Brian Lanker exhibit at UO consists of Register-Guard, LIFE, Sports Illustrated

• Brian Lanker is a extremely awarded photographer who was based mostly in Eugene for many of his life.
• He labored for The Register-Guard for 8 years, then did freelance work for LIFE, National Geographic and extra.
• The University of Oregon has put collectively an exhibit from his intensive archives.

A photograph legend who labored at The Register-Guard is being celebrated in University of Oregon’s Knight Library.

The household of extremely awarded photographer Brian Lanker handed over 44 banker containers stuffed with rolls of movie and phone sheets with Lanker’s scribblings to the college, constituting many years of his work. On Nov. 19, the Knight Library held a gap reception for the “Evolution of a Moment: The Photographs of Brian Lanker” exhibit, which shall be displayed within the library by way of the tip of the 2025-26 college yr.

After rising up in Phoenix, Lanker’s photojournalism profession took off at The Topeka Capital-Journal in Kansas the place he gained the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography for his picture essay depicting childbirth.

Lynda Lanker, the topic of his Pulitzer-winning {photograph} “Moment of Life,” would later turn into his spouse. It was in the course of the start of her second daughter when the 2 first met. She remembered wanting full autonomy to kick him out of the supply room if he was a nuisance.

“I wanted to keep control,” Lynda mentioned. “But during labor and delivery, I didn’t even know he was there. I was, obviously, thinking about other things, I was busy, but I literally don’t remember him being there … He was just like wallpaper.”

That’s simply what Lanker was recognized for — a capability to adapt to any state of affairs and supply superb situations for whomever he was photographing.

Lanker gained Newspaper Photographer of the Year twice in 1970 and 1976, according to PBS. He accepted a employees photographer job at The Register-Guard in 1974, ultimately turning into director of graphics for the paper earlier than he left in 1982.

The Register-Guard’s obituary for Lanker, who died in 2011 at age 63, described him as a “storyteller” above all else.

Lynda mentioned this was one thing engrained in him from Topeka Capital-Journal’s former director of pictures Rich Clarkson: “We were journalists first and photographers second.”

Lanker at The Register-Guard and past

During his 8-year stint at The Register-Guard, Lanker turned entrenched within the tales of the individuals of Lane County. He captured every little thing from Ducks athletes to farmworkers to politicians.

“He made The Register-Guard a photo powerhouse,” mentioned Andy Nelson, UO visible communications specialist and former photojournalist for The Register-Guard, in the course of the exhibit’s opening reception.

One of essentially the most recognizable pictures from his time on the paper was a close-up of Steve Prefontaine, taken simply hours earlier than his dying. That very picture was immortalized each within the night version of The Register-Guard that confirmed his dying and in a while the memorial plaque that adorns “Pre’s Rock.”

After leaving The Register-Guard in 1982, Lanker additional grew his portfolio exterior of newspapers. His freelance work appeared in acclaimed publications equivalent to Sports Illustrated, LIFE Magazine and National Geographic, capturing putting pictures of famend athletes like Muhammad Ali, music legends like David Bowie and civil rights leaders like Rosa Parks. Lynda mentioned he bought loads of job gives over time. At one level, he was requested to guide the picture division for Sports Illustrated in New York City, however Lanker declined. He and Lynda wished to remain in Eugene.

Lynda mentioned the couple fell in love with Eugene upon their arrival in 1974 — the surroundings and the individuals.

“He loved people,” Lynda mentioned. “He was like an anthropologist using a camera. He was warm and open and he never exploited them. I think they trusted him. They could feel that openness with his attitude.”

Lanker is maybe greatest know for his 1989 e-book centering feminine Black activists titled “I Dream A World: Portraits of Black Women Who Changed America,” which has a foreword from Maya Angelou.

Creating “Evolution of a Moment” at Knight Library

Several years in the past, a wildfire got here close to the Lanker family. In that second, Lynda might solely consider the hundreds upon hundreds of movie rolls saved in submitting cupboards downstairs. She knew she wanted a protected, everlasting place.

Lynda recalled when Lanker was nonetheless alive, he had talked about wanting his archival work to dwell on the college in some capability. Although Lanker did not attend UO as a scholar, he spent a lot of his profession capturing its athletes. Some of Lanker and Lynda’s kids went on to attend UO, and the couple turned constant donors.

The Lanker household contacted UO again in 2019, expressing curiosity in handing over his assortment.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the method was delayed. But in 2022, the mission picked up once more with UO curator of visible supplies and particular collections Danielle Mericle and UO’s athletics archivist Lauren Goss. Mericle centered on his portraits of iconic cultural figures and civil rights leaders whereas Goss centered on his documentation of UO sports activities. The two collaborated on his work from The Register-Guard.

Mericle and Goss labored on the exhibit for a yr, looking by way of the “tremendous amount” of pictures to pick a few of his many stand-outs. In addition to a few of his most well-known works, additionally they pulled some features never-before seen by the general public. For his “I Dreamed a World” e-book, he spent hours interviewing his topics, however that primarily culminated in about three paragraphs within the ultimate product. The exhibit options transcriptions of these interviews and Mericle mentioned the college is working to get these recordings uploaded for exhibit guests to take heed to if they need.

“What’s the likelihood of a white man doing this work so effectively?” Mericle mentioned. “That takes a pretty exceptional person — especially during that period of time, he’s working in late ’80s — to be able to connect. And all these women loved him. They felt he was an exceptional listener, and he asked really good questions.”

Goss mentioned she’s already had “incredible moments” with college students who’ve requested to see the archives and puzzled about Lanker’s course of. There’s nonetheless a lot younger journalists and photographers can study from his work.

Through the collaboration with the Lanker household, UO Libraries additionally launched the Brian Lanker Fellowship in 2025, which helps analysis within the Brian Lanker archive with a $4,000 stipend awarded to a brand new fellow yearly.

The “Evolution of a Moment” exhibit could be seen within the two hallways that bracket the entrance desk of the Knight Library. In the east hallway are his photographs of athletics and work from The Register-Guard. The west hallway focuses on his “I Dreamed a World” e-book and different cultural icons. Anyone can request to see his full archive situated upstairs.

Lynda mentioned it was an immense reduction at hand over the archive.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled,” Lynda mentioned. “I just think it’s the absolute best place for it.”

Anyone can go to the exhibit in the course of the Knight Library’s working hours that are posted on the web site library.uoregon.edu/knight-library-hours.

Miranda Cyr reviews on schooling for The Register-Guard. You can contact her at mcyr@registerguard.com or discover her on X @mirandabcyr.