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Robert Landsburg

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Robert Landsburg
Born
Robert Emerson Landsburg

(1931-11-13)November 13, 1931
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
DiedMay 18, 1980(1980-05-18) (aged 48)
near Mount St. Helens, Washington, U.S. 46°12′46.3″N 122°16′03.3″W / 46.212861°N 122.267583°W / 46.212861; -122.267583
Cause of deathKilled by a pyroclastic flow caused by the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens
Resting placeSkyline Memorial Gardens, Portland, Oregon, U.S.
OccupationPhotographer
Known forPhotographing the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens

Robert Emerson Landsburg (November 13, 1931 – May 18, 1980)[1] was an American photographer who died while photographing the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.[2]

Biography

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Landsburg was born in 1931 in Seattle, Washington. He served in the United States Navy from 1951 through 1959, partially during the Korean War.[3] He was working as a commercial photographer by 1970, winning an award that year for best travel film by a travel promotion association, given by Sunset magazine.[4] As of 1978, his photography work could be seen in 16 public buildings in Portland, Oregon.[5]

In the weeks leading up to the eruption of Mount St. Helens, Landsburg visited the area many times in order to photographically document the changing volcano.[6] On the morning of May 18, he was within a few miles of the summit. When the mountain erupted, Landsburg retreated to his car while taking photos of the rapidly approaching ash cloud.[7] Before he was engulfed by the pyroclastic flow, he rewound the film back into its case, put his camera in his backpack, and then laid himself on top of the backpack to protect its contents. His body was found 17 days later, buried in the ash with his backpack underneath.[8][9] The film was developed and has provided geologists with valuable documentation of the historic eruption.[10]

Landsburg was a resident of Portland at the time of his death. He was interred at Skyline Memorial Gardens in Portland.[11]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "The dead and missing". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. October 27, 1980. p. V38. Retrieved August 17, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  2. ^ Staff report (January 1981). Robert Landsburg's brave final shots. National Geographic
  3. ^ "Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File". United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Retrieved August 17, 2024 – via fold3.com.
  4. ^ "Film Maker Wins Award". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. January 26, 1970. p. 8. Retrieved August 17, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Deemer, Charles (October 29, 1978). "What has CETA done for the arts in Portland?". Northwest: The Sunday Oregonian Magazine. p. NW5. Retrieved August 17, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Bunce, Vincent (2000). Restless Planet: Volcanoes, p. 44. Raintree Steck-Vaughn Publishers, Austin. ISBN 0-7398-1327-7.
  7. ^ Denham, Danielle (May 18, 2022). "The Haunting Final Images From Two Photographers on Mt. St. Helens". thatoregonlife.com. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  8. ^ "Searchers Find Body of Another Volcano Victim". The Republic. Columbus, Indiana. UPI. June 5, 1980. p. A2. Retrieved August 17, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "St. Helens sedate". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. AP. June 6, 1980. p. 29. Retrieved August 17, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Robert Coenraads (2006). Natural Disasters and How We Cope, p. 50. Millennium House, ISBN 978-1-921209-11-6.
  11. ^ "Obituary for Robert LANDSBURG". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. June 9, 1980. p. D7. Retrieved August 17, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
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