May 4th, 2007 @ 2:00 am by Cliffe | Sorted Reframe
Well let’s start things off with a feature called Reframe. You’re smart, you probably know what that means. But in case you don’t, these are photograph comparisons with the vintage shot on the left and the updated present day frame on the right. I go out into the field and frame the shot just as it was, literally standing in the footsteps of the original photographer from years ago.
This first Reframe features Capitol Hill’s Seattle Fire Station No. 7. You can find it on Fifteenth Ave. East and Harrison Street. The original photo was taken on March 24, 1921 and the present day shot taken April 28, 2007. The building is now occupied by a video rental store,
On 15th Video. So now you can go check out this vintage building and rent Big Momma’s House
all at the same time! Click on the thumbnails for a larger view.
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| The old Fire Station as it stood in 1921. You can see two Ford Model T’s parked on the side of the building. Photograph courtesy Seattle Municipal Archives. |
As she stands today, a DVD rental joint. Notice the “Engine Company Seven” facade inscription has been stripped, yet most architectural details remain. |
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May 7th, 2007 @ 9:13 am
You need to check out the “Seattle Now and Then” book series by Paul Dorpat, which has hundreds of pages just like this.
– Geoff
May 7th, 2007 @ 10:48 am
And of course there’s Dorpat’s weekly “Now and Then” column on the last page of Pacific Northwest magazine in the Sunday Seattle Times/P-I, which is exactly what this feature does. Is this Paul Dorpat’s blog??
May 7th, 2007 @ 1:42 pm
It’s actually on 15th Ave EAST, not north.
May 7th, 2007 @ 1:49 pm
Hey Geoff and Dave,
This is a fairly common means of historic comparison. I have seen the Seattle Then and Now book by Jim Collins, but not Dorpat’s work. In light of the titles of their books, I’ll go ahead and change the name of the feature to “Reframe.” Since I’m concentrating mostly on buildings, I hope this feature will still be of value and interest. Let me know what you think.
Cliffe
VintageSeattle.org
May 7th, 2007 @ 1:57 pm
Hi Sarah,
You are correct. When the original 1921 photo was taken, the street was 15th Ave North, but it is now 15th Ave East. Corrected.
Jess
VintageSeattle.org
May 7th, 2007 @ 3:10 pm
I don’t mean to rain on your blog — I like the look of the site a lot and fully support the intent. Just thought you should be aware of Dorpat’s work (the Collins book is a take-off on Dorpat’s previously published “Now and Then” book). His column in the Sunday paper has been going for something like 20 years and I look for it religiously every week. Good idea to change the title.
May 7th, 2007 @ 3:52 pm
Cool, thanks Dave. I appreciate you visiting and the information. In the future, I will give this feature a diferent angle, perhaps more in depth photos concentrating on the modern state of the building. Any feedback like this is much appreciated.
Jess
VintageSeattle.org
May 7th, 2007 @ 4:31 pm
Great to see this new blog! Hope you don’t let the nay-sayers take any of your momentum away–I love the Dorpat books and would love to see more like it.
I’m sure you’ve seen historylink.org. Do you know about the online municipal photo archive?
http://clerk.ci.seattle.wa.us/~public/phot1.htm
May 7th, 2007 @ 4:36 pm
Hey Maarten:
Thanks for the kind words and yep I’ve poured over the Municipal Archives. Great resource. We’re lucky to live in a city that has an online database like this.
Regards,
Jess
VintageSeattle.org
May 7th, 2007 @ 11:12 pm
In the 1926 picture (sans trees) you can see a little of my house in the background!