VintageSeattle.org

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.
Seattle Civil Defense Manual including “The Atom Bomb And Your Survival,” 1951. Page 13.	Seattle Civil Defense Manual including “The Atom Bomb And Your Survival,” 1951. Page 14.
Seattle Civil Defense Manual including “The Atom Bomb And Your Survival,” 1951. Page 15.	Seattle Civil Defense Manual including “The Atom Bomb And Your Survival,” 1951. Page 16.
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.
Seattle Civil Defense Manual including “The Atom Bomb And Your Survival,” 1951. Page 19.	Seattle Civil Defense Manual including “The Atom Bomb And Your Survival,” 1951. Page 20.
Seattle Civil Defense Manual including “The Atom Bomb And Your Survival,” 1951. Page 21.	Seattle Civil Defense Manual including “The Atom Bomb And Your Survival,” 1951. Page 22.
Seattle Civil Defense Manual including “The Atom Bomb And Your Survival,” 1951. Page 23.	Seattle Civil Defense Manual including “The Atom Bomb And Your Survival,” 1951. Page 24.

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.

We are continuing to get settled in here at our new house in West Seattle. The unboxing is going slowly — very, very slowly. Everyone in the neighborhood and surrounding area has been super friendly. As the moving truck was being unloaded last weekend, I even got a visit from VS reader and contributor Richard P. Hill. Speaking of contributors… never one to stand still, Deran Ludd sends in these old photographs of J. E. Standley and his home in West Seattle. Standley was the owner of Ye Olde Curiosity Shop, opening the store in 1899. Thanks Deran. Click on the images for more resolution. Does anyone know if his house is still standing?

Shells from every sea in the yard of J. E. Standley in West Seattle.

J. E. Standley outside his home, 1920’s.

I recently got in touch with World’s Fair historian Bill Cotter who provided these excellent candid shots taken at the ‘62 Seattle World’s Fair. If you’re interested in getting photos from the ‘62 Expo or other fairs, check out his website at www.worldsfairphotos.com where you can buy copies. You can also find his book, The 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair at Amazon. Once again, thanks to Bill for providing the snapshots. Enjoy!

Hawaii Pavilion. Photograph courtesy Bill Cotter.

Tram Boulevard West. Photograph courtesy Bill Cotter.

Science Way. Photograph courtesy Bill Cotter.

Horiuchi Mural. Photograph courtesy Bill Cotter.

I want to take a step back again and look at another super wide angle (well, stitched together) photograph of our city. This one comes straight from 1926 taken from what looks like Queen Anne. Also check out our last panorama-o-rama from 1917. Click on the thumbnail for the larger res version. This is a fun one to study. Which landmarks can you pick out?

Seattle panorama. Copyright deposit; Pierson Photo Co.; April 19, 1926. Image courtesy Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

I’m moving to West Seattle tomorrow! When I told Vintage Seattle key contributor Deran Ludd, he kindly sent me these turn of the century picture postcards of Luna Park in West Seattle. Long before Fun Forest, there was Luna Park — nicknamed the “Coney Island of the west.” It opened in June of 1907 and the forces of moralism and scandal shut her down in 1913. Back to present day… West Seattle, here I come! Let’s hope the moving process is more efficient than the mortgage process has been and let’s hope the dead whale carcass is kept to a minimum. Again, special thanks to Deran Ludd for the photos (Deran is going to be opening a Yesler blog soon, so keep an eye out for that).

Luna Park’s dancing pavilion and summer garden. Photograph courtesy Deran Ludd.

Luna Park circa 1908. Photograph courtesy Deran Ludd.

A view from above the park. Photograph courtesy Deran Ludd.

A 100 ton whale on exhibit at Luna Park, 1907. Photograph courtesy Deran Ludd.

Luna Park snapshot, 1908. Photograph courtesy Deran Ludd.

Luna Park snapshot, 1908. Photograph courtesy Deran Ludd.

By now you’ve all heard the news about the Ballard Manning’s/Denny’s designated a landmark last week. It’s a big win for Seattle preservationists yet we all have to remain vigilant about defending this building since Benaroya Company will certainly appeal the decision. Anne Forestieri, of the group who worked for the designation, was kind enough to get in touch with me and send along some photographs of the Ballard Manning’s/Denny’s circa 1983 taken by former Manning’s general manager Winnie Young. The first with a snow covered ground shows the beautiful Manning’s sign while the second is shot along Market. According to Anne, many of the original significant and character defining elements remain, including the glue lam beams, the mirawal at the base of the building (still the original red color, under several layers of paint), and the concrete battered columns on the sides. For more information on the significance of the structure, you can read architectural historian Alan Michelson’s report submitted to the Landmarks Preservation Board right here. Then check out the photos below and give them a click for a closer look.

A snow covered Manning’s Cafeteria, circa 1983. Photograph courtesy Winnie Young/Anne Forestieri.

Opposite angle of Manning’s Cafeteria in Ballard, circa 1983. Photograph courtesy Winnie Young/Anne Forestieri.