Last week Annie and I went to Portland’s Pittock Mansion with photographer extraordinaire Jamie Bosworth to get new headshots done for Future Oscar Winner, Miss Annie.
Portland has had a gorgeous spring. The photos in this post provide the explanation for why people move to the Pacific NW and love its glorious natural beauty and then February hits and the new residents need light lamps and Costco barrels of vitamin D and prozac to keep them off the ledge.
The Pittock Mansion is now a park in Portland. The grounds are gorgeous and the house is a museum which charges an entrance fee but there is no fee to picnic or hang out on the beautiful lawns and take in the spectacular views.
The Mansion was built by Mr. Alfred Pittock in the early 20th century. Mr. Pittock, whose real name was Henry, and his wife Phylicia (or Georgiana to her family) came to Oregon on the Oregon Trail because the Los Angeles trail bypassed Portland. He was the founder of the Oregonian newspaper, which is the only state-wide newspaper to this day. The paper was founded three years before Pittock arrived in Oregon, so he had a lot of catching up to do.
Feel free to verify my “facts” by reading this official Portland Public Parks Sign. I’m not making this stuff up.
Henry and Georgiana were married after they met and were married for 53 years. Mrs. Pittock was 15 when she married which seems young to me but they were married for 58 years, sometimes 3’s and 8’s look similar but it’s really 58 years, I’m pretty sure.
At some point while they were married, they built the mansion.
Pretty good mansion ,right?
It really is a beautiful spot and it is fantasmagorically decorated at Christmas. Currently, the exterior is under construction but the scenery is still phenomenal. Here are the photos I took Thursday afternoon while Annie was being photographed.
Construction area where 100 year old patio and balustrades are being rebuilt and reinforced.
View of Mt. Hood from Pittock Mansion back yard.
View of Mt. St. Helens. And a close up so you can see her flat top.
I walked around the grounds and marveled and what life must have been like in the Pittock household. Both Mr. and Mrs. were very civic-minded and started several non-profits that continue to serve the Portland area…. Boys and Girls Aid Society, Portland Rose Festival (he definitely rode in the parades), the Martha Washington Home for Single and Working Women (little known fact, Martha Washington was from Oregon which is why so many of our institutions are named for her, or at least that one is.)
More beauty:
Pretty nice driveway
The mansion’s Tea House. The interior is decorated to period and I kind of want to go in there and live there.
Portland Pittock Roses
View of Portland West Hills
Whilst I wandered, Jamie and Annie were hard at it.
Totally modeling despite construction
Pittock Portland Poses
Those are my photos and here’s one of Annie by a real photographer:
How this child is mine, I have no idea.
Great shots Mags!
Ganks Roz!
Beautiful daughter!!!! Tell her about http://www.aada.org/home/home.html – she will want to go! She is so beautiful…and lovely pics yourself my dear! What a beautiful place!!
Thanks Speedo and duh….I sent her that link next week….you give me good ideas. 🙂 xoxox
“snarky comment!” Lol! Lovely!
What snarky do you have sir?!
Oh, when it comes to commenting on how pretty a person’s young daughter is, I’ve learned to not go there.
OH, right! Well I don’t think you’re a perv. 🙂
Oh, Maggie, how lovely to catch a glimpse of your part of the world! I know how this is your child: TAKE A GOOD LOOK IN THE MIRROR, GF!!! xoxoM
I’m with Margarita!! Ditto what she said. Beautiful– your daughter and your world
That’s nice of you Margarita but she bears no resemblance to me, but thanks! I’m so glad you liked the pics, I need to share more like you do. xo
I just had a look at the wedding pictures, Maggie. That little apple did not fall far from the Maggie tree! xoxoM
Ditto what margarita said! Beautiful/- your daughter and your world.
Thanks UBS!
Love the photos, love Portland, love the history lesson and the daughter is beautiful (like her mom).
That’s a lot of love for a Monday!
PS. I tried watching Portlandia, as Portland is one of my favorite cities…it made my teeth hurt.
Ad, Portlandia may as well be a documentary! Deren texted me on Saturday that he was parking his car in a local neighborhood and 100 naked cyclists went by. It’s a strange place.
Say it ain’t so on the Portlandia bit!
Annie is gorgeous. And I kind of want to live in that mansion. I wonder if they’d mind if I squatted there after hours.
Come out here and we’ll figure it out and have a pretend mansion life.
And thank you. She is gorgeous. Once again, I say that because she doesn’t look one bit like me.
I’ve always heard that Portland was lovely. Thanks for the proof. Have you ever taken the tour of this mansion? It strikes me as the type of place that the eyeballs on the portraits move as you walk past. I Googled it and supposedly it’s haunted:
http://www.ghostsandcritters.com/oregonghosts.html
I will read that Lame. I have been inside several times. I went to an auction there once which was pretty cool. I’d like to hide and spend the night and see what happens. It is pretty light and open though. I’m surprised it’s haunted but will go check it out. Could be a Casper the Friendly Ghost sort of haunting.
It sounds like a friendly haunting but it would freak me out if any paranormal activity happened should I visit. Wow, you’re brave to be willing to spend the night there if you could.
Yeah, I’m brave like that.
Maggie,
I love that place! Must return to your lovely city soon.
You and your daughter are beautiful!
Red
Come on down! Drinks are on my deck! and thanks Red.
Okay. Forget the mansion. Annie is drop dead gorgeous. She’s stunningly beautiful. A natural beauty. Of course she’s your daughter! Sheesh.
[…] As in, “Matt do you want to go to the Pittock Mansion?” […]