians. Each show features captivating characters -- both familiar and forgotten -- who have played key roles in building our state into the unique place we call home. Funding for Oregon Experience is provided in part by Ann & Bill Swindells Charitable Trust, James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation and Oregon Cultural Trust.

New Episode of Oregon Experience, Airing November 3, Tells Local Story of the Civilian Conservation Corps

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Civilian Conservation Corps, one of the most popular of the New Deal relief programs installed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt shortly after his inauguration in 1933. The next Oregon Experience tells the story of the organization that put millions of unemployed young men to work improving federal and state lands during the Great Depression, and reintroduces us to some of its work that is still being enjoyed to this day throughout Oregon. Tune in to the stations of Oregon Public Broadcasting on Monday, November 3 at 9pm (and Sunday, November 9 at 1pm) for a fascinating look at how the program accomplished so much during its short existence.

Five days after his inauguration, President Franklin D. Roosevelt called an emergency session of Congress to install the Conservation Civilian Corps -- known as the CCC. The program targeted unemployed young men, veterans and American Indians who were hard hit by the Great Depression. The "CCC boys," as they were called, were required to send a portion of their money home to their parents. In addition to their wage, the boys received free education, healthcare and job training.

Oregon hosted dozens of CCC camps all over the state. Among their many projects, enrollees fought fires on the Tillamook Burns, helped build ski areas on Mt. Hood, built telephone and electrical wires, and improved farm lands.

This episode of Oregon Experience tells the story of some of the "CCC boys." Recent interviews with former CCC workers, archival film and photos paint a captivating picture of the program that put millions to work on federal and state land for the "prevention of forest fires, floods, and soil erosion, plant, pest, and disease control." Nationwide, enrollees planted three billion trees and came to be known as the Tree Army.

About Oregon Experience
Oregon Experience is an exciting history series on OPB that brings to life fascinating stories that help us understand who we are and that reinforce our shared identity as Oregonians. The series, co-produced by the Oregon Historical Society and Oregon Public Broadcasting, takes advantage of the extensive film, video and stills from the archives of OHS and OPB, and draws upon the expertise of OHS researchers and historians. Each show features captivating characters -- both familiar and forgotten -- who have played key roles in building our state into the unique place we call home. Funding for Oregon Experience is provided in part by Ann & Bill Swindells Charitable Trust, James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation and Oregon Cultural Trust.

Environmental Journalists Recognize Oregon Field Guide

The National Society of Environmental Journalists has awarded Oregon Field Guide third place in the "Outstanding Beat/In-Depth Reporting, Television" category for a series of four stories that aired this past season.

Said the judges: "The Oregon Field Guide was like picking up a fishing pole, grabbing a bucket of worms and listening to beautiful stories told by my grandfather all day. To watch these stories was to be there in the moment, experiencing it as it happened. Simply beautiful storytelling. Oregon Field Guide showed us things this panel had never heard of. More important, this program did what documentaries do best. They made a point to stay after everybody else left. By doing that, they were able to report beyond the headlines and were able to prove everybody wrong."

Field Guide staff, Vince Patton, Todd Sonflieth, Nick Fisher and Michael Bendixen, were recognized for stories on the Marmot Dam removal, the Opal Creek "living classroom," ice worms on Mt. Rainier and a toad rescue in Sun River. Steve Amen is executive producer and host.

Video clips of the stories featured on Field Guide can be viewed online immediately following the broadcast.

About Oregon Field Guide
In its 20th season, Oregon Field Guide remains a valuable source of information about outdoor recreation, ecological issues, natural resources and travel destinations. Oregon Field Guide airs Thursday evenings at 8:30pm on the television stations of Oregon Public Broadcasting and repeats on Sunday evenings at 6:30pm. In the Mountain Time zone of Eastern Oregon, the program airs at 9:30pm Thursdays, and at 7:30pm Sundays.

OPB to Hold Open House

Bring your camera and take a picture with Curious George. Meet your favorite OPB personalities. Climb aboard and take a free ride on the historic Willamette Shore Trolley. The trolley will depart every 30 minutes. Get a behind-the-scenes look at OPB by taking a tour of our studios. Spin the prize wheel! Watch our crew in action as they tape live musical performances for Oregon Art Beat with Gary Ogan and Bill Lamb (11:30am) and Pete Krebs Trio (1:30pm). Visit OPB's Open House Web page for more information.

Saturday, October 18, 11am-3pm
OPB Headquarters
7140 SW Macadam Avenue, Portland
Please go to OPB's Open House Web page for details.

OPB Announces New Morning Edition Host

Oregon Public Broadcasting announces that Geoff Norcross will join OPB Radio as the new Morning Edition host. Norcross, who was selected after a nationwide search, will fill the position previously occupied by April Baer.

Before coming to Portland, Norcross worked as the program director and local host of All Things Considered at NPR affiliate KNAU in Flagstaff, Arizona. Over the course of his career, he has accumulated awards such as the Best Interview from the Public Radio News Directors Association and Murrow Awards for Best Feature Reporting and Best Documentary.

"Geoff will be a great addition to our staff," said Morgan Holm, vice president of News and Public Affairs. "He brings great experience, a passion for the Northwest and a deep commitment for public radio to OPB's Morning Edition broadcast. I'm looking forward to hearing him every morning as a new voice for our local news content."

Norcross will officially begin work at OPB the week of October 6. In the meantime, listeners can follow his transition from Flagstaff to Portland via his personal blog, which chronicles the move.