I have recently digitized several boxes of slides from when my parents used to travel cross-country where they bought and sold vintage auto parts. My mom was an avid photographer and took many pictures of random things. They made several trips to Seattle in 1982, 88 and of course the Space Needle made several appearances! Keep in mind, these particular slides have been deteriorating since the 1980′s, so please pardon the dust!
This set is from April of 1982. Monorail, Space Needle, Viaduct, etc..
Cheers!
Colin
This set is from April of 1982. Monorail, Space Needle, Viaduct, etc..
Cheers!
Colin
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| Seattle, Washington. April, 1982. Photo courtesy Colin Holloway. |
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| Seattle, Washington. April, 1982. Photo courtesy Colin Holloway. |
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| Seattle, Washington. April, 1982. Photo courtesy Colin Holloway. |
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| Seattle, Washington. April, 1982. Photo courtesy Colin Holloway. |
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| Seattle, Washington. April, 1982. Photo courtesy Colin Holloway. |
I remember what a thrill I got the first time I ascended the Space Needle and saw the sign on the roof of Tex’s Tavern, shown in the second-to-last slice above. When you encounter something that seems to be a message directed right at you because of a unique vantage-point, you feel like you’re in on a secret.
I haven’t been up in a while and haven’t walked past that spot, so I’m not sure Tex’s is even still there, but I imagine if the building is still there then the sign is, too, unless the roof has been redone.
Thanks for this Colin!
Nice, Colin! I spy good ol’ Richard Peterson rockin’ the trumpet in the last photo. For anyone interested, there was a great documentary made a few years back on the man, the name escapes me though…
I also see Tex’s Tavern in another shot, which I think is currently the Funhouse, after serving time as Zac’s for a few years…correct me if I’m wrong. Not many cool dives left in this town.
Looks like the construction of the “Skyline Level” of the Space Needle had just barely gotten underway.
Are they building the restaraunt on the lower level of the needle in the top picture? Great photos. Hard to think of a time when Westlake Center wasn’t at the end of the monorail.
I miss the orange and blue seats in the monorail. I never liked orange as a kid and always hoped I would get to ride the blue one. I remember them being that way until at least the mid ’90s. After which fire did they renovate the inside of the train? Unfortunately, now that I live in the city the novelty has worn off and I just hop Metro.
Is this the movie you were referring to Chris?
http://www.bigcitydick.com/default.htm
Yes that is the construction of the “Afterthought Room” at the needle. I really wish they never did that!
Also, the “Red Train” had blue seats…the “Blue Train” had red seats!
@Chris, wow, you’re right, that’s Richard Peterson. Crikey, I’d forgotten about him. I used to work down the hall from KXRX, and at first I thought it was funny when Robin and Maynard put him on their show, but after a while I felt like I was taking part in a very public mugging. I dunno, I guess he loved every minute of it. I hope he’s alright (still alive?).
@Matt the J, I first heard Richard in 1985 via the Young Fresh Fellows (my fav local band at the time). Ended up buying his “First Album” (released 1982) from a yard sale Lynda Barry was having in 1995. Richard always signed his LPs when he could, so mine says “To Lynda”. I guess she wasn’t that attached to the “trumpet and piano stunt”. I think he’s now retired from performing on the street. His movie is called “Big City Dick: Richard Peterson’s First Movie”. It doesn’t get much more Seattle than that…
what does it say on that roof?
what store is that to the left coming off the ramp? nordstrom? what year did they change the southern monorail terminal?
I’m generally all for progress, but the reconstructed Westlake was a terrible mistake. I loved the energy of the old space, and the fun Monorail station.
Hard to believe that was almost 30 years ago.
Oh man, am I ever late with this latest crop of pics..fantastic! Richard Peterson, the legend! I´m with you Beacon Hill Ben. Westlake Mall lost all its little times square-ness…
What I liked about that area prior to Westlake Mall being built was a restaurant that faced onto 5th Avenue called the Kopper Kettle, then there was a French pastry restaurant that was on the 2nd floor of a small building where the Westlake Mall is now. I also liked the odd triangle shaped Bartell’s store that faced on Fourth Avenue, you had to walk down stairs I recall to go inside. And to the above comments, yes that IS Nordstrom behind the monorail walkdown in the picture (my favorite store, still after all these years!) And back in the early days, there was no Nordstrom Rack, you just walked downstairs in the old Nordstrom’s store, and there it was!
I remember that Bartell’s. There was definitely a basment level to it. I remember a staircase up to the monorail platform, but I don’t remember any ramps.
It would be good to do an entry on the construction of I-5. I had a number of customers who remembered this. There sprang up a market for the condemned houses. Some homeowners bought their homes back and moved them. Some of the moved houses can be found around town, with old house numbers still visible.