Vintage Seattle was off last week as I was entertaining visiting family — including a 20 dollar trip to the Space Needle observation deck.
While the price isn’t terribly reasonable, ah that view! Regardless, we are back now so let’s have a look at Sixth and Virginia around 1955 below. Click for higher res.
City of Seattle, looking south towards the city center from approximately the intersection of Sixth and Virginia.
Cars drive down both streets.
Signs mark the Benjamin Franklin Hotel, the Orpheum Theatre, Pacific Lighting and other businesses.
Ca. 1955. Image courtesy Washington State Digital Archives.
So that is what the other side of the Orpheum looked like. It looks like the sign for Joni Metcalf is still there that now. Was it always called the Sixth Ave Inn? I wish Pacific Lighting was still there instead of the business that is there now. There are some great vehicles in the photo. I like the Willys and the roadster at the bottom of the scene.
Not sure if the date is accurate. I’m pretty sure I see monorail tracks on 5th Ave. in right center. It didn’t begin operation until March, 1962.
I think that’s a ’62 Cadillac in the intersection, and that is definitely a ’60 Chevrolet on the far right; so this is much later than 1955.
That’s a 1960 Cadillac, but I definitely see a ’61 Ford and what I will wager is a ’62 Falcon, although it’s not quite sharp enough to be sure.
Definitely monorail tracks. It took me awhile to pinpoint exactly where this was.
Great photo! It’s awesome how you guys can find those details – it took me a while to find the monorail tracks even when told where to look. I loved peering in the office windows above the Pande Cameron sign.
Looks like a 1960 Ford Falcon, and I see one of those weird looking 1960 Ford vans too. I think the white roadster parked on the street is a 59 MG. That is a beautiful Cadi in the intersection. Where are the monorail tracks? I still can’t pick them out…
Ok – just found the tracks, I see!
There are some construction cranes on the far left in the distance. Anyone know what was being built at the time?
If this is 1962, those cranes off behind I Magnin’s probably have something to do with freeway construction.