OHY_LOT1048 Guide to the Marian Wood Kolisch collection circa 1972-2008 Kolisch (Marian Wood) Collection Collection processed by Jennifer Strayer; finding aid prepared by Jennifer Strayer, Marianna Symeonides, and Geoffrey B. Wexler Oregon Historical Society, Research Library 2007; 2012 Finding aid encoded by Geoffrey B. Wexler and Marianna Symeonides June 23, 2012 Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard) 2018 August Revised to reflect that prints removed for 2012 exhibit has been returned to folder, and that audiocassettes belong in Oral History collections. 2024-April Revised to remove excerpts from taped interviews (previously Box 3, Folder 5), which were transferred to be part of SR 1759, the audio recording of the interviews. Removed references to audio recordings from scope and content note in order to clarify that these recordings were transferred to the library's sound collections and are not part of this collection. Oregon Historical Society, Davies Family Research Library Research Library Org. Lot 1048 Kolisch, Marian W. Marian Wood Kolisch collection circa 1972-2008 7.25 cubic feet 10 document cases, 1 card file box, 7 flat boxes, 1 oversize folder Photographic prints, negatives, slides, correspondence, and subject files created by Portland, Oregon, photographer Marian Wood Kolisch. Includes images of Oregonians prominent in culture, politics, and business. English Biographica Note

Marian Wood Kolisch (1920-2008) lived most of her life in Portland, Oregon. Her paternal grandfather was Charles Erskine Scott Wood (1852-1944), a soldier, lawyer, poet, painter, and local celebrity who was central to Portland's cultural life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As a young woman Marian Kolisch took an interest in acting. However, financial considerations led her to attend the Katherine Gibbs secretarial school in Boston, and she worked for a time in a law firm after returning to Portland. At the same time she pursued acting on an amateur basis, appearing in productions at the Portland Civic Theatre. In 1943 she married lawyer J. Pierre Kolisch, and the couple lived at first in upstate New York, where they had two daughters, Christine and Leslie. In 1952 the family moved to Portland, Oregon, where Pierre opened his own law firm and the couple had a third child, Pierre, Jr. Although Marian now focused her energies on raising her children, she continued to take an active interest in the arts.

In 1972 Marian Kolisch began a career in photography. She had been a creative individual her entire life but did not find her professional niche until age fifty-two. She studied with prominent photographers, including Ansel Adams and Arnold Newman. Although she experimented with many photographic genres -- including landscape, street photography, and still life -- like Newman, her specialty was environmental portraiture where the subject is photographed in his or her own environment. Using environmental portraiture and recorded interviews Kolisch produced her best known body of work: documentation of Oregon’s creative class. Included in this undertaking were Pietro Belluschi, Thomas Vaughan, John Yeon, Arlene Schnitzer, and LaVerne Krause. Later, she photographed the next generation of creative Oregonians, capturing the likenesses of Gus Van Sant, Henk Pander, and Jamey Hampton, among others. She photographed her last subject, Senator Mark Hatfield, in 2003.

The collection consists primarily of Marian Wood Kolisch's photographic work, including both prints and negatives (plus some original slides). Most of the prints were made by Kolisch herself and represent about 10 percent of her opus. Most of her other work can be found in the contact sheets and negatives. The collection also contains some of Kolisch's correspondence and subject files, including letters from important photographers like Ansel Adams.

The collection is arranged in the following series: Series 1: Photographs Series 2: Reference files

Collection is open for research.

The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.

Rights of reproduction for some of the materials are held by the Portland Art Museum and certain individuals, including members of the Kolisch family. See collection file for details.

Marian Wood Kolisch collection, Org. Lot 1048, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

In April 2024, the contents of a folder titled "Excerpts from taped interviews" (previously Box 3, Folder 5) were transferred to a sound collection at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library, SR 1759, which consists of the audio recording associated with the excerpts.

Materials in the collection were gathered and preserved by Leslie Kolisch, daughter of Marian Wood Kolisch.

Acquired March 2011, Library Accession 27312.

Two VHS video cassettes were transferred to the Moving Image Collection, Oregon Historical Society: "Interview : Ursula LeGuin," and "Ansel Adams 2002."

Jennifer Strayer, "The late-life career of Marian Wood Kolisch," Oregon Historical Quarterly 13:1 (Spring 2012), p. 62-89.

Oral histories and other audio recordings by and about Marian Wood Kolisch are held in sound collections, the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

 Kolisch, Marian W. Portland (Or.)--Photographs. Photographers--Oregon Musicians--Oregon--Photographs Artists--Oregon--Photographs Dancers--Oregon--Photographs Women--Oregon--Photographs Women photographers--Oregon Oregon Portland Women Photographs photographs negatives (photographic) Series 1 Photographs circa 1973-2003

Due to the various sizes of the prints and their containers, there are several alphabetical sequences of names. Boxes are designated with the following prefixes: No prefix : standard document case OSA: oversize box, size A OSB: oversize box, size B OSC: oversize box, size C CFB: card file box Oversize folder: folder housed in flat file drawer

Portraits 1/1 Ansel Adams - Rick Bartow circa 1975-1995

Ansel Adams Aubrey Jacob Avshalomov Melissa Babson Mrs. Bailey Ellie Waterston Bartow Rick Bartow

1/2 Mary Beebe - Alice Biddle circa 1975-1995

Mary Beebe Pietro Belluschi Julie Bernard Ruth Bernhard Tina Betts and Ashley Roland Alice Biddle

1/3 Jerry Bidwell - Alfred Carpenter circa 1975-1995

Jerry Bidwell Geraldine (Geri) Pope Bidwell Ivan Bloch Angus Bowmer and J. Pierre Kolisch Richard Brown John and Lucy Buchanan Margaret Cabell Bob Campbell Cornell Capa Alfred Carpenter

1/4 Martha Casanave - Bill Foster circa 1975-1995

Martha Cassanave Ted Catlin Archie Christie Mayor Bud Clark Lucien Clergue Gretchen Corbett (elder) Gretchen Corbett (younger) Imogen Cunningham James DePreist Christopher Devereaux Helena Biddle Dick Spencer Dick Mr. Dinihinian Aunt Emma (and unidentified man) William Everson Bill Foster Bill Foster, Sally Lawrence, and Pierre

1/5 Ralph Gibson - Jamie Hampton circa 1975-1995

Ralph Gibson Alix Meier Goodman family Herb Goodman Mrs. Punch Green and Mrs. Eric Hoffman Lois Greenfield Rachael Griffin Sally Haley Tori Hall Tori Hall [and 2 children] Cynthia Hampton Jamie Hampton Jamie Hampton and Cynthia Quinn Jamie Hampton and unknown woman

1/6 Tom Hardy - Laverne Krause circa 1975-1995

Tom Hardy Ruth Hart Mark Hatfield Eric Hoffman Ronna Hoffman William Jamison Peter and Barbara Jenkins Jenkins family Gene Jenkins and family Margaret E. Jennings Kitty Johnston Katmandu [probably the place, not a name] Kelly Kennedy Leta Kennedy [Sally?] Key Alice Kilham Governor John Kitzhaber Leslie Bonney Kolisch Marian Wood Kolisch [including self-portraits] Marian Wood Kolisch with unknown woman Marian Wood Kolisch with unknown man J. Pierre Kolisch J. Pierre Kolisch and Ruth Livingston LaVerne Krause

1/7 Eleanor Langer - Mary Ellen Mark circa 1975-2003

Elinor Langer Jacques-Henri Lartigue and Florette Lartigue [photocopy] Sally Lawrence Patricia LeGai Patricia LeGai and family Urusla LeGuin Lindsay Bruce Livingston Ken Livingston Ruth Livingston Brad Look Ned Look E. Kimbark MacCall Paula Madden Mario Mary Ellen Mark

1/8 Michael Mather - Elizabeth Morrow circa 1975-1995

Michael Mathers Petra Mathers (see also Oversize Folder) Governor Tom and Audrey McCall Governor Tom McCall Sir James McDonald Frances McGill Pam Meyer Mijou Carl Morris Hilda Morris Elizabeth Morrow

1/9 Arnold Newman - Nancy Stonington circa 1975-1995

Arnold Newman Churck Newport and Ellen Wood Robert Noyes Sr. Robert Noyes and Libby Henk Pander Sara Perry Sara Perry and unknown woman Sara Perry and unknown woman and child David Platt wedding Mike Powell Cynthia Quinn Dan Reed Rosenberg [couple] Ashley Rowland Ariel Rubstein Jacqueline Shumacher Margery Hoffman Smith and two unknown subjects Margery Hoffman Smith Mark Spahr Mary [at] Palm Springs Chessie Stevensen Mark Stevensen Stevensen [couple] Nancy Stonington

2/1 Marshal Swearington - John Yeon circa 1975-2002

Marshal Swearington Marshal and Jeanne Swearington Ernest Swigert Ann Thatcher Margaret Voorhies Thompson Gus Van Sant Thomas Vaughan Bob Warren and family Brett Weston Patricia Wheeler Milton Wilson Alice Howe Wood Ellen Wood Erskine Wood John Wood Margie Wood John Yeon

2/2 Ric Young - Unknown (includes images identifed as Ric Young; Class Halloween; and Claire and Andre in Paris) circa 1975-1995 2/3 Nudes/body builders/unknown dancers circa 1975-1995 OSA-1/1 Ansel Adams - Martha Casaneve circa 1975-1997

Ansel Adams Mrs. Ausplind [i.e. Ausplund] -- see also Tooze in series "Negatives." Melissa Babson Rick Bartow Beebe Pietro Belluschi Geraldine (Geri) Bidwell and Tiger Warren Geraldine (Geri) Bidwell Jerry Bidwell John Bledsoe Richard Brown John and Lucy Buchanan Margaret Cabell Bob Campbell Martha Casaneve

OSA-1/2 Isabella Chappell - Lois Greenfield circa 1975-1997

Isabella Chappell Archie Christie J. E. "Bud" Clark Lucien Clergue Gretchen Corbett Wait Curtiss Mattie Cy's daughter Mattie Cy Dally Judy Dater Robertson Davies James DePreist Kristy Edmonds Barbara Feely Bill Foster, Sally Laurence and Pierre Ralph Gibson Herb Goodman Lois Greenfield

OSA-1/3 Alan Hart - Bruce Livingston circa 1975-2003

Alan Hart Mark Hatfield Sally Haley Tom Hardy Peter and Barbara Jenkins Margaret E. Jennings Jenelle Lee Kelly Kelly Kennedy Governor John Kitzhaber Pierre, Leslie, and Christine Kolisch Leslie Kolisch Marian Wood Kolisch by Charles Tompkins Marian Wood Kolisch self portrait Pierre Kolisch Patricia LeGai Ursula LeGuin Bruce Livingston

OSA-1/4 Paula Madden - John Yeon circa 1975-1995

Paula Madden Mary Ellen Mark Michael Mathers Petra Mathers (see also Oversize Folder) Sir James McDonald Pam Meyer Ken and Pam Meyer Carl Morris Hilda Morris Chuck Newport and Ellen Wood Dan Reed Rosenberg Ashley Rowland Ariel Rubstein Arlene Schnitzer Jacqueline Schumacher Susan and Bob Summer Marshal and Jeanne Swearingen Ernest Charles Swigert Margaret Voorhies Thompson Gus Van Sant Thomas Vaughan Ellen Waterston Erskine Wood Sr Margie Adams (Wood) John Yeon

OSA-2/1 Morley Baer - Ivie Best circa 1974-1995

Morley Baer Pietro Belluschi Ruth Bernhard Mrs. Biddle Ivie Best

OSA-2/2 Ivan Bloch - Alfred Carpenter circa 1974-1995

Ivan Bloch Mrs. Henry [Margaret] Cabell Bob Campbell Alfred Carpenter

OSA-2/3 Gretchen Corbett - Maria Kolisch circa 1974-1995

Gretchen Corbett M. Dinihinian Aunt Emma Maria Kolisch

OSA-2/4 Ken Livingston - Elizabeth Morrow circa 1974-1995

Ken Livingston Michael Mather Carl Morris Elizabeth Morrow

OSA-2/5 Robert Noyes Sr. - Larry Smith circa 1974-1995

Robert Noyes Sr. Nursing home series Larry Smith

OSA-2/6 Margaret Hoffman Smith - John Wood circa 1974-1995

Margaret [Margery] Hoffman Smith Marshal and Jeanne Swearingen Brett Weston Margery Wickman John Wood

OSA-2/7 Unknown (includes images identified as Class Halloween, Yosemite workshop) circa 1974-1995 OSB-1/1 Melissa Babson 1993 OSB-1/2 Geri Pope Bidwell - Lois Greenfield circa 1975-1995

Geri Pope Bidwell Richard Brown Martha Pearson Casaneve Bud Clark Lucien Clergue William Everson Barbara Fealy Lois Greenfield

OSB-1/3 Salley Haley - James McDonald circa 1975-1995

Sally Haley Allan Hart Carolyn Kato Pierre Kolisch with daughters Leslie and Christine Patricia LeGai Ursula LeGuin Steve Lowenstein Chief of Police Chuck Mansfield Petra Mathers Sir James McDonald

OSB-1/4 Elizabeth Morrow - Margie Wood circa 1975-1995

Elizabeth Morrow Guiggo Pope Margery Hoffman Smith Margot Voorhies Thompson Thomas Vaughn Ellie Waterston Margie Wood

OSB-1/5 Unknown (includes images identified as Mark and Jefferson dancer) circa 1975-1995 OSC-1/1 Tina Betts - Mirielle Cy circa 1975-1997

Tina Betts Tina Betts and Ashley Rowland Ma Cy Mattie Cy Mireille Cy

OSC-1/2 Jamie Hampton circa 1975-1995 OSC-1/3 Ashley Rowland-Chris Sales circa 1975-1995

Ashley Rowland Chris Sales

Nudes/body builders/unknown dancers OSA-3/1 Tina Betts - Jamie Hampton circa 1975-1997

Tina Betts and Ashley Roland Jamie Hampton Jamie Hampton and Cynthia Quinn

OSA-3/2 Cynthia Quinn - Ann Thatcher circa 1975-1995

Cynthia Quinn Ashley Roland Chris Sales Nancy Stonington Ann Thatcher

OSA-3/3 Body Builders circa 1975-1995 OSA-3/4 Oregon Ballet Dancers/Nudes circa 1975-1995 OSC-1/4 Nude undated Other photographs, including travel, landscapes, and nudes 2/4 Nursing home photos 1977 2/5 Landscape circa 1975-1995 2/6 Ivory Coast and Greece circa 1975-1995 2/7 Key West circa 1970s 2/8-2/9 Nepal circa 1975-1995 2/10 Abstract, still life circa 1975-1995 2/11 Fur trappers auction circa 1975-1995 2/12 Rodeo, miscellaneous circa 1975-1995 OSA-4/1 Katmandu circa 1975-1995 OSA-4/2-4/3 Landscape circa 1973-1995

Includes Untitled (Rocks) Weeds in snow Hawaii I Taos Bergman Ave Patio Cheat grass Yosemite Falls Fog on Willamette

OSA-5/1 Key West circa 1970-1979 OSA-5/2 Tumalo and GKL Ranch circa 1975-1995 OSA-5/3 Abstract/still life circa 1975-1995 OSC-1/5 Landscape circa 1973-1995 Oversize Folder Various oversize circa 1975-1995

Katmandu by Laurence [Hudetz] Poppies at Tumalo Tumalo Blue grass Petra Mathers

Negative files

Most files include negative strips and contact sheets. Many individual negatives correspond to prints in the above files.

Materials are arranged alphabetically by name of subject.

 Negatives of portraits 4/1 Adams to Avshalomov circa 1976-1994 4/2 Babson to Beebe 1979-1997 4/3 Belluschi to Bernard 1976-1991 4/4 Bernhard to Betts 1975-1997 4/5 Biddle to Bloch 1975-1994 4/6 Bloomfield to Buchwalter 1974-1997 4/7 Cabell to Catlin 1975-1995 4/8 Chappell to Collins 1975-1993 4/9 Conklin to Curtis 1974-1997 4/10 Dater to Dick 1981-1997 4/11 Dickenson to Dully 1977-1995 4/12 Erceg to Everson 1977-1996 5/1 Fealy to Foster 1976-2002 5/2 Gates to Griffin 1975-1994 5/3 Haley to Hall 1985-1987 5/4 Hampton, Jamie and Cynthia 1982-1997 5/5 Hardy to Hart 1988-1991 5/6 Hatfield to Hooley 1978-2003 5/7 Jamison to Johnston 1975-1994 5/8 Kato to Kilham 1978-1987 5/9 Kolisch family, general 1972-1984 5/10 Kolisch, Christine to Kolisch, Maria 1976-1998

Also includes other family memers.

 6/1 Kolisch, Marian--Self-portraits and portraits by others 1976-1989 undated 6/2 Kolisch, Marian and J. Pierre circa 1975-1990 6/3 Krause, Laverne 1983 6/5 Lindgren to Livingston 1973-1992 6/6 Look to Lowenstein 1978-1987 6/4 Langer to LeGuin 1983-1996 6/7 MacColl-Manfield 1979-1993 6/8 Mark to McDonald 1976-1994 6/9 McGill to Meyer 1977-1992 6/10 Morris to Morrow 1977-1989 6/11 Newman to Noyes 1982-1995 6/12 Pander to Platt 1982-1996 6/13 Pope to Pro Musica (Tim Scott) 1975-1992 6/14 Reed to Rubstein 1978-1999 7/1 Sales to Shapiro 1976-1988 7/2 Shuler to Smith 1974-1980 7/3 Stevenson to Stonington 1975-1998 7/4 Summer to Swigert 1975-1995 7/5 Taylor, Chris (at GKL Ranch and elsewhere) 1976-1986 7/6 Teiser, Sidney; Thatcher, Ann 1974-1980 7/7 Thompson to Toshinko 1982-1991 7/8 Van Sant, Gus; Vaughan, Thomas 1988 1997 7/9 1984-1995 7/10 Waterson to Wheeler 1976-1991 7/11 Wickman to Wilson 1981-1988 7/12 Wood 1974-1981 7/13 Yeon to Young 1983-1988 7/14 Unknown (first names only, including people identified as Philip; Mr. B (Ashland Shakespeare Festival); Robert; David; Mark; and Aunt Emma) 1976-1987 7/15 Unknown (includes people identified as Jeffrey; Andre and Claire; Mario; Mijo; Alfred & Ginny, Ashland Shakespeare theater; and Lillyanne) 1974-1992 8/1 Nursing home scenes and elderly 1977 8/2 Dancers, unknow 1988-1994 8/3 Nudes, unknown 1978-1990 8/4 Body builders (including Marilyin Higginson and Jim Siron) 1977-1984 8/5 Still life, abstract, downtown, airport, miscellaneous 1975-1979 8/6 Still life, abstract, miscellaneous -- includes bust of C.E.S. Wood, Kolisch house 1976-1977 undated 8/7 Nez Perce stallion at Joseph, Oregon circa 1997

This series of images documents the ceremonial gift of a stallion from the Wood family to the Nez Perce tribe, with M. Scott Momaday, Mary Wood, Erskine Biddle Wood, David Liberty, and other Wood family members. Also includes images from a trip to China.

 8/8 Paulina Rodeo, fair, fur trappers auction 1975-1980 undated 8/9 GKL Ranch, Tumalo 1974-1993 8/10 GKL Ranch, Tumalo circa 1975-1994 8/11 California, Arizona 1975-1994 8/12 Europe 1982-1986 undated 8/13 Greece 1983

Also includes one image of an historical photograph of two women, circa 1900

 Travel 9/1 Guatemala and Mexico 1994-1985 undated 9/2 Hawaii 1976 1990 9/3 Indonesia 1992 9/4 Katmandu 1978 9/5 Mazatlan 1973 9/6 Nepal and India 1973 9/7 Palm Springs and Palm Desert 1978-1996 9/8 Sun Valley (and Nancy & Tom Elkhorn) 1975 9/9 Turkey 1995 9/10 Yosemite (with Ansel Adams and workshop) circa 1974

These negatives were dated 1973 by Marian Kolisch, but other sources put her at the Ansel Adams workshop in 1974.

Landscapes 9/11-9/12 Oregon landscapes circa 1972-1981 9/13 United States, general (identified) - includes Alaska, Stonehenge at Maryhill, Vashon Island, Monterey (Califoria), Salt Lake 1972-1991 9/14-9/15 United States, location unclear circa 1975-1983 9/16 Miscellaneous negatives (includes images of Portland, Bend (Oregon), Florida, Tahiti) circa 1972-1979 CFB-7 Negatives of images owned by the Portland Art Museum circa 1975-1992

All rights to the images in this file are held by the Portland Art Museum. For list of images, see collection file for the Marian Kolisch Collection, Oregon Historical Society Research Library. These images cannot be reproduced or published without the permission of the Portland Art Museum.

 10/1-10/2 Original slides (includes nude studies, dancers, collaborations, Kolisch family, abstracts) circa 1971-1987 Series 2 Reference files 1974-2004 3/1 Book project 1989-2002 3/2 Correspondence, general 1974-2002 3/3 Correspondence regarding Portland Art Museum show 1989-1990 3/4 Correspondence regarding reprints/prints 1982-2004 3/5 Ephemera circa 1977-2000

Includes empty photo finishing envelopes, list of "Faces and figures," and advertisement from the Littman Gallery.

 3/6 Financial and legal papers 1978-1999 3/7 Mailing lists undated 3/8 Marian's PNCA class 1979-1980 3/9-10 Notes (notebooks) 1967-1979, undated 3/11 Publicity - articles and clippings 1976-1998, undated 3/12 Publicity materials 1982-1998, undated 3/13 Resumes 1999, undated 3/14 Technical info/theory (includes notes and articles on photography technique) 1974-2001, undated