Photograph showing the back of the “Public Market Center” sign by Marion Dean Ross, May 5, 1974. Image courtesy Visual Resources Collection, Architecture & Allied Arts Library, University of Oregon Libraries.
Support Pike Place Market
October 18th, 2010 @ 12:37 am by Cliffe | Sorted Photo Exposure |
I know this might be a little too hardcore for some, but check out this 1974 photo showing the back of the “Public Market Center” sign at Pike Place Market. Look at that column! What’s it doing there ? When’s it from ? Where’ d it go ? So many questions! It’s a little hard to tell from the modern view. Yet I think this Seattle Daily Photo may show it. Click for high res and join us in the discussion comments. Aha! Andy pointed out in the comments that Allen’s 1910 shot shows it as some kind of light pole. Nice catch.
Photograph showing the back of the “Public Market Center” sign by Marion Dean Ross, May 5, 1974. Image courtesy Visual Resources Collection, Architecture & Allied Arts Library, University of Oregon Libraries.
Photograph showing the back of the “Public Market Center” sign by Marion Dean Ross, May 5, 1974. Image courtesy Visual Resources Collection, Architecture & Allied Arts Library, University of Oregon Libraries.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/danssordidandsundrypictures/3830297173/
Here’s a fantastic view of it today. Looks like they chipped off the ornaments, and painted the whole thing orange. The octagonal top is still there, though.
In 1910 it seemed to be a centerpiece of sorts, with those lights. Now it’s hardly recognizable.
Actually it appears that it’s still there, your original Google perspective just covered it. Moving over a tad, you can see the top of it just under the ‘T’ of sign: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Pike+Place+Market,+Seattle,+WA&sll=47.610136,-122.342057&sspn=0.033041,0.035963&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Pike+Place+Market,+Seattle,+Washington&layer=c&cbll=47.608822,-122.340196&panoid=0aQmsqqIwF9xuSNpyPJp5Q&cbp=11,249.79,,0,2.99&ll=47.608825,-122.340188&spn=0.012441,0.066047&t=h&z=15
In the 1910 photo it seems to have been a fancy light pole, and in your shot the way it partially comes up through the roof makes me guess that because of the extra roof work that might have been needed to demolish it, not to mention that it’s probably stuffed with sketchy wiring, it was easier to use it as a support for the sign.
It’s hard to be sure, but it looks like the wiring coming from the old light fixture is being used to power the clock, and possibly the whole sign.
That would appear to be the original light pole that stood on that spot. It was recently restored to it’s original glory.
Here’s a picture taken a couple of weeks ago in an attempt to replicate the 1916 image.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/crackdog/5050095782/
Glad they left it.
In hepworth’s modern view, it looks as if someone “discovered” the post and removed the cast (bolt on?) oramentation, which most likely now resides on a book shelf…..
Found this article about the restoration of the light fixture, and it includes video footage of the artist making the individual pieces needed to rebuild it:
“Enumclaw artist recreates Pike Place Market landmark”
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/pierce/bch/lifestyle/103553969.html
Another article with pictures.
http://downtownseattle.komonews.com/content/fixture-lights-pike-place-hill-climb
Oh, and I think sometime in 2090 Vintage Seattlites will be combing over the picture hepworth linked to and someone will notice the window washers. “Wow, that was probably back when Seattle had rain.”
it looked out of place even in 1910
I’m glad they had the guy rebuild it. It’s a beautiful light. Now if only it wasn’t behind that big sign and clock… But I’m glad it’s there. It has a character that modern street lamps just don’t have.
Greetings
The fixture was designed in 1908 and built to commemorate the Alaska-Yukon exposition held at the University of Washington campus. The 1908 “ink on linen” drawings depict a fixture with two tiers of arms supporting the lower eight globes. From the photos it is clear that the fixture actually built, has only one tier and appears to be constructed of steel and not of cast iron. I am refering to the arms only for the rest of the construction is clearly iron.
I have posted some photos on this link to show the limited resources I had to work with in the redesign. I wish I could have had a gander at the 1974 Oregon photo which shows ornamentation detail beyond my photos.
The new fixture weighs about 1000 pounds and the column weighs in at about 6000 pounds. It took me six months to design, get approvals and construct the fixture. I would be very happy to answer any questions or chat about the work.
I would like to thank Heather McCauliff at the office of arts and cultural affairs for her help. Robert Slater of Cocheran Electric for his support, Steve Humphrey of 47 West and Kurtis Roos for strapping on the fall restraint harness. John Turnbull of the PDA for recognizing the work as an artistic landmark and not just a dumb light pole. Finally my wife Wendy for helping to cope with the stress.
JohnB
http://www.flickr.com/photos/55990131@N02/
Wow, JohnB. Great information. Question for you though: What was your role in the project?
Cliffe
I was engaged to review the history of the fixture. That would include any photos and drawings still in existence. I then spent a month and a half designing and drawing the parts and assembly drawing. This was done the old fashioned way with graphite on mylar film. When approval for the design came from the PDA design review committee I began contructing the tooling for the project which included patterns and core boxes make from wood and polymers. I took the patterns to my foundry and proceeded to cast the forty iron castings that make up the fixture. Many of the castings had to be machined for correct fit and water tightness. The top globe had to be custom blown from a wooden mould I had machined from blocks of maple wood growing on our farm. The video shows some of the glasswork. The fixture was painted and electrified by Kurtis Roos of Majestic Lighting in Muckleteo who also helped in the foundry and without his kind and decent support the project might not have been posible. 80 percent of the work was done in the patternshop where the parts and shapes are first created in precision patterns and then in metal. Does this help?
JohnB
Amazing work John! Amazing! I love seeing things be recreated and not forgotten with time.