Evening star., 1948-09-12

'Congress formally opened yesterday
an exhibition which is the eighth IN
a series of major displays there. sig
Inalizing important anniversaries in
the histories of the States. Not all
the State exhibitions have been mo-
Iticed in these columns, because their
Interest in some cases lay wholly IN
other fields than art. But Oregon's
centennial includes large number
of drawings and Autographs by ar.
fists who accompanied the exploring
and surveying expeditions. The ex-
Inhibition will remain for five months.
(To close February II, l949o
From the wealth of pictorial ma
Iterials about Oregon's history, the
library selected a colored lithograph,
The American Village" as its ex-
hibit of the week of August 1920,
which commemorated the signing by
President James K Polk of the Act
Iof Congress establishing the govern
ment Of the Territory of Oregon,
August IA, l848. This print, now
part of the newly opened exhibition,
shows Oregon City on the Villa
mette River, as it appeared in the
l840s Just before it became the capi-
tai of the newly created territory.
The original sketch was made by
British Capt. Henry James Warre,
who in 1S45 was sent to survey con-
ditions in Oregon, then under joint
British and American occupation.
Several drawings he mace at the
time were published in London IN
ls48 in his sketches in North
America and the oregon Territory"
This Introductory series of litho-
graphs in the exhibition, transmit
the vivid impression made upon
early visitors by Oregon's majestic
mountain, river and valley scenery,
fur traders posts, and Indian GUS
toms which seemed very strange
when first encountered. .,
Among the missionaries who
Ispearheaded the great overland mi
grafton which secured oregon for
the United States. was Father Pierre
Jean De Smet. whose illustrated re-
port OF his adventures is an out-
standing book in the exhibition,
which also includes views of mis-
sions and old churches. made by ar
fists ON exploring expeditions, and by
modern photographers.
In the 1850s, agitation for Pa
cific railroad moved the Federal
Government to send parties to sur
vey possible routes. Two expeditions
went into Oregon-one from the
south, through the klamath country,
another following the Spokane and
Columbia Rivers. In official reports
of these expeditions. the sketches OF
artists who accompanied the sur
veyors, were published as tinted
Autographs, many of which are on
view.
Through these old prints we see
Oregon as pioneers saw it, forts,
Indian encampments, burial places.
fisheries and magnificent Mount
Hood and other features of the land
Iscape panorama, which multitudes OF
tourists today.
Besides these Autographs of ap-
proximately century ago, depicting
primitive Oregon, later tinted litho-
graphs in the exhibition depict its
cities in the 1s70s. with their mills
and shipping. representing the be-
ginnings Of the modern States in
dustry.
| Besides the drawings, Autographs
and other art exhibits, there are rare
books, manuscripts, maps, photo
graphs. newspapers and music (all
from the Library's collections as
well as loans from other government
| tai agencies and private and civic
institutions in Oregon, totaling BAL
items in the show. Eighteen of these
are illustrated in the complete cata-
logue Of the exhibition, which also
contains the text of an address on
| Oregon's history.