Life Magazine Seattle Photos Pt. 1
November 20th, 2008 @ 12:22 am by Cliffe | Sorted Photo Exposure
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.
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| Seattle area home circa 1950’s. Photos by N.R. Farbman; courtesy Google LIFE photo archive. |
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| Seattle area home circa 1950’s. Photos by N.R. Farbman; courtesy Google LIFE photo archive. |
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| Seattle area home circa 1950’s. Photos by N.R. Farbman; courtesy Google LIFE photo archive. |
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| Seattle area home circa 1950’s. Photos by N.R. Farbman; courtesy Google LIFE photo archive. |
November 20th, 2008 @ 7:52 am
This place must be found! Any more info available?
November 20th, 2008 @ 8:19 am
I love mid century modern and I want that house!
November 20th, 2008 @ 8:40 am
I think I found it!
http://www.seattledreamhomes.com/ListNow/Property.aspx?PropertyID=1094920&NF=1
I went to that Life archive, saw the name of the architect, did a search on him and Seattle, and this came right up. That fireplace leads me to believe it’s the same house. Google Street View doesn’t show the house, as it is covered in trees and you can’t actual “walk” down the street proper.
November 20th, 2008 @ 8:43 am
Oh, I should have added that I found it via this website:
http://livemodern.com/forums/pugetsound/ploneboardconversation.2006-11-21.9895605198
They mention that it suffered a “very bad remodel in the 80’s,” hence the reason it looks pretty different today.
November 20th, 2008 @ 9:27 am
Talk about kicking arse - any house that has those vinyl curtain divider thingies.
November 20th, 2008 @ 1:20 pm
I think the link Shannon posted above is a similar house, but not the exact one in the pictures. I’m pretty sure the pictures are of the house I lived in until I was about 6. It was featured in the 1957 Sunset Magazine. Here’s a like to the cover:
http://sunset-magazine.stanford.edu/html/1957_oct..html
There are links to more pictures on this site:
https://digital.lib.washington.edu/php/architect/record.phtml?type=structure&structureid=8328
It was built by Paul Hayden Kirk and was located at 10610 113th Pl NE in Kirkland. We moved out in 1979 and I’m VERY sorry to say someone tore it down in the late 80’s and put up a big 2-story. TRAGIC! I still drive by it occasionally and reminisce. I was only 6 when we moved but I remember it well and have wonderful memories of this home. I am sure I have pictures packed away somewhere if anyone wants to see. I might take me a bit to find them, but it might be fun for you to see how it looked in the early 1970’s.
November 20th, 2008 @ 1:28 pm
Oh, those minimalist moderns! The materials to construct it are so minimal, that it must have cost very little to build, and it does not appear very sturdy. It also doesn’t seem to be the one found by Shannon, as it has a flat roof (guaranteed to leak), therefore no vaulted ceilings or clerestory windows. The fireplace is a very common fifties feature. Good thing it has one, because there’s not many places for insulation, making it big a energy waster, more suited for San Diego than the Northwest.
Nevertheless, very stylish indeed.
November 20th, 2008 @ 1:43 pm
Heather: Yes, please do send in some scanned photos of your time in the home. That’s be great.
November 20th, 2008 @ 2:24 pm
Well, I was close–two blocks away, to be exact! I wonder if he built a few houses on that street and if any of them still look as they did back them? Makes me want to drive out there and take a gander. And yes, Heather, those would be cool to see!
November 22nd, 2008 @ 4:21 pm
Shannon: In searching the architectural drawings database at the UW Special Collections (slightly different from the informative bio link Heather posted), it looks like Kirk designed at least 30 other structures in the Kirkland area (several of the records include addresses and at least one - Ridgeway project at 10428 NE 113th Place - possibly w/in a couple blocks of Heather’s address).
http://db.lib.washington.edu/arch/
(I searched architect - kirk; keyword - kirkland (so many k’s!) and for a complete list of Kirk’s architectural drawings held by the UW - just search on his name alone.
November 22nd, 2008 @ 5:43 pm
For what it’s worth, a giant rendition of one of the UW photos covers a whole wall @ the Design Within Reach in Kirkland. Go check it out while contemplating whether you want a Barcelona or a Womb.