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| The home to the left, built in 1909, 960 square feet. |
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| The home in the middle, built in 2002, 5,154 square feet on a double lot. |
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| The home to the right, built in 1955, 1,220 square feet. |
Archive for November, 2008
House O The Week… Wait No
November 9th, 2008 by Cliffe | Sorted Photo Exposure |
16 Comments »
Being the negative guy that I am, you knew I couldn’t just keep posting about some of the better houses in Seattle’s older neighborhoods. Time to check out the not-so-good. Very often during new construction in these old, original neighborhoods we talk about “context.” Well, folks, here’s an example of a complete and utter slap in the face of context. This photo succession shows a group of three homes in Judkins Park. Any architects out there may want to look away.
Reframe: First Hill’s Hotel Sorrento
November 7th, 2008 by Cliffe | Sorted Reframe | 4 Comments »
It’s been a little while since I’ve posted a Reframe photo comparo — so I’ve picked out one of my favorite hotels in the city. The Italian mission-style Hotel Sorrento was built in 1908 and advertised as “the hotel in the heart of things.” Home to Seattle’s first rooftop restaraunt, the view these days is limited by tall skyscrapers but still impressive. The Post-Intelligencer ran a story about the hotel in March. The structure finally went up for landmark nomination brought by current owner and preservationist Michael Malone. So let’s take a look at the Reframe — first in 1912 and then the current day shots. Click for higher-res copies.
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| The Hotel Sorrento in 1912. |
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| The Hotel Sorrento in 2008. |
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| Alternate exterior angle along Terry Ave. |
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| Sorrento’s top floor banquet room. |
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| The upper floor living area with balcony. |
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| Hotel suite off of banquet room. |
Past Post: Lake Washington Bridge Tunnels
November 6th, 2008 by Cliffe | Sorted Past Post | No Comments »
Now here’s a familiar sight for me. I take the I-90 bridge every day to work and it’s a welcome alternative to my years of taking the 520 (where one car stalled = hell on earth). The bridge, formally named Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge, was expanded in the early 90′s with a new span. As such, these two tunnels now travel in the same direction (east). This postcard is undated, but is most likely from the early 40′s. Also check out the bulge feature from when one span held opposing traffic. More photos from older days here. Click for more resolution.
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| 496:–Entrance to tunnels from the Lake Washington Floating Bridge at Seattle, Washington. 47650. |
Obama Elected 44th President
November 5th, 2008 by Cliffe | Sorted Photo Exposure | 1 Comment »
Wow. What an election. Around here we talk a lot about history in the past tense. Well, now it’s happening in the present. History was made with Barack Obama being the first African-American to be elected president. The streets of Seattle, from Capitol Hill to Downtown, were flooded with people celebrating. Check out the pictures on the SLOG. I know this is a Seattle related blog, but I think this is a pretty important day and I think it is appropriate to note. And now, the only Seattle related presidential imagery I can muster.
Update: And speaking of history making, last night on Capitol Hill when the election was called Neighbors hoists large speakers atop their establishment and blasts Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing.” Video here. Is this not a great country?
Update: And speaking of history making, last night on Capitol Hill when the election was called Neighbors hoists large speakers atop their establishment and blasts Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing.” Video here. Is this not a great country?
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| Mayor J.D. Braman greeting President Lyndon B. Johnson at Seattle-Tacoma airport during the president’s Canadian visit in 1966. Photograph courtesy Seattle Municipal Archives. |
Election Day 2008
November 4th, 2008 by Cliffe | Sorted Photo Exposure | 1 Comment »
It’s finally election day. Wow. After voting, I’ll definitely be glued to the television and Internet watching the coverage. Don’t forget to vote! To mark the occasion, check out this entry from an old 1904 Alaska Club Album showing the room Roosevelt stayed in at the Washington Hotel. See my previous posts on the hotel here and here. Also click here to see what they mean by the “highest point of ground in the downtown district” just before it was washed into the bay. See you at the polls!
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| Parlor of President Roosevelt’s Suite of Rooms at the Washington, Seattle, May 23rd and 24th, 1903. The Washington is the most talked of and popular high-type tourist and Commercial Hotel in the West. Standing on the highest point of ground in the downtown district of Seattle, the scenery from all sides of the Hotel is the most superb to be found anywhere in the West. The interior arrangement of the Hotel, the service and the cuisine are unquestionably as nearly perfect as it is possible to have. Alaska Club Album, 1904. |
Old Commodore Hotel Ghost Signs
November 3rd, 2008 by Cliffe | Sorted Photo Exposure | 9 Comments »
Vintage Seattle reader Shannon Callin (who runs her own blog Mouse In The Sauce) writes in with this excellent photo of some old ghost signs uncovered a few years ago. The signs, in excellent condition, were exposed when the Crystal Pool Natatorium site at Second and Lenora was being turned into condos in 2003. Check out the bird’s eye view map and you can see the old Crystal Pool facade (with condo growing out of it) and the Commodore next door. Huge thanks to Shannon for digging this up and sending it in. She writes:
So, this was taken around September/October 2003. The building that was knocked down (with only the historic facade left) was the old Crystal Pool Natatorium, which was built around the turn of the last century, on 2nd Ave & Lenora. Decades later, the pool was morphed into a temple until the condo craze hit downtown. The site is now retail with condos, built around the facade that they were required to leave in place. It’s amazing how difficult it is to find any history on the Crystal Pool. There’s only one photo I could dig up:
http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm-desmo/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/imlsmohai&CISOPTR=1377&CISOBOX=1&REC=1
The wall that the ads were painted on belonged to the Commodore Hotel, which was built in 1909, I believe. And again, very hard to find info on this building too. Now it’s gone or been gutted and the original address, 2013 2nd Ave., doesn’t even exist on the King County Tax Parcel website. The Inn at Pike Place now owns it and has changed the address, so there is no history showing on that parcel. Frustrating!
I know the Seattle Times ran a story about these wall ads when they were uncovered because it was so cool and unusual. I looked in the Seattle Times archives around those two months and found nothing, though. I was hoping to get some background there. I did find this one piece of info about these wall ads, from Metafilter:
http://www.metafilter.com/28813/Ghost-Signs
So, that’s as much history as I could dig up. Maybe you’ll be more successful! In any case, it’s nice to know that these cool old ads are still on that wall today, covered up and preserved. At least, I hope they are–haven’t been to that intersection of downtown since I stopped working downtown in February. If the old Commodore Hotel has been completely knocked down, then the ads are gone. Which would be sad.
Shannon Callin
Via E-Mail
11/1/2008
http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm-desmo/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/imlsmohai&CISOPTR=1377&CISOBOX=1&REC=1
The wall that the ads were painted on belonged to the Commodore Hotel, which was built in 1909, I believe. And again, very hard to find info on this building too. Now it’s gone or been gutted and the original address, 2013 2nd Ave., doesn’t even exist on the King County Tax Parcel website. The Inn at Pike Place now owns it and has changed the address, so there is no history showing on that parcel. Frustrating!
I know the Seattle Times ran a story about these wall ads when they were uncovered because it was so cool and unusual. I looked in the Seattle Times archives around those two months and found nothing, though. I was hoping to get some background there. I did find this one piece of info about these wall ads, from Metafilter:
http://www.metafilter.com/28813/Ghost-Signs
So, that’s as much history as I could dig up. Maybe you’ll be more successful! In any case, it’s nice to know that these cool old ads are still on that wall today, covered up and preserved. At least, I hope they are–haven’t been to that intersection of downtown since I stopped working downtown in February. If the old Commodore Hotel has been completely knocked down, then the ads are gone. Which would be sad.
Shannon Callin
Via E-Mail
11/1/2008
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| Uncovered ghost signs on the Commodore Hotel, Second and Virginia circa 2003. Photo courtesy Shannon Callin. |
Checking Into Hotel Paris 1908
November 2nd, 2008 by Cliffe | Sorted Photo Exposure | 1 Comment »
A couple months ago, VS reader Deran Ludd sent me this curious photo. It’s unclear just how luxurious the accomodations were at Hotel Paris. Also, check out the woman with the weaponry doing her best Annie Oakley. Deran writes:
An oddity I have never been sure about. The front is that picture, but on the back it is mailed from Snoqualmie on July 4, 1908. I know Snoqualmie Pass didn’t get paved until the mid/late 1930s, so I suppose this could be an actual photo of some place up on the pass?
Deran Ludd
Via E-mail
Deran Ludd
Via E-mail
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| Hotel Paris outside Seattle. Image courtesy Deran Ludd. |
House O The Week: 1157 22nd Ave E
November 1st, 2008 by Cliffe | Sorted Photo Exposure | 1 Comment »
Hope everyone had an enjoyable Halloween. It’s November and we’re kicking it off here on the weekend with our third House O The Week. This Capitol Hill mansion, located at 1157 22nd Ave E, was built in 1907. 6 bed, 4 bath, 4,680 square feet to run around in. Big enough? The home is currently valued at around $2.25 million. This one is just down the street from the “Royal Residence” we featured back in January. Click click.
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| 1157 22nd Ave E in Capitol Hill. |
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| 1157 22nd Ave E in Capitol Hill. Alternate angle. |
