Noted photographer, curator, historian and scientist Terry Norman Toedtemeier died on Dec. 10, 2008, from heart-related complications in Portland, Ore.
Toedtemeier, the curator of photography at the Portland Art Museum, collapsed immediately after giving a lecture on the exhibit "Wild Beauty." He had been with the museum since 1985, where he also met his wife, Prudence Fenwick Roberts, who once worked as its curator of American art.
Born in Portland in 1947, Toedtemeier attended Oregon State University to study geology. As a photographer, Toedtemeier specialized in images revolving around geology and landscapes that functioned as both artistic and scientific studies.
In 1975, Toedtemeier and other local photographers co-founded the Blue Sky Gallery, a nonprofit center aimed at educating the public about photography. He also served as associate professor of art and history at the Pacific Northwest College of Art.
In his later years, Toedtemeier developed the exhibit "Wild Beauty: Photographs of the Columbia River Gorge, 1867-1957" at the Portland Art Museum, based on the book he co-wrote with John Laursen.Toedtemeier is survived by his wife, Roberts, and his mother.
The Portland Art Museum held a public memorial for Toedtemeier on Jan. 4, 2009. His book "Wild Beauty" is currently on view at the Oregon State Capitol.