Smith Tower, Seattle, Washington. May 25, 1972. Photo by Marion Dean Ross. Image courtesy University of Oregon Libraries, Architecture of Oregon & the Pacific Northwest.
Smith Tower 1972
February 25th, 2011 @ 12:08 am by Cliffe | Sorted Miscellaneous |
Here it is, Smith Tower, the most beautiful skyscraper in the city. The photo comes from Marion Dean Ross in May of 1972. Click for the high res and have a wonderful weekend.
Smith Tower, Seattle, Washington. May 25, 1972. Photo by Marion Dean Ross. Image courtesy University of Oregon Libraries, Architecture of Oregon & the Pacific Northwest.
Smith Tower, Seattle, Washington. May 25, 1972. Photo by Marion Dean Ross. Image courtesy University of Oregon Libraries, Architecture of Oregon & the Pacific Northwest.
That’s a few years prior to the so-far permanent removal of the balustrade on the observation deck. That caused a minor stir at the time, because like the rug in Lebowski’s living room, it tied the ah, esthetics at the top together. The NYTimes had a nice feature recently about the penthouse and the story behind it, at the time of this photo the space was housing the building water tank.
Finally, I miss the Japanese kite-fish that Ivar flew from the top when he owned the tower in the 80′s.
NickBob, I’d love to see a link to that NYT story. There’s still some kind of balustrade there at the base of the iron “cage” but now that I compare newer photos with this one I can see that the one above has openings or slots or whatever the term is — actual balusters or spindles separated by spaces. I had never heard about the “stir” over its removal.
In those days I was working right up the street in the Dexter Horton Building. It was a great place to be then. The Pioneer Square Renaissance had begun, so there were some good restaurtants around (Merchants Cafe, Salad Gallery, Das Gasthaus, Brasserie Pittsbourg, the Nutcracker, etc.) and you could park in the big, unpaved lot where they put the Kingdome for two bits a day.
Don’t forget the “Breadline” Great Depression Era-themed restaurant. As college kids we went there for cheap a soup+bread lunch — and a chance to look at 1920s-30s antique decor and to chat with the old folks on staff.
Here’s the NY Times article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/21/garden/21who.html
And you can almost see the Double Header in the foreground!
Amazing that there’s been a parking lot at the NE corner of Occidental & Washington for nearly 40 years.
The observation area atop the Smith Tower, site of my first kiss.
I always wanted the Mocambo across the street from the Tower to be restored, but restoration is not in the SAMIS Land Company’s dictionary. We got to go in there in the 70′s, the same day we were allowed to go into the restrooms below the Pergola.
@Jim & Pete: LOVED The Breadline. I worked for Uncle Goose Pedicab in ’74-75, & if we sent a 4-top to the Breadline or the Globe Cellar, we got a free meal
@Pete: Also (Marvin)Timberlake’s, Marge’s Mouse House, and The Inside Passage.
And lest we forget, The Trojan Shield.
I was lucky enough to be the high bidder on the use of this apartment at a Fare Start Auction some years ago. We arranged an agreeable date for my 60th Birthday party. Kaspar’s did the catering and we provided the wine from our cellar. As a Seattle native it was a wonderful way to celebrate with a few close friends.
If you have the opportunity I highly recommend it, the view from the glass ball is stupendous!
If this photo was indeed taken on May 25th, I wonder what the climactic data was for this year and era. The leaves on the trees have barely begun leafing. I ask, because, I was just wondering on a walk today how much longer until the trees leaf out this year, in this miserable and cold spring we’ve had so far. I am expecting full leafing by May 25th, if not in the next two weeks. Hmm. . .
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