May 15th, 2008 @ 12:51 am by Cliffe | Sorted Photo Exposure
I want to try something a little different with this photo today… something “fun.” You know, because I usually hate fun and all. Let’s try in the comments to narrow down the year on this photo, based on the clues we see (buildings, signage) and clues we don’t see. Give it a go, work together if you must, and I’ll post to crown a winner. Ready… set… go go go! Click on the thumbnail for further
study fun.
|
|
Section of shopping and business district, Seattle, Washington. Dated ??/??/????
|
RSS 2.0 Feed.
You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
May 15th, 2008 @ 8:17 am
I’ll get 1948 or 13 BC. One of those.
May 15th, 2008 @ 9:58 am
It seems like 30s-50s are tricky there weren’t any big changes in the skyline. I know its after 1930, because the Northern Life Tower is there, and before 1953, because you can still see the old Central School above and to the left of that.
May 15th, 2008 @ 10:32 am
Let’s see, mostly brick, with a few concrete buildings. Must be 50’s or 60’s. I’ll guess 1963.
May 15th, 2008 @ 11:21 am
From the look of the Bon Marche building (now Macy’s) it would be after the mid-50s. (they added the further floors to the Bon building mid-50s)
May 15th, 2008 @ 11:41 am
Observations:
Concentrate on locating photos of the area closest to the lens, where we can see the most detail.
There are two features that should narrow things down pretty well:
The Bon has a 1920’s style typeface logo, presumably painted on to the building. That logo might have lingered through the war years, but I would guess was no longer being used in print by 1940 or so.
There is a large image of a single star with an illegible line of type above it in the left center of the lower edge of the photo. This billboard or banner should be visible in other photos of the area.
Finally, I don’t think I see the Roosevelt Hotel building, built in 1929. Northern Life was completed in 1928.
Huh, maybe we’ve got it. 1920’s logo on the Bon, no Roosevelt (maybe), Northern Life. late 1928-early 1929.
May 15th, 2008 @ 12:18 pm
1939?
May 15th, 2008 @ 2:44 pm
I think Mike is the closest at late 1928 or early 1929. Northern Life building is there (completed in 1929), but the Bon Marche is still at it’s old pre-1929 location. The Bon Marche did not locate to its 4th and Pine location until 1929, which would be located at the very edge on the left of the picture just above the Standard Furniture building in the lower left. The Bon Marche is still in its futher south pre-1929 location in this picture.
The Standard Furniture company building in the picture is the current Nordstrom Rack building at 2nd and Pine. It was built in 1908 as one of the first commercial buildings north of University. Since the area around it is all built up in the picture and the caption calls the area “Seattle’s Shopping and Business District” it has to be many years after 1908. That plus the old pre-1929 Bon Marche location and presence of the new Northern Life building puts it at least at 1929.
Based on the fact that building shadows appear to be streching almost directly east in the picture, I would say it is afternoon on a sunny day in mid-June 1929 near the summer solstice.
May 16th, 2008 @ 12:56 am
*clap*
Nice one, everyone.
You’re all winners.
Cliffe
May 16th, 2008 @ 4:55 am
Um…It can’t be 1929.
Harborview Hospital (later Harborview Medical Center) is the large white building visible on the top of the hill, far towards the right of the shot.
Harborview took the place on Profanity Hill of the original King County Courthouse and Jail at the corner of 8th and Terrace. The Courthouse was closed in 1931 and operations were moved to the County-City building (the first five floors of the current King County Courthouse) .
Harborview was erected in the portion of the courthouse parcel just to the east of the vacant courthouse in 1930 - 1931, and Harborview was opened in 1931.
The slim building behind Harborview, visible on this postcard, which houses additional Harborview offices, as well as the Coroner (now Medical Examiner), was completed in 1933.
That gives us a floor of 1933 for dating this view.
Further support for a mid-30’s date:
Sisters of Providence Hospital, center top, also shows the northern addition to the building which changed it from being perfectly symmetrical at some point after 1929. Postcards exist on Historylink dated 1929 which still show photos of the hospital completely symmetrical and in balance with the bell tower as this, the Sisters’ second hospital building, was originally built to be in 1917.
The Roosevelt Hotel at 7th and Pine is just out of frame to the far left of the shot and cannot be seen.
May 16th, 2008 @ 8:45 am
Uh-oh, the debate rages! I’m sticking with 13 BC.
May 16th, 2008 @ 10:12 am
Based on all the clues in the comments, I’ll guess 1961
May 16th, 2008 @ 12:39 pm
The debate does rage. And the answer is… I don’t know. I’ve tried to track down the original negative’s notes but have come up empty handed.
Cliffe
May 16th, 2008 @ 5:22 pm
DANG! I thought you at least knew the answer!
UW Library’s picture archieve has photos dated 1931 showing the King County Coroner’s (Medical Examiner’s) building directly east of Harborview, so agree with Julie Anne that the photo must be from at least 1931.
Guess the old Bon Marche sign was a remnant from their previous location. The new spot between 3rd and 4th Ave would be at the very left edge of the picture (or possibly just out of frame) above the Standard Furniture Co. building.
May 19th, 2008 @ 6:05 pm
Pre-1913. No Smith Tower.
May 22nd, 2008 @ 10:34 am
So you are just going to leave us hanging?
June 7th, 2008 @ 9:42 pm
The Smith Tower is at the corner of Second and James, and is out of frame in this shot.
It is 1931 or later as deduced by several folks above, and absolutely before 1953, because of the existence of the Central School (which was pulled down in ‘53) but where in that range is the challenge.
I found a series similarly numbered on the UW archive pages, and they were taken in 1932. I think this may be one of that series.