VintageSeattle.org

The Washington State History Museum’s Abigail Azote writes in to let us know about a KUOW feature on the second oldest photo of Seattle. It’s not quite as high-res as we’d like, but maybe that means you and I need to head to the museum to see it in person. Take it away, Abigail.

Robinson panorama photograph of Seattle, Wash., dated 1869. Courtesy of the Washington State Historical Society.

Just a quick follow-up on last week’s discussion of a 1914 Queen Anne High School playfield photo. I did some digging and it looks like my initial thought that the field was to the south of the school along 2nd/3rd and Highland is most likely wrong. Though the pictures are from more than a decade later, they give us a good idea of what this area looked like. The photos come from the 1928 Kuay Annual (QAHS yearbook) showing construction of the auditorium, which was just behind the original structure to the south (where the fountain is now). In addition, the yearbook these images were scanned from was owned by Custer Chappell (pictured below), who was a successful track star at the school. He was one of the only black American students at the school in 1928. Click on the images for more resolution.

Queen Anne High School, 1928.

Bird’s-eye view of new center of activities — the auditorium.

Skeleton of new auditorium.

Civic auditorium from new locker rooms.

“We be of sky aspiring, and ambitious thoughts.”

The 1928 Queen Anne High School yearbook these images were scanned from was owned by Custer Chappell (pictured), who was a track and football star at the school. He was one of the only black American students at the school in 1928.

What a pleasant weekend — at least in between rain showers it was. For those of you lucky enough to spend it tooling around Green Lake, I’m offering up the latest in our “Panorama-o-rama” series featuring said lake circa 1907. Look for my photos of the recently unveiled Marlborough later this week. Until then, here’s the lake. Click on the photo for higher resolution.

Green Lake, c1907. Copyright deposit; Pillsbury Picture Co.; January 7, 1907; DLC/PP-1907:43104. Image courtesy Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

I was reading this UrbanAsh blog entry about 30 townhomes being proposed for the site of Queen Anne High School’s gym, and was reminded of a photo from my archives. After some digging, I found this 1914 photo showing the high school’s original playfield. If you locate QAHS on the map I had originally thought that this field might have stood to the south along 2nd/3rd and Highland. However, some VS readers in the comments think this area was too steep. The current theories are that the field was across Galer where Hay School now sits or to the east of the arrow toward 3rd/4th. Let us know in the comments if you have any more information.

Boys playing baseball on Queen Anne High School playfield, Seattle, ca. 1914. Museum of History & Industry Photograph Collection 1983.10.8918.2

Now that I’ve already complained about the 520 Bridge, I suppose it’s the Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge’s turn (you may just call it the I-90 Bridge). Yesterday it took me an hour and a half to cross it on the way home from work. The trip is 16 miles — giving me an average rate of about 10.5 mph. Nice! Since I’m not bitter, let’s check out these vintage (undated) photos I dug up. The bridge was built in 1940, with the newer parallel span opening in 1989. Give these a click or three.

P-1190 Lake Washington Bridge — Seattle, Wn.

Lake Washington Floating Bridge — Seattle, Wn.

459 Lake Washington Pontoon Bridge — Seattle, Wash. The Only Concrete Pontoon Bridge in the World.

Now that’s urban progress! It’s not Seattle, but it’s a vintage 1962 photo showing Tacoma’s “escalades” — touted as the nation’s first publicly-owned moving sidewalks. According to this article, they led from Pacific Avenue up to Commerce and Broadway and were out of service by the early 1980’s. Every time you’re at Sea-Tac whisking by those poor chumps who decided not to take the “escalade,” thank Tacoma! Click on the image for more res.

“Escalades, the nation’s first publicly-owned moving sidewalks, typify the progress of bustling, beautiful Tacoma. The Escalades were part of a vast improvement program passed by voters in 1958, which won for Tacoma a National Public Relations Award for urban progress.” Seattle World’s Fair Official Program, 1962.

Julie Kerssen, archivist at the Seattle Municipal Archives, wrote in to let me know that they’ve just launched a Flickr site. If you love the Seattle Municipal Archives like I do, then you’ll want to check it out for the offbeat items they’re posting. Julie and her colleagues are also looking for some help in identifying the women in their Sails and Trails Club collection. Julie writes:

Possibly at Hyak. Photograph courtesy Dorothy Brekke Sails and Trails Photograph Collection, Seattle Municipal Archives.

Possibly at Hyak. Photograph courtesy Dorothy Brekke Sails and Trails Photograph Collection, Seattle Municipal Archives.

Possibly at Hyak. Photograph courtesy Dorothy Brekke Sails and Trails Photograph Collection, Seattle Municipal Archives.

Possibly at Hyak. Photograph courtesy Dorothy Brekke Sails and Trails Photograph Collection, Seattle Municipal Archives.

Possibly at Hyak. Photograph courtesy Dorothy Brekke Sails and Trails Photograph Collection, Seattle Municipal Archives.

Possibly at Hyak. Photograph courtesy Dorothy Brekke Sails and Trails Photograph Collection, Seattle Municipal Archives.

With the weather finally getting warmer it’s time to start coming out of our shells and enjoying the surrounding area. Swimming on Lake Washington anyone? Well, maybe not just yet. Here are two vintage photographs of the resplendent views we take in on a regular basis. Click on them for more resolution.

Lake Washington Boulevard and Mt. Rainier - Seattle, Wn.

Olympic Mts. and Puget Sound as seen from Seattle.

I’m running off to the airport in a few short hours (yay for 4 hours of sleep!) so I’m very quickly posting this slightly random image that I can only tie in by linking here. Nothing more to say on this one! Actually, I think we should have Shipley come up with a few “alternate captions” to keep us entertained. Take it away, JS.

The armadillo or ant eater hard as bone from Ye Olde Curiosity Shop on Colman Dock Seattle.

The cottage home revival is upon us! Modeled after the bungalow court just down the street, this Central Area cottage home is now for sale. At $400,000 this 2005 built home features 960 square feet, 2 bed, 1.5 bath, no HOA dues, bamboo floors, soapstone counters, parking, stainless steel appliances, and is within walking distance to downtown. Check out the listing here, the home’s website here, or contact Debra Hamilton directly at 425-890-7932 if you are interested. Oh, and one more thing: I’m the one selling it!

A view of the front of the home from E Jefferson St.

The side of the corner lot from 16th Ave.

The wide open living room and kitchen area.

Closer look at the kitchen.

Master bedroom with plentiful natural light and vaulted ceiling.

Second bedroom set up for office use.

Second floor bathroom with light filtering through from the shower.

Sit down and relax in your new cottage home.

Detailed look at the kitchen fixtures.

The home features bamboo flooring throughout.

Tim Ellis of the Seattle Bubble Blog sent me this quaint Cold War-era Seattle Civil Defense Manual circa 1951 explaining how exactly to survive an atomic bomb. Specifics include how to build your own personal bomb shelter, tips for the aftermath of a blast (”wait at least one hour to give lingering radiation some chance to die down!”), which areas/landmarks would be hit first (no harshing on Tacoma and Everett!), how it kills you, and more. The pamphlet is rounded out with a long list of “subversive organizations” from the House Un-American Activities Committee. I don’t see France on the list. We can start mining the rich irony in the comments. How many modern day parallels can YOU draw? Thanks for sending this in, Tim.

Seattle Civil Defense Manual including “The Atom Bomb And Your Survival,” 1951. Page 1.	Seattle Civil Defense Manual including “The Atom Bomb And Your Survival,” 1951. Page 2.
Seattle Civil Defense Manual including “The Atom Bomb And Your Survival,” 1951. Page 3.	Seattle Civil Defense Manual including “The Atom Bomb And Your Survival,” 1951. Page 4.
Seattle Civil Defense Manual including “The Atom Bomb And Your Survival,” 1951. Page 5.	Seattle Civil Defense Manual including “The Atom Bomb And Your Survival,” 1951. Page 6.
Seattle Civil Defense Manual including “The Atom Bomb And Your Survival,” 1951. Page 7.	Seattle Civil Defense Manual including “The Atom Bomb And Your Survival,” 1951. Page 8.
Seattle Civil Defense Manual including “The Atom Bomb And Your Survival,” 1951. Page 9.	Seattle Civil Defense Manual including “The Atom Bomb And Your Survival,” 1951. Page 10.
Seattle Civil Defense Manual including “The Atom Bomb And Your Survival,” 1951. Page 11.	Seattle Civil Defense Manual including “The Atom Bomb And Your Survival,” 1951. Page 12.
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Seattle Civil Defense Manual including “The Atom Bomb And Your Survival,” 1951. Page 17.	Seattle Civil Defense Manual including “The Atom Bomb And Your Survival,” 1951. Page 18.
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This photo was taken just a month after the Great Seattle Fire in 1889. The vantage point is 1st and Cherry and you can see the rebuilding process just starting. All because of an overturned glue pot. The silver lining, however, is our collection of brick buildings downtown. Click on the thumbnail for a larger version.

Looking up Cherry St. from First, Seattle, Wash., July 1889. Image courtesy Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

Last October I posted this 1919 ad for Wilson’s Modern Business College. Just found these two candid Wilson’s shots of students hard at work during shorthand and typing classes during 1901. It looks like the photos were taken inside the same classroom. Click on the images for more resolution.

Shorthand class at Wilson’s Modern Business College, 1901.

Typing class at Wilson’s Modern Business College, 1901.

Houses, houses, houses. They’ve been ruling my life lately. And nothing makes you realize how humble your domicile is until you’ve had a look at some the homes of Seattle’s forefathers. Check out this 1901 Washington Illustrated pictorial showing A.J. Blethen’s residence. Blethen was one of the original publishers of the Seattle Times and members of the Blethen family still have majority ownership of the newspaper. Click on the thumbnail for a higher-res copy.

Residence of Col. A.J. Blethen, Queen Anne Hill, Seattle. Washington Illustrated, 1901.

Remember those three high-end Craftsman beauties that I profiled a while back? Their price came down to $879,000 from the 900’s recently, but now my inside sources are telling me that it could go for $795,000 if you approach them without a realtor. The direct line is 206-963-3431. That’s some serious discounting. Makes me with I could afford 800k…

One of three high-end Craftsman’s recently completed on 20th Ave in Squire Park.