Oregon Historical Society Research Library
Lovejoy Columns restoration and relocation records
Coll 931
1.6 cubic feet
1 record carton; 1 flat box (14x18)
1964-2006
1998-2005
Records, photographs, and ephemera related to efforts to conserve and relocate the Lovejoy Columns. The Lovejoy Columns were ten pillars for the Lovejoy Viaduct in Portland, Oregon, that were painted by Greek American Tom E. Stefopoulos from 1948 to 1952. When the Lovejoy viaduct was demolished in 1999, local artists, including members of the architectural collective Rigga, successfully campaigned for these pillars to be left intact. In 2005, two of the columns were relocated to Elizabeth Plaza on N.W. 10th Avenue.
English
From 1948 to 1952, Greek American Tom E. Stefopoulos, a watchman for the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway who had earlier worked as a commercial artist, painted scenes relating to Greek mythology and history on ten supporting pillars of the Lovejoy Viaduct in Portland, Oregon, during his spare time. In 1999, plans to demolish the Lovejoy Viaduct prompted local artists to call for the preservation of the pillars that Stefopoulos had painted, called the Lovejoy Columns. Among those campaigning for their preservation were members of the architectural collective Rigga.
Although efforts to prevent the columns' demolition were successful, plans for conserving them as public art ran into funding difficulty, despite benefit events such as performances by writer Andre Codrescu and musician Elliott Smith, and a documentary film by Vanessa Renwick. The columns were instead kept in storage beneath the Fremont Bridge. In June 2001, Rigga disbanded, but member James Harrison continued to campaign for the conservation and public display of the columns. In 2005, real estate developer John Carroll agreed to have two of the columns located on the plaza by the Elizabeth condominium building, and paid for their transportation and installation. These two columns are still standing on the Elizabeth Plaza on N.W. 10th Avenue as of 2022.
Sources: Articles in the Oregonian and Oregon Journal, 1948-2006.
The collection includes records, correspondence, images, and ephemera relating to efforts to preserve and relocate the Lovejoy Columns, pillars from the Lovejoy Viaduct ramp in northwestern Portland, Oregon, with painted artwork by Greek American Tom E. Stefopoulos. A substantial portion of the collection consists of records and correspondence that had been compiled into four binders by James Harrison, one of the artists involved in the campaign to preserve the columns. The collection also contains reports written by conservator J. Claire Dean. Other materials in the collection include articles about the columns; maps; architectural drawings and renderings; materials related to exhibitions, performances, and fundraising events relating to the columns; and photographs of the columns.
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.
Lovejoy Columns restoration and relocation records, Coll 931, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Transferred from the Hellenic-American Cultural Center and Museum of Oregon, October 2022 (RL2022-148).
During processing, compiled records were removed from their original binders for preservation purposes.
Harrison, James
Dean, J. Claire
Art--Conservation and restoration--Oregon--Portland
Mural painting and decoration--Conservation and restoration--Oregon--Portland
Fine Arts
photographs
correspondence
"The Columns, Book 1," correspondence and records from Rigga and related materials
1998-1999
1
1-2
"The Columns, Book 1," other correspondence, records, notes, and related materials
1998-1999
1
3
"The Columns, Book 1," proposals, publicity, and research
1996-1999; undated
1
4
"The Columns, Book 2," notes; correspondence; maps; photographs; Pacific Northwest College of Art brochure
2000
1
5
"The Columns, Book 2," correspondence and records
1997; 2000
1
6
"The Columns, Books 2," contracts and invoices; "boneyard layout" drawings and notes; correspondence and records relating to a show at Pacific Northwest College of Art
2000
1
7
"The Columns, Book 3," notes; zoning map; Jackson Foundation grant application form
2000
1
8
"The Columns, Book 3," records and correspondence, including materials relating to grants
2000
1
9
"The Columns, Book 3," correspondence and records relating to work with Andrei Codrescu
1999-2000
1
10
"The Columns, Book 4," newspaper article; issue of The Greek American with article about the columns; development maps
2001-2002
1
11
"The Columns, Book 4," records and correspondence, including maps; records and correspondence relating to work with Elliott Smith; accounting records
2001-2002
1
12
J. Claire Dean, draft, "Condition and Conservation Needs Assessment: Stefopoulos Murals, Lovejoy Ramp, Portland, Oregon"
1999 March
1
13
J. Claire Dean, "Reinstallation of the Lovejoy Ramp Columns: Notes on Their Preservation/Conservation Needs"
1999 July
1
14
J. Claire Dean, "Lovejoy Columns: First Conservation and Restoration Proposal and Estimate of Cost" (unmarked copies)
2000 September
1
15
J. Claire Dean, "Lovejoy Columns: First Conservation and Restoration Proposal and Estimate of Cost" (Rigga office copy with pencil notes)
2000 September
1
16
J. Claire Dean, "Lovejoy Columns: Conservation and Restoration Project, Proposal and Estimate of Costs"
2005 August
1
17
J. Claire Dean, "Supporting Documentation, Lovejoy Columns: Conservation and Restoration Project, Proposal and Estimate of Costs"
2005 August
1
18
Maps of northwest Portland; aerial view of northwest Portland
1992; undated
1
19
Oregon Department of Transportation plans for Lovejoy Ramp replacement
1999
2
2
Rigga proposals for Eastbank Esplanade and for the Lovejoy Columns
1999
2
1
Correspondence and records relating to work with Otak
2001
1
20
Drafts for restoration proposal booklet
2000 October
2
3
Photographs and renderings of Elizabeth Plaza
circa 2005
2
4
Architectural drawings and renderings of potential configurations of Lovejoy Columns on Elizabeth Plaza
circa 2005
2
5
Proposal for restoration of columns, "Portland Urban Mythology"
circa 2004
1
21
Handwritten notes
2004-2006
1
22
Unsorted records and correspondence
1998-2006
1
23
Articles about Lovejoy Columns
1967-2001
1
24
Program, scripts, and music for performance events relating to Lovejoy Columns
1998-2002
1
25
Issue of Oregon Humanities with article about Lovejoy Columns
1999
1
26
Questions and answers handout about conservation and restoration of columns
1999 October 12
1
27
Event flyers and cards
2000-2005
1
28
Poem about the Lovejoy Columns by Andrei Codrescu, "A Petite Epic for the Lovejoy Ramp, or: Irruptions of the Marvelous and Disaster Architecture"
2000
1
29
Service program for Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church with advertisement for fundraising event for Lovejoy Columns
2000 June 25
1
30
Issue of Arcade with article about Lovejoy Columns
2000
2
6
Guestbook and mailing list
circa 2000
1
31
Text for exhibit about Lovejoy Columns
circa 2000
1
32
Program and abstracts for Western Association for Art Conservation Annual Meeting, including entry about Lovejoy Columns
2002 October
1
33
Poster for film festival including Vanessa Renwick's documentary about Lovejoy Columns
2005
2
7
Photographs of Lovejoy Columns by William "Robbie" Robinson, with attached images relating to Robinson (slides and printouts)
1964-circa 1995
1978
1
34
Slides of projects by James Harrison, including rendering of possible Lovejoy Columns configuration
circa 1990-2003
1
35
Photographs of Lovejoy Columns (negatives)
circa 1999
1
36
Photographs relating to Lovejoy Columns and northwest Portland (prints)
1999
1
37
Photographs of demolition of Lovejoy Ramp (prints and negatives)
1999 August-September
1
38
Photographs of Lovejoy Columns after ramp demolition (prints and negatives)
1999 September
1
39
Slides of Lovejoy Columns after Lovejoy Ramp Demolition; slides of renderings and models of possible column configurations
1999-2000
1
40
Photographs of models of Lovejoy Columns (prints and negatives)
1999 November
1
41-42
Illustrated rendering of possible configuration of Lovejoy Columns
circa 2000
1
43
Images of artwork details on Lovejoy Columns
circa 2000
1
44
Photographs of Lovejoy Columns installation on Elizabeth Plaza (negatives)
2005 October
1
45