Preserve the Pacific Northwest's social protest history
Help protect decades of environmental and social protest history through the UO’s acquisition of documentarian Tim Lewis’ archives.
The UO Libraries are raising money to acquire the work of Tim Lewis, Eugene-based documentarian who has captured social protest movements and political activism for nearly 40 years. Captivated by the unique and influential landscape of the Pacific Northwest, Lewis was inspired to film subcultures and movements that advocated for radical environmentalism, alternative communities, and police accountability, offering an inside perspective rarely covered by the mass media.
Adding this collection to the UO’s archives means future generations of researchers and storytellers will have access to rare, documented history. It will complement our current holdings in forestry, environmentalism, and radical subcultures, enriching the story of the timber industry in this region and climate change more broadly. Inspired by this opportunity, UO Libraries created the Special Collections Social Protest Fund, dedicated to curating Lewis’ archives and others like his.
Thanks to the generosity of donors, we are close to achieving our goal. With a gift of your own, you can help us build on the stories of social activists from the past, present, and future.
Lon and Sally Leneve are challenging donors to match their commitment to preserving this important body of work. When we reach $5,000, we'll unlock their additional support.
When asked about why he supports this project, Lon said, "As Oregonians, we are blessed that we have a Tim Lewis that cares enough to have spent his life’s work focusing on the otherwise unfocused, otherwise forgotten injustices and inequities. Tim’s lifelong body of work is both unique, and an Oregon treasure. We are blessed to have it, and I am thrilled at the thought that it could be housed, in perpetuity for current and future generations to discover, in one of my favorite institutions of all time, the University of Oregon."
Lewis’ footage includes:
- Activists’ efforts to halt the logging of old-growth forests, later used in the Academy Award nominated film If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
- Extensive interviews with anti-logging activists
- Gillnet fishing on the Columbia River
- Lifestyles of Oregon activists and their families
- Damage done by mining and wildfire in Oregon
- 1999 Seattle protests of the World Trade Organization
- Eugene Copwatch community monitoring initiative
You can preserve this incredible history by contributing to the Social Protest Fund today.
Photo credits:
Black and white photograph of Tim Lewis: Daniel Bronsfield
Black and white photograph at Warner Creek in the rain: Kurt Jensen
Tree sitters: N.E.S.T.
All videos courtesy of Tim Lewis.
