Oregon Historical Society

THE OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY HAS BEEN COLLECTING, PRESERVING, EXHIBITING AND PUBLISHING OREGON'S HISTORY FOR OVER 100 YEARS. TODAY, THE SOCIETY'S COMPLEX IS A LANDMARK IN THE HEART OF PORTLAND'S CULTURAL DISTRICT, AND OFFERS OREGON'S RICH MULTICULTURAL HISTORY THROUGH MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS, RESEARCH COLLECTIONS, PUBLICATIONS AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS.

EXHIBITS - OHS COLLECTS, PRESERVES, DOCUMENTS, AND EXHIBITS THE STATE'S MATERIAL CULTURE WITH MORE THAN 85,000 ARTIFACTS. ITS MAJOR PERMANENT EXHIBITION, THE AWARD WINNING EXPERIENCE OREGON EXHIBIT OPENED TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC ON FEBRUARY 14, 2019, ON OREGON'S 160TH BIRTHDAY. A DYNAMIC EDUCATIONAL EXHIBIT, EXPERIENCE OREGON ALLOWS VISITORS TO LEARN ABOUT THE COUNTLESS PEOPLE, PLACES AND EVENTS THAT HAVE SHAPED OREGON.THE 2023 OHS EXHIBIT SERIES PORTRAYED CONNECTIONS TO THE PAST AND TO ONE ANOTHER THROUGH VARIOUS ART FORMS. THE PHOTOGRAPHY, PAINTINGS, AND MUSIC WERE SELECTED TO GIVE A SENSE OF TIME, PLACE, AND WHO WE ARE. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.2023'S INFORMATIVE EXHIBITS INCLUDED: THE MAZAMAS: FOR THE LOVE OF MOUNTAINS; OUR UNFINISHED PAST: THE OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY AT 125; CELEBRATING BIRDS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST; PORTLAND PAST AND PRESENT; SAGEBRUSH TO STUMPTOWN: PORTLAND YOUTH PHILHARMONIC'S ASTONISHING FIRST CENTURY; BIRDS OF THE PACIFIC COAST: THE ILLUSTRATIONS OF R. BRUCE HORSFALL; THE CORNERSTONE OF OUR CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY: A CENTURY OF THE OREGON-COLUMBIA CHAPTER OF THE ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS; SO READY FOR LAUGHTER: THE LEGACY OF BOB HOPE, A TRAVELING EXHIBIT FROM THE NATIONAL WWII MUSEUM.THE STORIES COMMUNICATED BY OUR EXHIBITS ARE NOT CONFINED BY OUR MUSEUM WALLS. IN ADDITION TO BECOMING THE INSPIRATION FOR TRAVELING EXHIBITS, OUR MUSEUM EXHIBITS ALSO SERVE AS JUMPING OFF POINTS FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION. THEY OFTEN ARE PAIRED WITH IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING, USED BY THE OHS EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO CREATE CURRICULA, AND TO LEAD GUESTS TO DIG DEEPER INTO A SUBJECT USING THE OHS RESOURCES AVAILABLE ONLINE, INCLUDING DIGITIZED PRIMARY SOURCES AND DIGITAL HISTORY WEBSITES LIKE THE OREGON ENCYCLOPEDIA.ON-SITE EXHIBITS ARE SHOWN IN ITS SEVEN GALLERIES. THE SOCIETY ALSO LOANS OBJECTS TO MORE THAN 30 HISTORICAL INSTITUTIONS ON A YEARLY BASIS. IN 2023, 34,800 IN-PERSON VISITORS CAME TO THE OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY TO VIEW ITS EXHIBITS AND PARTICIPATE IN VARIOUS PROGRAMS.OHS OFFERS TRAVELING EXHIBITS, AN IN-PERSON OUTREACH PROGRAM, TO HOST LOCATIONS MAKING OREGON HISTORY ACCESSIBLE TO AUDIENCES OF ALL AGES AND EXPERIENCE ACROSS THE STATE. IN 2023 ALL TRAVELING EXHIBITS WERE OFFERED FREE OF CHARGE. IN 2023 OHS INTRODUCED TWO NEW TRAVELING EXHIBITS AND OVER 10,000 PEOPLE SAW OUR TRAVELING EXHIBITS IN 17 DIFFERENT LOCATIONS FROM THE OREGON COAST TO EASTERN OREGON.

RESEARCH SERVICES - THE OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY RESEARCH LIBRARY IS ONE OF THE LARGEST HISTORICAL LIBRARIES IN THE COUNTRY AND MAINTAINS AN UNPARALLELED COLLECTION RELATING TO THE HISTORY OF OREGON AND THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. ITS HOLDINGS INCLUDE THOUSANDS OF BOOKS, GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS, AND SERIALS; MAPS; MANUSCRIPT COLLECTIONS; ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEWS AND OTHER SOUND RECORDINGS; AS WELL AS MILLIONS OF PHOTOGRAPHS; MILLIONS OF FEET OF ARCHIVAL FILM FOOTAGE; AND A GROWING COLLECTION OF DIGITIZED AND BORN-DIGITAL IMAGES, DOCUMENTS, SOUND, AND VIDEO.CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.THESE COLLECTIONS BROADEN AND ENRICH THE UNDERSTANDING AND INTERPRETATION OF THE CULTURAL, POLITICAL, RELIGIOUS, SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, SCIENTIFIC, AND TECHNOLOGICAL LIFE IN OREGON. OHS'S RESEARCH LIBRARY REOPENED IN OCTOBER OF 2021 FOLLOWING NEARLY TWO YEARS OF RENOVATION. THE NEW LIBRARY SPACE FEATURES A MODERNIZED READING ROOM, WITH ENHANCEMENTS FOR RESEARCHERS INCLUDING A RECONFIGURED REFERENCE DESK, A NEW MAP AND ARCHITECTURE VIEWING STATION, TECH HUB, AND PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT PROMOTE ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSION FOR ALL USERS. A HIGHLIGHT OF THE NEW SPACE IS THE PIETRO BELLUSCHI ARCHITECTURAL RESOURCE CENTER, WHICH WILL PROVIDE A FOCAL POINT TO HIGHLIGHT THE LIBRARY'S ARCHITECTURAL COLLECTIONS AND A WELL-EQUIPPED MEETING SPACE FOR INSTRUCTION.THE RESEARCH LIBRARY ONLINE CATALOGUE IS THE PRIMARY POINT OF DISCOVERY FOR RESEARCHERS SEEKING TO USE ITS HOLDINGS. ARCHIVAL COLLECTIONS ARE ALSO DESCRIBED IN MORE DETAIL IN ARCHIVESWEST, AN ONLINE CONSORTIAL RESOURCE FOR ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND MOUNTAIN STATES. THE LIBRARY'S DIGITAL ARCHIVE, OHS DIGITAL COLLECTIONS, PROVIDES DIRECT ONLINE ACCESS WORLDWIDE. A ROBUST SUITE OF DIGITAL HISTORY WEBSITES, INCLUDING THE OREGON HISTORY PROJECT, THE OREGON ENCYCLOPEDIA, AND THE OREGON HISTORY WAYFINDER, PROVIDE PRIMARY SOURCES AND AUTHORITATIVE CONTENT THAT SUPPORT EDUCATION AND RESEARCH, WITH BROAD APPEAL TO A GENERAL AUDIENCE. COMBINED, OVER 91,000 USERS VIEWED NEARLY 429,000 PAGES ON THESE SITES IN 2023.THE RESEARCH LIBRARY PROVIDES RESEARCH SUPPORT TO ALL SOCIETY PROGRAMS AND DEPARTMENTS AND COLLABORATES WIDELY WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS FROM AROUND THE STATE. THE SOCIETY ALSO PUBLISHES THE OREGON HISTORICAL QUARTERLY, WHICH HAS BEEN A BENEFIT OF MEMBERSHIP SINCE 1900. THE QUARTERLY IS A PEER-REVIEWED, PUBLIC HISTORY JOURNAL THAT BRINGS DOCUMENTED HISTORY ABOUT OREGON AND THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TO BOTH SCHOLARS AND THE GENERAL AUDIENCE. THE QUARTERLY IS SUPPORTED BY AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE COMPRISED OF SCHOLARS, PUBLIC HISTORIANS, AND EDUCATORS FROM THROUGHOUT THE STATE.

EDUCATION - THE EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT AT OHS PROVIDES SCHOOL-GROUP TOURS OF EXHIBITIONS, TRAVELING TRUNKS, CURRICULUM, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING, WITH A FOCUS ON GRADES K-12. OHS OFFERS 6 TRAVELING TRUNKS ON URBAN, RURAL, AND MULTICULTURAL TOPICS, EACH FILLED WITH OBJECTS AND IMAGES FOR HANDS-ON AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING, TRAVELING THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF OREGON TO GRADES K-12 CLASSROOMS. OHS CREATES CURRICULUM AND OTHER CLASSROOM-READY RESOURCES THAT HELP EDUCATORS MEET OREGON'S SCIENCES STANDARDS INTEGRATED WITH ETHNIC STUDIES AND PROVIDES IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL TRAINING TO EDUCATORS ACROSS THE STATE.CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ALSO MANAGES THE OREGON HISTORY DAY PROGRAM, WHICH IS A PART OF THE RENOWNED, AWARD-WINNING NATIONAL HISTORY DAY PROGRAM. IN 2023, THE OREGON HISTORY DAY CONTEST TOOK PLACE IN PERSON FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2019. APPROXIMATELY TWO DOZEN TEACHERS AND ABOUT TWELVE SCHOOLS REPRESENTING FOURTEEN COMMUNITIES BROUGHT 98 STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN OREGON HISTORY DAY IN 2023. THE STUDENTS PRESENTED THEIR HISTORICAL RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS THROUGH AN EXHIBIT, WEBSITE, DOCUMENTARY, PERFORMANCE OR PAPER ENTRY. DOZENS OF VOLUNTEER JUDGES SCORED THE PROJECTS AND PROVIDED FEEDBACK. IN JUNE 2023, 34 STUDENTS FROM OREGON TRAVELED TO WASHINGTON, D.C TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NATIONAL CONTEST.OHS SERVED 425 STUDENTS ON EXHIBITION TOURS IN 2023. OHS PROVIDES A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER TO EDUCATORS INFORMING THEM OF WORKSHOPS AND RESOURCES THAT WILL ASSIST THEM IN THE CLASSROOM.