The Missing Oregon Portraits

I recently read the article in the Statesman Journal from Claire Withycombe (a descendant of Governor Withycombe) about the Oregon State Capitol Foundation trying to track down the whereabouts and general information about the missing portraits of Oregon's governors. I thought I would do a little sleuthing. I was hoping, perhaps there would be an old blurry photograph of one of the missing paintings hidden in the Wayback archives of our local Oregon newspapers. Sadly, no blurry images yet, but lots of interesting bits of information. 

I guess prior to 1896 there was no subject or explanation of who these painted men were until the office of the SOS issued cards with short bio statements about each painting. The Medford Mail Tribune mentions that biographical data will be made on cards. These two images of the article give us exactly what was written on the cards.

 

It seems like the legislature generally covered the cost of commissioning the early portraits (before Julius Meier). There are many articles that mention the legislature authorized the spending of $600 to an artist for a painting. At least one article mentions that State Senator Woodward felt that if the legislature spent some money, they might get some paintings that had 'resemblance of art'. Google told me that Daubs was not a descriptor you would use to say something looked fine.

 

 

Due to the remarks by the senator, The Oregonian reported that the State Senate provided a bill that would ask each President of the various universities, colleges and the Portland Art Institute to name a member of their Art Department to "obtain a portrait of Governor [I.L.] Patterson". Seems like they wanted a committee to decide on a portrait and the $600 commission. 

 

At least two non-governors were found in the Capitol gallery back at the turn of the 20th century.  In 1909, the Oregon Legislature accepted the gift of a portrait by President Grant from John W. Cook of Portland. The other was President George Washington. His portrait hung in one of the legislative chambers. 

Governor Martin Pleased...

In 1936, there was some movement to commission the WPA to paint replacement portraits of the ones lost in the Capitol fire, but it did not go through, apparently. This pleased the governor enough that it got mentioned in the paper. Governor Martin was no fan of FDR and many of the New Deal programs, so I'm not surprised to learn this. The Bend Bulletin, 2/17/1936

 

Governor Norbald's portrait

According to an article in the Corvallis-Gazette Times, it was painted by an NW artist known as Joe Knowles. The Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum has a short page about him and describes him as one of the area's " prominent eccentric"

Early Portraits by William Cogswell

According to an 1887 article in the Weekly Oregon Statesman, the state "commissioned" him to paint many of the early portraits. His Wikipedia entry explains that Cogswell has works hanging in the White House (President Lincoln) and the Congress (President Grant) and many institutions and museums across the country. 

Walter Pierce portrait

According to articles from 1929, it was commissioned for $600 by artist Sidney Bell (Sydney Bell?)The Oregonian would report that the final cost would be $1000. Not sure which of the two articles is correct.

Governor Chamberlain portrait

Portland artist Richard Max Meyer was commissioned to paint Governor Chamberlain. He was also commissioned by the legislature to clean, restore, and touch up all the other portraits as they had become dirty over the years. (Statesman Journal: 2/28/1905)

 

 

Governor Olcott's portrait

From a short blurb in the Oregonian in July of 1920, it states that an artist named Fredrick Webster may have been commissioned to paint Governor Olcott. Another article from 1923 mentions that the legislature approved the $600 to purchase a painting. 

Governor West's portrait

Cost the legislature $500 and was painted by John Trullinger 

It caused quite the response from lovers and critics when it was unveiled at the Capitol. The Statesman Journal covered reactions from those gathered. Apparently, West's hand rests on a book titled 'The Copperfield War', and a picture of Abigail Scott Duniway is in the background, showing her signing the Suffrage bill. There were interesting choices made for his physical appearance and coloring. It would seem like the portrait of West hanging up in the Oregon Capitol currently is not the one commissioned and painted by John Trullinger...unless later the legislature decided to become art critics and commission another one.

As for the missing portrait of Governor James Withycombe, here is what we know based on news articles shortly after he died. 

The Oregon Legislature appropriated $600 for the portrait to Sidney Bell, the same artist that I mentioned earlier in the post. 

The portrait was finished by February 1921, when an article in the Statesman Journal 'Society News of the Week' mentions that the family "recognize in the work not only a perfect likeness, but an embodiment of personality, and a remarkable canvas from an artistic point of view as well".

The article even describes a little bit of the actual portrait (this may help future sleuths): "The figure is shown in a sitting posture, the graceful, easy treatment of the hands, and the character-revelation in the face being nothing but remarkable". 

I'm sorry I haven't been able to find more; I'm sure there are some places out there worth looking. Things pop up everywhere. The desk of Governor Wm. Wallace Thayer, for instance, is in a room at the Tillamook Pioneer Museum. 

You can read more about the Oregon Capitol Foundation and their effort to find more info here: https://oregoncapitolfoundation.org/governors-portraits/

The most likely fate of many of the portraits made before Julius Meier? It is a strong possibility that many of them were destroyed when the Oregon Capitol building burned to the ground in 1935.

Oregon APIC members are, of course, encouraged to help in the search for more information.

 

Updates

Thanks to photos from the Oregon Historical Society Digital Collection we have found photos of some of the missing portraits from before the capitol burned. 

W.W. Thayer seen in a photo from the 1921 Oregon Senate Session. 

 Stephen Chadwick seen in this photo from a House Session in 1923

 

John W. Davis in the same photo from 1921 we see a second portrait that appears to be John W. Davis.