Pacific Science Center and Arches

I give a lot of face-time to the Space Needle.  I LOVE the Space Needle.  But on this, the 51st anniversary of the opening of the 1962 Seattle World's Fair, I'd like to give a shout-out to the Pacific Science Center and especially the arches.

About December 1961 - Photo used with permission: Courtesy of Seattle P-I Collection, MOHAI (CM)

Did you know the Pacific Science Center was called United States Science Pavilion, or Federal Science Pavilion during the World's Fair? The Pavilion and its arches were designed by the same architect that designed the former World Trade Center "Twin Towers".  Read more about Minoru Yamasaki here on HistoryLink. According to the Pacific Science Center website, the arches will be lit green for Earth Day today and tomorrow. They are certainly beautiful in their native white or lit with a variety of colors for special occasions and fully deserve to be featured in numerous postcards.


"Pacific Science Center - Seattle Center America's Newest Playground - Fountains, pools and graceful arches create a charming setting for the Pacific Science Center - five handsome buildings housing the greatest collection of scientific exhibits ever assembled for public viewing. The Science Center is a prime attraction at Seattle Center located on the 1962 Seattle World's Fair site."



"Pacific Science Center. The magnificent 109-ft. "Space Gothic" arches at the entrance to Pacific Science Center are dwarfed only by the 600 ft. Space needle which towers in the background. Both are outstanding attractions at America's newest playground, Seattle Center, formerly the site of the 1962 Seattle World's Fair." C13086a - Color photo by Max R. Jensen.


"Pacific Science Center. Seattle Center. A constant supply of displays and ideas are presented at this facility the year 'round. No trip to Seattle would be complete without a visit to this outstanding attraction."


"Pacific Science Center, formerly the U. S. Science Pavilion, was a major exhibit at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair. Dramatic architecture and fairyland lighting create an outstanding setting for a world famous collection of scientific exhibits. The Space Needle towers over all." C27899 Color Photo by Max R. Jensen


"Pacific Science Center was a major exhibit at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair as the U.S. Science Pavilion and now is a prime attraction at Seattle Center. Soaring Gothic arches, fountains and fairyland lighting create a beautiful setting for the Center's world-famous collection of scientific exhibits. Seattle's Space Needle towers over all." C13555a - Color photo by Mike Roberts.


"Pacific Science Center. Located in the new Seattle Civic Center, this beautiful structure was permanently constructed for the Century "21" World's Fair held in 1962. This is to be retained and kept up to date as a science center for the entire northwest." C-628 Ektachrome by Clifford B. Ellis.


"Federal Science Pavilion Seattle, Washington." P49501 by Morley Studios


"Seattle Center" "Pacific Science Center - acclaimed as one of America's most beautiful buildings, created to house the greatest collection of scientific exhibits ever assembled. Noted architect Minoru Yamasaki designed five pavilions around a beautiful series of pools and fountains, shown illuminated at night. Pacific Science Center is one of many attractions at America's newest playground, Seattle Center." C13556a - Color by Mike Roberts

Bellevue Washington

Happy 60th birthday, Bellevue!!

Bellevue was incorporated March 31, 1953.


"Incorporation of Bellevue as 3rd Class City operating under Council Manager form of Government." Fee $5.00

I haven't purchased very many Bellevue postcards but these are in my collection.  My favorite mid century King County photographer Max R. Jensen took most of them.


"Bellevue, Washington. One of the attractive and prosperous cities on the eastern shores of Lake Washington. Shopping Center in left distance." Clifford B. Ellis. Mailed November 1963


"Bellevue, Washington, located on the east side of Lake Washington, is the state's fourth largest city. A section of the main business district of this suburban city is seen."   Color Photo: Max R. Jensen.

I've been having fun comparing these next two.  They're both after 1969. You can see the SeaFirst building in the distance in Seattle which was dedicated March 28, 1969. (It's possible the top one might be as early as 1968 - the building stage of SeaFirst).  The top postcard shows J. J. Newberry's in the center.  The bottom one has Friedlander & Son's (Jeweler).  The August 30, 1972 Seattle Times writes Friedlander & Son would open it's Bellevue Square store soon.  The top postcard has "The Pacific National Bank of BELLEVUE" next to "House of Fabrics".  In the bottom postcard it appears the portion of the building "House of Fabrics" was located has been removed to build a drive-through for "Pacific National Bank of WASHINGTON".  "Baskin & Robbins 31 Flavors" is visible in the bottom postcard (the very lower left).  The strip mall on the far left looks like it's being remodeled in the lower postcard.  The clock on the street (in front of Newberry's/Friedlander's) is white/gray in the top postcard and brown in the lower one.  I would love more observations or date estimates about these postcards that you notice.


"Bellevue, Washington, located on the east side of Lake Washington is now the fourth largest city in the State. This complete, suburban shopping center, seen here, is easily accessible by the residents of Bellevue and the neighboring communities." B632 - Color photo by Max R. Jensen.


"Bellevue, Washington, located on the east side of Lake Washington is now the fourth largest city in the State. This complete, suburban shopping center, seen here, is easily accessible by the residents of Bellevue and the neighboring communities." B5556 - Color photo by Max R. Jensen.

And if you haven't already (or recently) viewed Bellevue, Washington: Over the Bridge to Gracious Living - don't miss it.


You might also be interested in my earlier posts about Bellevue which can be found here:
Bellevue 1987

East Channel Bridge Removal

Eastgate 1982

Factoria

Factoria Square March 1987

The Kingdome

The King County Domed Stadium was opened March 27, 1976 and called The Kingdome.

I went to the Billy Graham Crusade in the brand new Kingdome May 1976 with a friend from school. At 14 years-old, I was active at my home church but when they said we could go to the floor of the Kingdome for an altar call I decided I wanted to to do that so I could tour more of this giant stadium. I also went to a few Boat Shows and to countless Seattle Mariner baseball games there.  I recall in Junior high they would give us free tickets to Mariner games for being on Honor Roll. In 1978, The Kingdome was featured in one of my favorite TV shows at the time "Emergency" - the episode was titled "Most Deadly Passage" and I'd LOVE to see it again but I can't seem to figure out if it's on DVD.

The roof had problems since the beginning according to Wikipedia. In 1994 heavy tiles from the ceiling collapsed on to a seating area. The Kingdome needed to close for repairs. It reopened a little less than four months later with a cost of $51 million and the loss of life of two construction workers. Many were talking about its replacement. In 1999, Safeco field opened next door and The Seattle Mariners no longer played in the Kingdome.

Thirteen years ago today on March 26, 2000 the Kingdome was imploded to make room for the new Seahawk Stadium / Qwest Field / Century Link Field. It was pretty remarkable! Check out these two videos:





Enjoy these Kingdome postcards from my collection - a Seattle icon that is no more.


"King County Domed Stadium, Seattle" CT-886 "Covers 9.1 acres - 720 feet outside diameter - 250 feet to top of Dome - will seat 60,000 for baseball, 65,000 for football and 80,000 for personality shows. View as seen during construction in 1975, scheduled for completion in 1976." Pub. by Smith-Western Co., 1533 Broadway, Tacoma, Washington. Color by Kyle W. Smith ICS-106543


"King County Domed Stadium, Seattle, U. S. A." CT-996 "Dedicated March 27, 1976. This view shows a few of the 55,000 people who attended this gala event. The closed circuit television screen at top right is 49 feet X 65 feet. The stadium covers 9.1 acres - 250 feet to top of the dome - 720 feet outside diameter - will seat 60,000 for baseball, 65,000 for Seahawks Football and 80,000 for personality shows." Photo by Kyle W. Smith 10P309536

Just a note to mention that the Seattle Mariners are installing a new "Big Screen" at Safeco Field during the current off season - the one in the Kingdome was 65 feet wide the new Safeco one will be 201.5 feet wide.


"Seattle, Washington" Photo by Jack Leffler/Sky Eye. "Seattle, Washington - The Kingdome Stadium is a dominant feature south of the city's central business district." W-411


Kingdome - Seattle CT-994 "King County Domes (sic) Stadium Seattle, Washington. Covers 9.1 acres - 720 feet outside diameter - 250 feet to top of Dome - will seat 60,000 for baseball, 65,000 for football and 80,000 for personality shows. Dedicated March 27, 1976. Billy Graham Crusade May 9, 1976. Home of the NFL Seattle Sea-hawks - American League Baseball Seattle Mariners."


Seattle, Washington. night lights gild the Kingdome, home of the NFL Seattle Seahawks. Photo Walter J. Brown. CT-3505


Kingdome Stadium - Seattle, WA CT-2245 "King County Domed Stadium Seattle, Washington. Covers 9.1 acres - 720 feet outside diameter - 250 feet to top of Dome - will seat 60,000 for baseball, 65,000 for football and 80,000 for personality shows. Dedicated March 27, 1976. Home of the NFL Seattle Seahawks - American League Baseball Seattle Mariners."


CT-1477 "King County Domed Stadium Seattle, Washington. "Opened in 1976, this facility is the home of the NFL SEAHAWKS, AL MARINERS, NBA SONICS and the NASL SOUNDERS. The stadium covers 9.1 acres - 720 feet outside diameter - 250 feet to top of Dome - will seat 60,000 for baseball, 65,000 for football and soccer, 40,000 for basketball and 80,000 for personality shows."


Washington Picturecard CT-1573 "Kingdome, Seattle, Washington - Springtime view from Kobi Park. Opened in 1976, this facility is the home of the NFL SEAHAWKS, AL MARINERS, NBA SONICS and the NASL SOUNDERS. The stadium covers 9.1 acres - 720 feet outside diameter - 250 feet to top of Dome - will seat 60,000 for baseball, 65,000 for football and 80,000 for personality shows."


"Along Seattle, Washington's busy waterfront is Seattle's multi-purpose stadium, the Kingdome, with a maximum indoor seating capacity of 80,000. The stadium houses major sporting and entertainment events. Mt. Rainier (14,411 ft.) is on the horizon 90 miles away." Photo: David S. Curran.

Seattle Alweg Monorail

Happy 51st birthday Seattle Monorail!

From Seattle Monorail

"The Monorail opened to the public on March 24, 1962 nearly one month before the start of the World’s Fair. At a cost of $3.5 million, the trains carried more than eight million guests during the six months of the fair, easily paying for the cost of construction. The full initial capitol cost of the system was recovered and a profit was realized by ALWEG before the end of the fair."

Here are some Monorail postcards in my collection:


"Downtown Monorail Terminal in Seattle's Westlake mall. The first high-speed Monorail system in the U.S.A. The sleek vehicle of the future whisks visitors from downtown Seattle to the World's Fair grounds - over a mile away - in 96 seconds and is being eyed by other metropolitan cities of the country for the solution of their mass transportation problems." Photo by Max R. Jensen.



"Alweg Monorail. Two symbols of modern times. The sleek Alweg Monorail, first of its kind in America, whisking visitors between beautiful downtown Seattle and Seattle Center, America's newest playground, and the 600-ft Space Needle another unique attraction at the Center, towering in the background like a sentinel." C13296a - Color photo by Morley Studios


"Seattle, Washington. The Monorail, (transportation of the future), Space Needle, Federal Science Building and Seattle's new Civic Center."


"Seattle's Monorail. One of the two trains making the 1 1/4 mile - 95 second run between the downtown station on Westlake Mall and the exposition grounds." C-612 Ektachrome by Clifford B. Ellis


"Two symbols of modern times. The sleek Monorail, first of its kind in America, swiftly whisks visitors to the Seattle World's Fair grounds and back to beautiful downtown Seattle. Like a sentinel watching, stands the 600 foot Space Needle." Color photo by Max R. Jensen C13073

Some Then and Now video:
The first minute of the "Century 21 Calling" documentary



Seattle Monorail's video for their 50th birthday celebration last year

University of Washington

My parents are both graduates of the University of Washington.  My husband and I and as of last year our son also graduated from there. Three generations of Huskies.

This weekend marks their 151st birthday.  From Wikipedia

UW opened officially on November 4, 1861, as the Territorial University of Washington. The following year, the legislature passed articles formally incorporating the University and establishing a Board of Regents. The school struggled initially, closing three times: in 1863 for lack of students, and again in 1867 and 1876 due to shortage of funds. . . .

 . . . The University relocated from downtown to the new campus in 1895, moving into the newly built Denny Hall. The regents tried and failed to sell the old campus, and eventually settled on leasing the area. The University still owns what is now called the Metropolitan Tract. In the heart of the city, it is among the most valuable pieces of real estate in Seattle and generates millions of US$ in revenue annually. . . .

. . . Organizers of the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition eyed the still largely undeveloped campus as a prime setting for their world's fair. They came to an agreement with the Board of Regents that allowed them to use the campus grounds for the exposition. In exchange, the University would be able to take advantage of the development of the campus for the fair after its conclusion. This included a detailed site plan and several buildings. The plan for the A-Y-P Exposition prepared by John Charles Olmsted was later incorporated into the overall campus master plan and permanently affected the layout of the campus.

Not surprisingly, I have some old postcards that I would like to share in tribute to this special occasion.


"604 - University of Washington Campus Seattle, Washington - Library and Physics Hall, with Vista of Mt. Rainier. Just ten years after the city of Seattle was founded in 1861, the people of the territory of Washington started the University of Washington. From that day, now more than 75 years ago, the University has progressed to where it now boasts one of the most beautiful campuses in the United States. With an enrollment of 12,000 students, it ranks among the highest educational institutions in the country, and produces world famous athletic teams. Genuine Curteich-Chicago "C. T. Photocrom" Post card. C. P. Johnston Co. Seattle, Washington" Postcard mailed June 1952



"Library, University of Washington, Seattle. Natural Color K Card from Kodachrome. A Mike Roberts Color Production, Berkeley 2, Calif. Published by C. P. Johnston Co., Seattle. C3742"


"A section of the University of Washington campus at Seattle. The campus covers 582 acres, all beautifully landscaped. The building to the right is the Library and to the left Savery Hall. Ektachrome by Max. R. Jensen. Natural Color K Card from Kodachrome. a Mike Roberts Color Production. Berkeley 2, Calif. Published by C. P. Johnston Co., Seattle C5699"


"University of Washington Campus, Seattle, Wash. This view looking across Frosh Pond shows Johnson Hall Administration Bldg., Parrington Hall, Library and Physics Hall. C-409 Ektachrome by J. Boyd Ellis. Pub. by J. Boyd Ellis, Arlington, Washington 3978"


"University of Washington. This aerial view of the lower portion of the campus shows the Athletic Pavilion and Stadium. Union Bay and Lake Washington are beyond. Ektachrome by Clifford B. Ellis"

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.