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| The Space Needle, the new outstanding landmark, reigning over the City of Seattle. In foreground Seattle’s business district; in back Queen Anne Hill with its radio and television towers. Color photo by Max R. Jensen. |
Seattle’s New Look
October 14th, 2009 @ 12:04 am by Cliffe | Sorted Photo Exposure |
Thanks again to Jonathan Shipley for sharing another mini-essay with us. Hit Monday’s post if you missed it. And today we continue with our Max R. Jensen photography series. It’s Seattle’s new look — new in the early 1960′s at least. Click for higher res.
It’s so clean and shiny and modern!
What is the domed structure at middle-left, apparently on Seattle Center property?
I don’t think that the domed building is on Seattle Center property. Looks like it’s in Belltown around Second and Bell.
I note with glee that at the right side of this photo is the back end of that building we were talking about a couple of months ago that I couldn’t identify, and someone identified it as the Elks Temple. Also, the Savoy Hotel and the Jackson Bldg and a whole bunch of other goodies in the foreground. I remember when they knocked the Jackson building down and left a hole in the ground between 2nd and 3rd until the Benaroya was built. The ’60s would have been an exciting and/or depressing time to be walking around downtown. Makes me wonder what I’m missing now that will disappear before I have time to appreciate it.
If the domed building is indeed on Center grounds, and this pic was taken during the World’s Fair, it just may be the Ford Motor Co. Pavilion: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3136/2939383663_66a01e33ac.jpg
The dome is the UA 70/150, a twin theatre directly across the street from the King Theatre on 6th Ave.
http://cinematreasures.org/theater/4370/
Not likely, Nickbob, given that 6th Avenue is out of this picture way off to the RIGHT of the postcard. Plus I get the vibe that this was taken years before 1969, when the theatre opened. Also, the UA 70/150 dome was golden colored. This one is definitely whitish.
I still think it’s the Ford Pavilion.
TomK, I wouldn’t take that 1969 UA 150 build date as canonical, but this photo is sometime between March 1962 when the Space needle was finished and the time when the orange color scheme was changed the current blah creame, which was sometime around 1970. I’d agree with Matt that the location of the dome in this picture is about 3 blocks north of the bend of the north-bound grid at Stewart/Olive, which would be Lenora or Blanchard, which is the block of the UA 150, and although The location of the photographer is uncertain to me, but the Space Needle – UA 150 – picture site line looks to match up on my map of Seattle. It’s certainly way too far south to be on the grounds of the current Seattle Center , but here’s a map of Century 21 from 1962. I can’t quite read the fine print, sadly, so the exact location of the Ford Pavilion is left to those with sharper vision.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30864850@N03/2909698583/
I was only 8 then, I visited the Ford Pavilion but don’t remember it well, but I did see Star Wars opening night at the UA in glorious monaural sound. That dome is the UA, I have no doubt.
And where did the Queen Anne TV towers go?
@ Nickbob: I respectfully disagree. How in the world can the dome in the picture be the UA Theater situated at 6th and Blanchard? This view is facing north. The street at the left (west) side of the picture is _2nd_ Avenue. 6th would be toward the right (east). Plus the UA dome had rib-like structureson its side that formed a sort of crown on the top. I don’t see that on this dome at all. I think its structural elements match the picture I posted almost exactly. Also, remember that this shot was likely taken with a telephoto lens, which distorts actual distances.
I second the opinion that the dome is the Ford Exhibit. I believe that this dome was moved to the Edmonds waterfront after the fair where it was used by a boat dealership for several years. http://www.flickr.com/photos/37257689@N00/2757492616
Here is a better shot of the dome on the Edmonds waterfront. http://www.flickr.com/photos/43736766@N02/4028186141/
The dome was purchased from the Ford Exhibit by a boat dealership who had plans to make it into a showroom. From what I understand, the project was never completed and the dome fell into disrepair.
I remember seeing this structure just south of the Edmonds Ferry Terminal in the early-mid 70s when my parents would take me and my brother to family property in Kingston. It was huge! At that time, however, it was already decrepit. The last time I remember seeing it, the geodesic dome portion had completely collapsed. Shortly thereafter, the entire structure was gone.
Apparently, the name of the business that owned it was the Surf and Sand Marina.
Thanks for the links to the photos.
I don’t think it’s the Ford exhibit, but the Igloo restaurant that used to be by KOMO, although I don’t remember the Igloo still being around during Century 21 . I lived in Edmonds from 1958 to 1973, and well remember when the geodesic dome was set up just south of the ferry dock, and how eventually the fabris panels were torn & flapped in the breeze. Along with the dome, a number of sculpted wooden poles were also planted at Edmonds, and many of the remaining poles were used to hold up the nets on the sides of the UW driving range.
Here’s a Historylink about the Igloo: http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&File_Id=2267