by Liliya K. Benz, Special Projects Processing Archivist

The University of Oregon Libraries Special Collections and University Archives is pleased to announce that access to previously unavailable material related to prominent three Oregon landscape architects is now available. The project “Creating Pathways to Oregon Historic Landscape Architectural Collections” was completed during this last year. This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the State Library of Oregon.

The newly available material documents the working lives of the superintendent of parks in Ashland, Oregon, Chester E. Corry; the first woman to be elected fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), Barbara Fealy; and the first women working in landscape architecture in Oregon, Elizabeth Lord and Edith Schryver. The collections contain hundreds of newly processed landscape architectural designs, plans, and drawings.

Landscape designs by Chester E. Corry for Phase III of an extension development of Lithia Park, Ashland, Oregon, entitled the “Proposed Root Park Extension Project,” circa 1960s.

Special Collections and University Archives processed 47.1 linear feet of archival material never before accessible to the public, created remotely accessible digital surrogates of select large-format drawings and plans, and stabilized collection materials for long-term storage and preservation.

Landscape designs by Barbara Fealy in unstable rolls before preservation, and designs preserved in appropriately sized housing awaiting transport to storage.

Description and requesting options for materials are available on the Special Collections and University Archives website (https://scua.uoregon.edu/). Digitally accessible materials are available on the University of Oregon Libraries’ digital repository, Oregon Digital (https://oregondigital.org/catalog).