Hi there! I just ran across your blog through Google and have been enjoying all the vintage pictures. While looking through your site it occurred to me that you may be interested in some vintage Seattle images that came into my possession. I recently purchased a number of slides from a local Salvation Army store for an art project I was working on and upon looking at them I found that they were photo’s from the construction of the Seattle Center and the Worlds Fair. I scanned in a majority of the slides [...]
Josh Salwitz
Josh Salwitz
Seattle Center under construction, 1961-1962. Photo courtesy Josh Salwitz.
Seattle Center under construction, 1961-1962. Photo courtesy Josh Salwitz.
Seattle Center under construction, 1961-1962. Photo courtesy Josh Salwitz.
Seattle Center under construction, 1961-1962. Photo courtesy Josh Salwitz.
Seattle Center under construction, 1961-1962. Photo courtesy Josh Salwitz.
Seattle Center under construction, 1961-1962. Photo courtesy Josh Salwitz.
My mother shopped at the A&P across the street from the fair. I can recall watching them build the Space Needle from the parking lot there. and I remember the zig zags as seen in the last picture.
I wonder if there are any pictures of the finished fair from the vantage point of the A&P (north side)
I see the Honeybucket has come a long way since the early ’60s (pardon me — “Sanikan”).
I love all those old trucks and cars. What a festive time it was!
Thanks to Josh, great stuff!
Amazing.
These are so cool, I hope there are more to come!
Look at how anyone off the street could just walk right on up to the construction site to gawk–no barriers, no hardhats, no warning signage.
Excellent find Josh! That’s what makes this site so cool, the collaboration and pooling of resources!
Shannon C: Yes, much more to come.
These photos are so great! Thank you Josh for saving and sharing a bit of history. Can’t wait to see the rest!
Looking forward to seeing more. I just missed this. I left Seattle in 1960.
Janet
Glad everyone is enjoying them! I’m just glad to have found somewhere to get them seen, so thanks to Cliffe!
These are outstanding! Thanks for sharing these, Josh.
Is that the Mercer Street Arena in the first pic?
Josh- WONDERFUL score!!!
EXCELLENT! My grandfather was very excited by the building. He took my brother and I out of school the day they lifted the Space Needle restaurant platform into place so we could watch. The First slide might be that of the old Opera house built in 1924. The photographer is facing WEST as that is St. Marks and Capitol Hill in the back ground. Mercer would be to the LEFT of the building.
The second shot appears to be the Flag Pavilion and it seems to have an event going on even as the front plaza, poles and lawn have yet to be set in place.
The last show shows the progress of bricking the exterior of the Opera House (aka McCaw Hall)
WHAT an awesome find…
I love the pre-cast segments of the US Science Pavilion (aka the Pacific Science Center). Makes me wonder if Mr. Yamisaki was out here as it was built.
Actually, the photog is looking east in the first frame. I seem to remember the “Seattle Ice Arena”(aka ‘Mercer Arena’) had a neon on the roof. Here’s a sweet shot from MOHAI before ground was broken:
http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm-mohai/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/imlsmohai&CISOPTR=4489&CISOBOX=1&REC=1
Martha- I was looking at your post & trying to remember where A & P was…..it became Tower Books