VintageSeattle.org

Yesterday was fairly random, so why not get even random’er today? I’m on a plane today so this is the best I can do. It’s not only random, but the wrong city. So for today — this is Vintage Sea-Tac. See you back in Seatown next week.

Pacific Ave., One of Tacoma’s Busy Streets.

Postcard sent January 1913 to California.

I’m in Kansas City visiting family for Turkey Day — hope your feast is as epic as the one here. I don’t have my full archives with me, so here it is: an early 1900’s postcard totally unrelated to Thanksgiving. It’s a nice, peaceful scene of Woodland Park. It’ll have to do. Back to normal next week. Enjoy the holiday, everyone!

Seattle, Wash. Woodland Park. Paul C. Koeber Co., New York City & Kirchheim Printed in Germany.

Vintage Seattle Player O The Week award goes to Akin from this 1910 “mouthpiece cigarette” baseball card. All we can piece together from Akin’s card is that he was a mean, if not sullen, bunter. You couldn’t let ol’ Baby Face Akin’s baby face fool you — he meant business and he meant to bunt. All the time.

Akin, Seattle N.W.L.

Obak Mouthpiece Cigarettes. “Surpass Imagination.” Base Ball Series 175 Subjects Selected From Pacific Coast And Northwestern Leagues. Image courtesy Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

Once again, I’ve really been enjoying Google LIFE photo archive. Here are a couple photos from Ralph Crane taken during the final stages of Space Needle construction. I was thinking how great it’d be if the Space Needle construction series I’ve been posting, was in color. Well, here we are. Life magazine ceased regular publication in 2000 but has shown up as a newspaper supplement in recent years. Click for higher-res.

Cover of LIFE magazine dated 02-09-1962 re Seattle World’s Fair w. photo of Space Needle by Ralph Crane. February 09, 1962

LIFE magazine photos of Space Needle Construction. February 09, 1962. Photo by Ralph Crane.

LIFE magazine photos of Space Needle Construction. February 09, 1962. Photo by Ralph Crane.

I am in Kansas City all this week — so posting may be erratic. Anyway, check out this early 1950’s photo of Fourth Avenue. I’m pretty sure this is looking north toward Pine (what is now Westlake Center). Click here for the Google Maps street view, I’ve lined it up. Dang, I love this feature. Google’s gone and made the “now” part of “then and now” a whole lot easier. Click on the thumbnail for the higher-res photo.

Fourth Avenue at night, Seattle, Washington. Circa 1951.

All right everyone, it’s time for a special treat. Get out your stereoscopes and get ready to see men in fur coats unloading reindeer in Seattle around 1898. Yes, yes, you heard me right. Right now you get to see men in fur coats unloading reindeer in Seattle around 1898 — IN 3-D!!! While you’re fumbling for your stereoscope, I’m on a plane bound for the midwest.. and that means it’s nearly turkey time. All right, all right, I’ll leave you alone to enjoy men in fur coats unloading reindeer in Seattle around 1898.

Stereograph showing men in fur coats leading reindeer on tethers. Unloading Reindeer, Seattle, Wash, U.S.A. Keystone View Company, circa 1898. Image courtesy Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

Just when you thought Google couldn’t possibly kick any more arse — they go and do just that. Even before we could all get over how cool street view is, here comes a massive collection of previously unavailable images from LIFE magazine. Check it out @ http://images.google.com/hosted/life. I went straight for the Seattle section and found these super-cool photos from a circa 1950’s local home. Give them a click.

Seattle area home circa 1950’s. Photos by N.R. Farbman; courtesy Google LIFE photo archive.

Seattle area home circa 1950’s. Photos by N.R. Farbman; courtesy Google LIFE photo archive.

Seattle area home circa 1950’s. Photos by N.R. Farbman; courtesy Google LIFE photo archive.

Seattle area home circa 1950’s. Photos by N.R. Farbman; courtesy Google LIFE photo archive.

Today’s past postcard is showing Capitol Hill’s Holy Names Academy in 1909, back when it was just built. While the photo most likely wasn’t actually taken at night, the tint artist made the scene suitably moody. Today, Holy Names survives as a Catholic girls’ high school and is the oldest continually running school in the state. I could definitely use some help with the transcription on this one.

2021 Holy Names Academy at Night — Seattle, Washington.

Postcard sent August 1909 to Mrs. Etna Moore of Grants Pass, Oregon.

I’m just now home from a late night software release at work and tired as hell — but before I crash let’s continue our Erecting The Needle photo series. If you are behind, catch up with the intro sketches, Part 1, and Part 2. [see also: Part 4] One interesting note is that while no workers were killed during the construction of the Needle, three people committed suicide by jumping off of it during the 1970’s. You’ve got to respect these iron workers — I know my knees would be a quakin’. Click on the thumbnails for higher-res copies of the photos.

Grip and ingenuity, 400 feet above toy cars, twist curved waist leg into fit. A hand chain jack pulls on spud wrench at left, another on cable from below. Copyright 1962, The Craftsman Press, Inc.

On fishline from sky, 20-ton section of restaurant ring girder, complete with “sunburst” vanes and casual walking planks, rises toward sifted clouds of late October. Copyright 1962, The Craftsman Press, Inc.

Sunburst is a nearly-complete crown as last core section goes up on beautifully quiet November Sunday afternoon. Copyright 1962, The Craftsman Press, Inc.

Steel decking now circles crown. Jet plane with vapor trail salutes from far above. Copyright 1962, The Craftsman Press, Inc.

I was leafing through some old documents and found this nice little mid-rise apartment building called “The Roycroft.” As usual, I wondered if it was still around — I did not remember seeing it from the days when I lived on Cap Hill. Turns out, it is still around. This is a great time to check out that rad new Google Maps street view feature (here’s the link). This old photo shows The Roycroft when it was new in 1906/1907 — notice the lack of landscaping. Unfortunately, the Mission-style parapets are now gone… as are the tops of the corner turrets. Click on the thumbnail for higher-res.

The Roycroft. An excellent example of strictly high grade, exclusive, restricted apartment building, corner Harvard Avenue and Thomas Street. Built by Mr. E.B. Roy in 1906. The Argus, 1907.

VS reader Nathan Cosgray sent a note about a great new Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition collection up on the Seattle Public Library site. He writes: A couple of the original buildings are left, but not many. Architecture Hall (once known as Chemistry Building) is around. The original Women’s Building is also still in use. Most of the structures, however, were not built to last — as Alan Stein told us in this post. The author of this circa 1908 postcard writes that the buildings were to stay after the expo, but was presumably unaware as to how long they’d stick around.

1120 Golf Grounds, Laurelhurst Peninsula and Lake Washington, Washington. From the site of the Alaska-Yukon Pacific Exposition. The Lowman & Hanford Co., Seattle.

Back of postcard, from early 1900’s.

As time marches on, the built environment of Seattle that existed 50, 75, 100 years ago slowly vanishes. The most important buildings are saved, but many that are notable will slip away without much notice. I don’t think of these as just empty, cold buildings — certainly the architecture and detailing can be beautiful — consider instead the blood and sweat from past and current lives absorbed into the concrete floors. Below find the downtown block of 5th Avenue (bounded by Stewart and Virginia) set to be demolished, making way for a 44-story hotel. All coming down: Eclipse Neckwear Manufacturing Co. Building (now Icon Grill) built in 1923, Colony Club Building built 1928, Singer Building built 1915, and Avis Parking Garage Building built 1928. Check out those links for more info on each building. Also check out the photos below, the Eclipse Neckwear and Colony Club buildings in particular have some nice details.

Eclipse Neckwear Manufacturing Co. Building, currently home to Icon Grill. Built 1923.

Looking north along 5th Ave. The Singer Building is to the left in the frame.

A look at the classical terra cotta from the Colony Club Building, built 1928.

Looking west along Virginia Street.

Notice of Proposed Land Use Action from the block.

Scope this card from 1929 showing Union (built 1911) and King Street Stations (built 1906). In the foreground, Union Station is no longer used for railroad but houses Sound Transit. Having sat vacant since the early 1970’s, the station was renovated in 1999 by Paul Allen’s Vulcan Company in exchange for land near it. The station went on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Lillian writes in 1929:

457:–The Oregon, Washington and Great Northern. Northern Pacific Depots, Seattle, Wash.

Postcard sent Feb 7, 1929 to West Acton, Mass.

In the late 1960’s, photographer Nancie Gee took to Pike Place Market to capture the energy of the people there. She came away with her work “Reflections In Pike Place Markets.” Find below some of what she captured. Click on the thumbnails for higher-res copies. [see also: Part 2]

Child standing against column. Pike Place Market snapshots. Circa 1968. Copyright Superior Publishing Company. Photo by Nancie Gee.

Woman eating ice cream. Pike Place Market snapshots. Circa 1968. Copyright Superior Publishing Company. Photo by Nancie Gee.

Woman selling produce. Pike Place Market snapshots. Circa 1968. Copyright Superior Publishing Company. Photo by Nancie Gee.

Reader Deran Ludd sent me this photo a couple months back when we were discussing First Hill. It shows the Temple De Hirsch, a Reform Jewish congregation still going strong. A look at the modern overhead view shows that only the columns from this original building remain — as part of a garden of sorts. I haven’t been able to track down any information on when it was demolished, though a good guess may be 1960 when the new Temple De Hirsch was built. Can anyone chime into the comments and pin this down? Click on the thumbnail for the full-res photo.

Temple De Hirsch, Seattle, U.S.A. Circa 1908. Photo courtesy Deran Ludd.

Update: Seattle historian Alan Stein wrote in with the following information and photos. Thanks, Alan!

Original Temple De Hirsch remains, present day.

Original Temple De Hirsch remains, present day.