The exhibit features Randlett's black-and-white photographic portraits of artists Morris Graves, Mark Tobey, Theodore Roethke, Jacob and Gwen Lawrence and George Tsutuakawa; writers Tom Robbins, Henry Miller, and Colleen McElroy; arts patron Betty Bowen and more.
The portraits are selected from Randlett's life work of approximately 70,000 photographs held by University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.

Randett, known for both her landscapes and portraits, began documenting iconic Pacific Northwest artists in 1949.
In 1963, Theodore Roethke asked her to photograph him in his Seattle home; hers were the last pictures taken of the poet before his death, and they garnered international attention.

The exhibit celebrates the newly released book, Mary Randlett Portraits by Frances McCue, UW Press (2014). In the book, McCue shares stories of these Northwest luminaries, gleaned from long conversations with Randlett and research in libraries Special Collections.
McCue is an award-winning poet, essayist, and arts administrator. She is founding director of the Richard Hugo House and currently teaches writing and literature as a writer-in-residence at the University of Washington's Undergraduate Honors Program.

McCue will talk about the book, Mary Randlett Portraits, November 20, 5:00 pm in Odegaard Library 220. A reception with light refreshments and book sales by Third Place Books will follow,

Libraries Special Collections purchased the Mary Randlett Photograph Collection in 2003 through generous donor support.
In honor of Randlett's 90th birthday this year, a major effort is being made to complete an access project for the collection. Supporters can give online to the Randlett Photography Project