Upcoming Events

Release of New Brautigan Biography, “Jubilee Hitchhiker: The Life and Times of Richard Brautigan”

On Saturday, March 17th, William (Gatz) Hjortsberg, a close and long-time friend of Richard Brautigan, will be reading from “Jubilee Hitchhiker: The Life and Times of Richard Brautigan”, his recent biography of the late author, published by Counterpoint Press.

The Museum is working with, among others, Dr. John Barber of the Washington State University Vancouver Creative Media & Digital Culture department to bring this event to Vancouver. Dr. Barber is working to provide live streaming of the event and real-time chat with the author in order to make this event accessible to those outside Vancouver.

Copies of “Jubilee Hitchhiker” are now on pre-sale through the museum and will also be available for purchase on the 17th.

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ABOUT THE BOOK

 
Title: Jubilee Hitchhiker
Subtitle: The Life and Times of Richard Brautigan
Author: William Hjortsberg
Publisher: Counterpoint Press
ISBN-13: 978-1-58243-790-3
Format: Trade Cloth, 896 pages, 7 x 10
Pub date: April 1, 2012
Price: $38.00
Category: Biography & Autobiography

JUBILEE HITCHHIKER is a comprehensive biography of the late novelist and poet Richard Brautigan, author of Troutfishing in America and A Confederate General from Big Sur, among many other works. When Brautigan took his own life in September of 1984 his close friends and network of artists and writers were devastated though not entirely surprised. To many, Brautigan was shrouded in enigma, erratic and unpredictable in his habits and presentation. But his career was formidable, an inspiration to young writers like William Hjortsberg trying to get their start. Brautigan’s career wove its way through both the Beat-influenced San Francisco Renaissance in the 1950s and the “Flower Power” hippie movement of the 1960s, while he never claimed direct artistic involvement with either period.

JUBILEE HITCHHIKER also delves deeply into the spirited times in which Brautigan lived. As Hjortsberg guides us through his search to uncover Brautigan as a man the reader is pulled deeply into the writer’s world. Ultimately this is a work that seeks to connect the Brautigan known to his fans with the man who ended his life so abruptly in 1984 while revealing the close ties between his writing and the actual events of his life. Part history, part biography, and part memoir, JUBILEE HITCHHIKER etches the portrait of a man destroyed by his genius.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 
William Hjortsberg is the author of eight books, including Alp, Gray Matters, and Falling Angel, as well as the screenplays “Legend” and “Thunder & Lightning.” He lives in Montana with his wife, painter Janie Camp.

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2012 Women’s History Month Tea and Luncheon

Reserve your tickets now for our 2012 Women’s Tea and Luncheon on Monday, March 19th!

Tickets are $35 for CCHS members and $40 for non-members. Space is limited to 80 guests.

Our guest speaker this year will be Rebecca Morrison-Peck, who will be giving a presentation entitled Staying the Corset: a Look at Women’s Underwear 1790-1950. Rebecca’s presentation will be followed by a catered luncheon. Doors open at 11:00 am.

About Rebecca Morrison-Peck

Rebecca has been sewing and costuming for over 50 years. She spent 13 years in England, in market research and as owner of a craft-artist consulting business, as well as a designer of American-style quilts and a childrens clothing line.

She and her English husband and son came to Clark County in 1991, where she worked as the buyer for a local quilt shop, and managed the book stores/gift shops at Fort Vancouver, the OO Howard House, and the Grant House Folk Art Center.

Her business, Lacings, was in operation from 2000 to 2006, with historic costuming classes at the Clark County Historical Museum and the Historic Covington House, and a custom design and creation side, reaching out to hundreds of eager costumers!

Rebecca has created costumes for Fort Vancouver, the FV National Historic Trust, the City of Vancouver, the Heritage Ambassadors, the Jane Austen Society of North America, and many private individuals. She lives and works in Yacolt and does business online.

Call (360) 993-5679 or drop by to reserve your spot!

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Wasco-Chinook basket-making class with Pat Courtney Gold

NOTE: This is a one-day class. There are two date options for this class: Saturday, March 31 or Saturday, April 7.

UPDATE: Most spots are now full. We are taking a waiting list for both days. Please contact us if you would like to be put on the waiting list.

Pat Courtney Gold Sally Bag Native American Basket Making class

 
Baskets were important containers for harvest, for trade, and for storage. Wasco-Chinook baskets are unique with their geometric images and motifs.
This class will introduce the students to the Chinook-Wasco style of twining a basket to create geometric designs. For ease in learning the techniques, commercial cotton fibers will be used.

The students will learn:

  • The Wasco start at the Base
  • The Wasco-Chinook technique of “Z” twining
  • The full–turn twine technique to create images
  • The Traditional ending using a braid technique

Time: 6 hours
Class limit: 10 students
Supplies: scissors, nail or awl (for packing the weave), and a big smile.
Prerequisite: twining experience will be helpful.
Cost: $75 per student.

Pre-registration and pre-payment are required. Call the museum at (360) 993-5679 to register.

All materials provided/included. However each student needs to bring the above supplies.
Come learn about the thousand year old basketry along the Columbia River!

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Long-term Relationships: Taking Care of Your Family Photographs

On Saturday, April 14th, 2012, archivist Richard H. Engeman will conduct a workshop on making your family photographs last longer than you will!

Cost for this class is $20 per person. Class limit as 15 people.
Call (360) 993-5679 to reserve your seat!

Date: Saturday, April 14th, 2012
Time: 1 pm to 3 pm
Location: Clark County Historical Museum

Participants are invited to bring samples of photographs from their family collections for advice on how to preserve the photos for the long term, where to look for advice and supplies, how to know when it’s best to leave a bad photo alone, and how to know when a bad photo can be made better.

Richard will provide advice on the care, handling, and storage of historic photographs, on scanning as a preservation tool, and on ways to share and use you photographs while preserving the original images. Samples of storage sleeves, boxes, and albums will be available. So gather up a few of your valued prints, negatives, albums, tintypes, daguerreotypes, color slides, and come down to the museum for a consultation!

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2012 Annual Fundraising Dinner and Auction

This year’s dinner and auction will be held at Summit Grove Lodge in Ridgefield, Washington on May 12th at 5 pm.

Our featured guest this year will be bestselling author William Least Heat-Moon, known for his U.S. travel writing books, namely “Blue Highways” and “River Horse”.

The evening will also include dinner and a silent auction.

Stay tuned for more exciting details on this year’s auction!

Reserve your tickets before May 8th, 2012.

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CCHM’s Alaska Cruise

CCHM and world traveler Carol Pinnell are teaming up with Holland America Cruise Line to offer you the trip of a lifetime! Join museum director Susan Tissot and Carol Pinnell on an 8-day trip through the Alaskan Inside Passage with stops at museums and art galleries arranged for the museum group only.

Dates are September 9th-16th, 2012. Click here for more details and for the participation form.

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