Special Collections & University Archives is pleased to announce the recent acquisition of “Standoff,” a portfolio of photographs by Portland-based photographer Shawn Records. The photographs document the armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in January of 2016. Included are portraits of the militant Ammon Bundy and his family, as well as images of the media circus and protests that surrounded the occupation. This was a pivotal moment in Oregon and US history, when a group of armed men were able to occupy a government building without significant legal repercussion. The photographs are quiet and subtle, exploring the complex and fraught history of land use and cowboy culture in the American West. The portfolio is now available for viewing within the Special Collections & University Archives reading room.

By Danielle Mericle, Curator of Photography Collections