Update: Ben Lukoff asked in the comments about why these buildings were taken down. I forwarded his question on to local historian Alan Stein of HistoryLink. Here is his response:
Only four buildings were specifically funded, designed, and constructed to be permanent. The Fine Arts building (which is now the Architecture Building), the Auditorium (which became Meany Hall, but had to be torn down after the 1964 earthquake) the Machinery Building (which lasted until 1957) and the Power House (which still stands today). Most of the other buildings — especially the big ones around the main court — were planned to be temporary, constructed of staff — a mixture of plaster, cement, and straw.
After the fair closed, the University saved some of the non-permanent buildings, which were then shored up and put into service. Some only lasted a few years, others for decades. The Woman’s Building lasted all this time, and is now Cunningham Hall. During our research, we were surprised to find out that the humble little Michigan Club Building still survices as the Physical Plant Office Building. It’s been heavily remodelled and enlarged, but it’s still there.
Alan Stein
Via E-mail
10/18/08
After the fair closed, the University saved some of the non-permanent buildings, which were then shored up and put into service. Some only lasted a few years, others for decades. The Woman’s Building lasted all this time, and is now Cunningham Hall. During our research, we were surprised to find out that the humble little Michigan Club Building still survices as the Physical Plant Office Building. It’s been heavily remodelled and enlarged, but it’s still there.
Alan Stein
Via E-mail
10/18/08
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| Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition, Manufacturers’ Building, court and Bering Avenue elevations architectural drawings. Designed by W. Sommerville and Joseph Cote, 1907. Image courtesy University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections Division. |
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| Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition, Manufacturers’ Building, end elevation and transverse section architectural drawings. Designed by W. Sommerville and Joseph Cote, 1907. Image courtesy University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections Division. |
Why were these taken down, anyway? Were they simply not built to long-term structural standards? How have Architecture Hall and Cunningham Hall survived, then?
I sometimes think that if you could sort out the copyright issues, there’s a huge market for classical architectural renderings/drawings like this.
1907=out of copyright, no?
Assuming the University of Washington Libraries hasn’t claimed copyright on them, they *should* be out of copyright.
Ben: I put an update in the original post regarding your question.
Cliffe