Ye Olde Curiosity Shop

Joseph E. Standley established Ye Olde Curiosity shop in Seattle in 1899.  What began as a hobby as a child turned into a business that has lasted well over 100 years.  The Shop has moved several times but has always been on the central waterfront.  It is still run by J. E. Standley's family. And while I would highly recommend visiting the actual store to appreciate the experience, you can also make on-line purchases. See more about their history on the Shop's website.

I have a few postcards (of course!) and hope to continue to grow my collection.

"Interior of Ye Olde Curiosity Shop, Seattle, U. S. A. Located in the Colman dock. Most Unique Shop in the World. J. E. Standly, PROP'R. Established 1899"


"VISIT YE OLDE CURIOSITY SHOP EST'D 1899. 1-Whale Jaw Bones 1 ton each, 21 1/2 feet, largest in U. S. 2-Skull of Alaska Buffalo, largest in the world. 3-Giant Clam Shell. weighs 161 pounds. From Equator. 4-Ivory Tusk of Alaska Elephant (mammoth). 5-Head of Arctic Walrus with ivory tusks 6-Shell, 855 pounds, fired from U. S. Fort Worden. 7-Navajo Rugs, from Navajo Indians. 8-Indian Totem Poles. 9-Saw of Saw Fish. 10-Indian Cooking Basket. 11-Old Ship Lanterns, brass. 12-Hat worn by Chief Seattle. 13 - Alaska Snail, petrified, 67 pounds. 14-Chilcat Blanket from Alaska. GROUND FLOOR AT COLMAN DOCK ENTRANCE, SEATTLE"

I posted this one on the Facebook pages of Vintage King County and  Ye Olde Curiosity Shop.  The Shop posted this about the items on this 1920s postcard:

This picture is likely from the 1920's. Yes, we do still have most of the things shown in the photograph. I will list them in order. We have about 3/4 of one of the whale jaw bones. One was lost from being out in the weather too long and about a fourth of the other was cut off by someone in the middle of the night (!) when it was chained to the outside of the building that housed the shop when we were on pier 51. The ivory tusk of an Alaskan elephant (mastodon) is on display near the front of the shop (inside). We actually have two. We have several giant clam shells on display. There are many Native American totem poles in our collection (some older and some newer) and we have many for sale also. We have always bought directly from the local artists and some from Alaska and British Columbia as well. We have more than one saw fish saws. We have many Native American baskets in our collection but not sure if this exact one is on display. We purchased many weavings from Chief Sealth's daughter, Princess Angeline, which were for sale at the time and we have kept some examples. We do have a hat that Chief Sealth (Seattle) wore. In case you didn't know Seattle was named after Chief Sealth. The Alaska 67 pound fossil snail is on display in the outside window on the north side of the shop along with many other things from our museum collection. Lastly we do still have a Chilkat blanket on display.

The back of this postcard did not have space for writing, just space for an address and a stamp on the right, on the left side reads:
"VISITORS IN SEATTLE SHOULD SEE: The Pike Place Market; Zoological Gardens; The Smith Tower, 42 stories, Day and Night View; Anderson's Bout Tour of Harbor through U. S. Ship Canal to Lake Union into Lake Washington; Mt. Rainier; Snoqualmie Falls, 100 feet higher than Niagara; Big Trees in Schmitz Park; Sea Bathing at Alki Beach; View of Harbor from Colman Dock Rotunds; Battleships and great docks; U. S. Navy Yard at Bremerton, 1 hour boat ride; Municipal Frozen Fish Aquarium in Spokane St. Wharf; Tropical Conservatories and Art Museum in Volunteer Park; State Museum and Art Gallery on University Campus. The Seattle Chamber of Commerce and Alaska Bureau will give you free literature, maps and information about sight seeing.
VISIT THE WORLD FAMOUS YE OLDE CURIOSITY SHOP and see the Russia Brass Ikons, Samovars; Carvings on 4 grains of rice; Shrunken Human Head size of a lemon from Ecuador; the Lord's Prayer on a pin head; Fleas in dresses; a duckbill Plattypus; a devil fish, wolf fish, musk ox skull, camel bells, old ship lanterns; Narwhal tusk, Aztec pottery; ships in bottles, old guns; India mask and real hand-carved Indian Totem Poles, one to forty feet tall. Big variety of antique brass and bronze, Fossil Ivory jewelry from Alaska Eskimos. Odd rings and beads; rare novelties, Indian Baskets, Bracelets and rings, daggers and thousands of other curiosities from every land and see.
Everybody welcome to Ye Olde Curiosity Shop
Est'd 1899 by J. E. Standley
BEATS THE DICKENS
At Foot of Marion Stret
The Ground Floor Entrance to Colman Dock
Look for the Whale Jaw Bones 21 1/2 Ft. Tall"


"Interior of the world famous Ye Olde Curiosity Shop, Ferry Dock Pier 52, Seattle 4, Washington U. S. A., on Seattle's historic Waterfront. In the foreground is 'Sylvester' the mummy and Cigar Store Indian. Most unique shop in the world, 'Beats the Dickens'. Established 1899" Ektachrome by J. Boyd Ellis. 
According to HistoryLink essay about Ye Olde Curiosity Shop, Sylvester was acquired in 1955 - I think this postcard photo might have been taken about this time


"World Famous Ye Olde Curiosity Shop - 601 Alaskan Way - Pier 51, Seattle 4, Washington (Established 1899 on the waterfront.) Interior view showing Thunderbird House Front, Easter Island Carving, Korean Grave Figure, Cobalt Blue Foo Dog, Sylvester the Mummy (background), and Cigar Store Indian foreground."
This store is on Pier 51 (the above was on Pier 52) and I don't know which location was earlier but since Sylvester is further back in the store, I'm supposing it's a little later.  The Zone number between the City and State indicates it pre-dates the zip code which came in to effect in 1963.

"Seattle Ferry Terminal and Ye Olde Curiosity Shop on the Seattle Waterfront" "Seattle Waterfront, Seattle, Washington, U. S. A. Modern touch to colorful Seattle waterfront is provided by the new $3,000,000 SEATTLE FERRY TERMINAL. The world-famous YE OLDE CURIOSITY SHOP is at left. Waterfront visitors are afforded unlimited sightseeing opportunities from piers which extend far out into Elliot Bay. Fireboats and ferries provide interesting maritime activity in Seattle harbor."

Guessing the date mid to late 1960s (it's after the Seattle World's Fair ended - the barrel poles in front were originally at the Ford Pavilion at the Fair).

Fun place to see; fun place to shop!

Kodak

September 4, 1888
On this day in 1888, George Eastman received his patent for the roll-film camera and registered his trademark "Kodak" - a name he coined with no particular meaning.  Glass plates and other methods with lots of equipment were required prior to this and it certainly wasn't something the average American could manage. The camera he launched in 1888 sold for $25 and was pre-loaded with enough film for 100 exposures - the slogan was "You press the button, we do the rest".   I believe Kodak is most definitely a main influence on photography being so accessible to almost anyone.

However, times change and roll film is being overtaken by digital photography.  A recent article in the Wall Street Journal describes Kodak's plan to be financially viable which includes selling their camera-film business which made it a blue chip company. Check out the timeline included in their article History of Kodak.

Just for fun, of course I'm including mid-century summertime Kodak ads in my short tribute to a company that has spanned three centuries. . .

Brownie Movie Camera $37.50 (lower right corner notes "- a trade mark since 1888")

June 27, 1955 Life Magazine

August 15, 1955 Life Magazine
Price of the Brownie movie camera cut to $29.95!

June 18, 1956 Life Magazine

July 22, 1957 Life Magazine

Three Way Magic of Color Slide Photography (Hand viewer, projector, prints) for 135.

June 13, 1955 Life Magazine


It appears 35mm cameras did not have Kodacolor negative film available in 1955 - the six popular sizes were 116, 120, 127, 616, 620, and 828. Available in "Daylight Type" or indoors with flash "Type A"

June 20, 1955 Life Magazine

July 11, 1955 Life Magazine

September 5, 1955 Life Magazine

Biggest 35mm news since color slides!  35mm color print film!

June 30, 1958 Life Magazine

And Indoor-Outdoor Kodacolor film in 1956

July 2, 1956 Life Magazine

August 5, 1957 Life Magazine

May 26, 1958 Life Magazine

June 16, 1958 Life Magazine

I hope you remembered your camera to preserve your 2012 summer memories.

Montgomery Ward

August 18, 1872 The first Montgomery Ward catalog was published.  Aaron Montgomery Ward desired to serve rural customers:

Ward had conceived of the idea of a dry goods mail-order business in Chicago, Illinois, after several years of working as a traveling salesman among rural customers. He observed that rural customers often wanted "city" goods but were often victimized by monopolists who offered no guarantee of quality. Ward also believed that by eliminating intermediaries, he could cut costs and make a wide variety of goods available to rural customers, who could purchase goods by mail and pick them up at the nearest train station.

He worked to launch earlier but obstacles including the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 consumed the building he had stocked his merchandise.  The company pursued and with ups and downs is again in operation - you can still order from Ward's .

My Grand-Mother-In-Law, Maren Andersen Nielsen kept the 1932 Montgomery Ward catalog cover in her awesome scrapbook:  It was their 60th Anniversary.






The back side tells their story:
In 1872 A. Montomery Ward and George R. Thorne pioneered a new idea - the idea of selling by mail - and originated the Guarantee, "Satisfaction or Your Money Back." American warmed to this new way of buying and by 1874 Ward's had twice moved to larger quarters. The single-sheet "price list" had grown onto an 8-page catalogue, and the first mail order illustrations had pictured the "Grange" hat and a few pieces of luggage. In 1876 we moved again to larger quarters at 227-229 Wabash Avenue, and the catalogue was increased to 156 pages. The first mail order pictures of men's and women's fashions were used by Ward's in 1878 - the very height of style in those days! Our big 7 - story building at 111-114 Michigan Avenue was completed in 1887, with space for the 21,797 articles we then listed in our catalogue. 1893, World's Fair Year, brought thousands of visitors to Ward's and during the next four years we enlarged our building three times! Nearly 2,000,000 customers bought from us in 1897, and in that year the catalogue included our first page of color printing. The famous Tower Building was completed in 1899, 25 stories high, and topped by the Spirit of Progress statue - which has since become America's emblem of supreme VALUE! 1905-6 saw the beginning of our Kansas City branch, and the first free distribution of our catalogue (Up to that time our customers had willingly paid for it.) We moved into our present home in 1909 - it was then the largest concrete building in the world, and by 1912 we were selling everything from pins to automobiles! The years from 1914-1929 witnessed the construction of our nine great mail order houses, bringing Ward's within overnight shipping distance of 85 per cent of all the homes in America! Today, on our 60th Anniversay more than twelve million families look to Ward's for Guaranteed Satisfaction, for Same-Day Service, and for the lowest prices to be found anywhere on goods of equal high quality.

Buildings listed: Oakland, Albany, Denver, Portland, St. Paul, Chicago, Chicago, Ft. Worth, Baltimore, Kansas City.

A few more catalog covers can be found on Ward's "About Us" page here.
Another blog post about Montgomery Wards catalog at "Seduced by History".
Blog posts over at Pleasant Family Shopping tagged "Montgomery Ward"
Fickr Wishbook photostream has a collection of Christmas/Toy Catalogs that include several oldies from Montgomery Ward.

Remembering Montgomery Ward 80 years after the above catalog was published on the 140th anniversary of their first catalog!

Postum

C. W. Post, the founder of Post Cereals (which was originally Postum Cereal Company), created Postum as a coffee alternative in 1895.  They had a long string of success but the beverage was discontinued in 2007.  However, Eliza's Quest Food purchased the trademark this year and Postum is now available by mail with hopes of getting it back in stores.

I can't recall if I've ever actually had Postum but I do try to limit my caffeine intake and browsing old ads like I do has piqued my curiosity so I am very interested in ordering.

"It's lovely . . . I'll pin it on while you finish your Postum!"

January 1957 Life Magazine

"More Postum, Mom . . . we've got five new names to think up!"

February 1957 Life Magazine

"How about refueling with Postum?"

March 1957 Life Magazine

"Get under the veil, princess . . . I'll hold your Postum"

March 18, 1957 Life Magazine

"Let's have another cup of Postum . . .it's an hour show!"

April 15, 1957 Life Magazine

"So grown-up! Let Miss Easter have some Postum!"

April 22, 1957 Life Magazine

"Mind now . . . don't jiggle . . . let me enjoy my Postum!"

May 13, 1957 Life Magazine

Trade you a hamburger for a cup of Postum!"

May 27, 1957 Life Magazine

"Over-coffeed? Drink POSTUM  . . . it's 100% coffee-free!"

January 11, 1960 Life Magazine

Western Union Easter Greetings

It's awesome when a company can stay in business through the decades. Founded in 1851,  Western Union has been in business during three different centuries - that's even better! I enjoyed the scene in one of the Back to the Future movies where Doc who traveled back to 1855 had Western Union keep a letter in their Hill Valley office and instructed them who, where and when to deliver it in 1955. Of course they had to make business practice changes when the telegraph system became moot but it made me smile yesterday when I walked by their counter at a grocery store and heard someone needing their services for wiring money.

Back in the 50s they advertised sending Easter Greetings by telegram

April 4, 1955 Life Magazine

March 26, 1956 Life Magazine
Celebrity endorser Lucille Ball!

April 15, 1957 Life Magazine

March 31, 1958 Life Magazine

Easter Greetings to those of you celebrating!

"A and P"

Easter is approaching so Lent is coming to a close. A & P Food Store advertised Jane Parker Hot Cross buns for Lent and I believe they are commonly served for Easter breakfast as well.


April 8, 1946 Life Magazine

March 17, 1947 Life Magazine
And spring desserts with A & P's Ann Page preserves

April 25, 1955 Life Magazine

April 13, 1959 Life Magazine
A cup of their coffee would go pretty perfectly with those treats - (and I love the china service they used in their ads)

April 18, 1955 Life Magazine

March 25, 1957 Life Magazine

January 27, 1958 Life Magazine

March 17, 1958 Life Magazine

April 27, 1959 Life Magazine

A&P Food Stores is also known as The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company

A&P's History
More than 150 years ago, The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc. (A&P) began operations as The Great American Tea Company. Its first store - on Vesey Street in New York City - sold tea, coffee and spices at value prices. Soon stores sprung up all around the New York metropolitan area, and salesmen took their wares to the road in horse-drawn carriages bound for New England, the mid-west and the south. In 1869, the Company was renamed the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, commemorating the first transcontinental railroad and its intention to expand across the continent. In 1936, A&P became the first national supermarket chain in the United States, one of many company-led innovative concepts that have radically improved and changed the way consumers shopped. Its vast advertising and promotional activities reached so many consumers that A&P became an American icon.

More history on Wikipedia.
Unsourced information indicates there were 16,000 stores in 1930 and in 2011 there were 338.  There don't appear to be any stores in my area but I'm pleased they've been able to survive in some form for over 150 years.

Western Electric and theTelephone

March 7, 1876 - four days after his 29th birthday, Alexander Graham Bell received his telephone patent. Three days after that on March 10, 1876, Thomas A. Watson heard A.G. say, "Mr. Watson—Come here—I want to see you" in the first telephone transmission.

So Happy 136th Birthday to the telephone!

Western Electric was founded in 1872, a few years before this first successful transmission.  Apparently one of the early partners was one of the several who filed against A. G. Bell over the telephone patent.  Eventually Bell Systems (named for Alexander Graham Bell but in my quick research, he doesn't appear to have much to do with the company) acquired Western Electric in 1881 - they had become the manufacturer of Bell Systems equipment meaning (among other things) the telephone.  For the telephone's birthday enjoy these ads from their early maker.

February 24, 1947 Life Magazine
The text of this reads:

“His genius gave wings to words
It was an historic moment, Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone had just spoken its first words – “Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you!”
That evening in Boston – March 10, 1876 – Dr. Bell’s crude instrument transmitted his voice only to the next room. But out of it was destined to come a whole new era – the era of quick, easy nation-wide telephone, of radio telephony in all its varied forms of talking pictures, voice and music reproduction systems and electrical aids for the hard of hearing. Few inventions have played a greater part in shaping the world we live in!
Since 1877 – just one year after Bell’s long experimentation was crowned with success – it has been Western Electric’s privilege to help carry forward his great idea which gave wings to words. In that year Western Electric made its first telephone. More than 45,000,000 have followed it – over 4,000,000 of them in 1946 alone.
Today, from coast to coast, in factories, offices, distributing houses and central office installation crews, there are more than 110,000 Western Electric workers. Imbued with the Bell System spirit of service, they are helping to provide equipment in record quantities to meet telephone needs far beyond any envisioned by the inventor.”

August 27, 1945 Life Magazine

February 1955 Life Magazine
What a great idea!

From Vintage Goodness

March 28, 1955 Life Magazine

February 13, 1956 Life Magazine
(a little disturbing they included a map to tell enemies where to start looking to take down Air Force communications)

March 26, 1956 Life Magazine

February 1957 Life Magazine

February 10, 1958 Life Magazine

March 24, 1958 Life Magazine

February 15, 1960 Life Magazine

March 21, 1960 Life Magazine

February 23, 1962 Life Magazine

February 22, 1963 Life Magazine

I missed this one for A. G. Bell's birthday post with the other Bell Telephone System ads; it's an awesome birthday party one so I will include it for the telephone's birthday!

March 19, 1956 Life Magazine
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