This is a photo of our family’s business that was at 616 Olive Way for many years just around the corner from the old Fredrick and Nelson’s. They had several studios in downtown Seattle and many regionally around the PNW, naturally in the age when people dressed up to have their pictures taken and when fewer people had photo capabilities at home. I thought you’d enjoy this photo. I am still digging for older ones of Seattle in the early days. Stay tuned.
Thanks for your website,
Kristin Kennell
Thanks for your website,
Kristin Kennell
Kennell-Ellis Photography Studio at 616 Olive Way, late 1950′s. Photograph courtesy Kristin Kennell.
Great to see this…
It was the place my family went every year for photos of the whole family and each individual.
Time warp memories!
I wonder what the phrase “artist photographer” was supposed to convey. I have seen photos of my mother in her youth where the black and white or sepia photo was given very slight coloration (I assume with brushes by hand) — a little blue in her eyes, little puffs of redness on the cheeks. I also worked in a large commercial photo lab here in Seattle many years ago, and there was a whole art department, where people removed zits from portraits and opened eyes that had blinked shut at the moment the shutter released (kidUnot). I wonder if “artist photographer” was meant to signify that this was not just a mug shot, that you would be rendered sublime with the full range of technologies and skills available to a skilled tradesman who was both an artist and a technician.
Kristin – was that a neon sign? Is that kind of signage salvaged by anyone? I’d LOVE to see a museum filled with neon signs like that!
Amazingly, the building is still there. The windows were modernized, entrance door moved to the right, and there’s a see-through canopy across the front of the building, but you can still recognize it in a Google street view. Even the white blotches in the stone veneer are the same. If I knew how to share a link to take you to the street view instead of just a map, I would. Help, anyone, with how to do that for the future?
This is the current occupant (info from their website):
Kelley-Ross Prescription Pharmacy
The Tower Building
616 Olive Way ~ Seattle, WA
Modern street view is here:
http://bit.ly/cpPsbL
I remember the Kennel-Ellis photography studio where the kids in our family had their pictures taken in the early 1950s. My brother’s was kept on display in the window for a long time.
What happened to all of the negatives from the photos? Kennell-Ellis also did class photos and there are a lot of people who would love to order copies of those!!!
My previous message actually needs to be clarified. The Kennell-Ellis I remember was in Eugene, Oregon.
Still want to know what happened to the negatives there.
I never knew there was a Kennel-Ellis in Seattle.
Who might I contact to look up information (family name) of a photo taken in the Salem Shop in the 50′s. The number on the back of the 8X10 is 15497. We are trying to locate the family to give them a photo album found in a garage sale dresser this past weekend. It has the one Kennell Ellis photo and the rest are snapshots taken by an Army veteran from basic training to visiting Bergen-Belzen concentration camp and all over Germany. We would like to get this album to the right person.
Thanks,
Mary Newman, Veterans Service Officer, Douglas County OR
I can’t believe how a simple website explaining birch water can bring out so many ignorant comments!! Shame on you ninegermny’!! you really need to visit a head doc and deal with your anger issues… this innocent site isn’t the place to whine about politics?????
I hope you can help me locate a picture taken by Kennell Ellis, Inc. about 1968-69 (estimated from my son’s age of about 4 yrs.) My family lived 1st in Seattle (rental) for 1 year, then in Maple Valley outside of Renton until we moved to CA in May 1973. The party billed would have been Dann Thompson, & the subject was Steve Thompson. It was a great portrait–Steve (short blond hair) rested his chin on his elbow, which was on a wooden block. We ordered several copies. Are there archives where the original might still exist? I look forward to hearing from you, and thank you.
Jess–if there are archives, we had a portrait of our 2nd son (Greg-light brown hair, seated in chair facing right, holding a ball & wearing saddle shoes). We bought a panel of the small pictures to choose from (Panel 8B6909-71), & the 71 could mean “1971″ because Greg was born in 1970 & was 1-1/2 years old when the portrait was taken). If there are archives, perhaps this might help. The party billed would have also been Dann Thompson of Renton, WA. Obviously the boys are grown now & have families of their own–their children love childhood pictures of their Dads. Thanks-Nancy”
We have many historical photos which have the photographers name on them and it is Ellis. Many of the photos were also photo postcards, most from the early 30′s, 40′s and maybe into the 50′s. Do you know if this might be connected to this name Ellis referred in your photo and article?
L remember those beautiful pictures. Is it possible to locate the oldies…1943-45? Sigh, probably not. But if you can locate, please tell me what info you need.
Photos were of mom & I….Lackey…Myrtle Caroline & Ann
(Mrs. John Howe Lackey, Jr.)
about same time as my aunt & cousin…Schafer,
Gladys & Paul
(Mrs. Frank Schafer)
I have lost all of my childern’s baby pictures and I was wondering if there was a chance of getting copies of them. They were taken at Kennell-Ellis Northgate mall in Seattle. The years were from 1965-1969. It would have been billed to Warren Aakervik Jr.
Is this the same photo firm that was set up in Eugene during the 1950s? any photos of Mr. Kennel and Mr. Ellis you could share? the Eugene studio was great Art Deco.
David