The Bumbershoot arts event was first organized in 1971 and for its first two years was named simply “Festival ‘71” and “Festival ‘72.” By 1973, the event had grown much bigger and organizers felt that it needed a more distinctive name. Lists of handwritten words and phrases that seem to… [ Keep reading ]
SMA’s holdings include a set of issues of Seattle Municipal News, the newsletter of the Municipal League. The News covered local government at the city, county, and state levels, including observations of activity and policies in all departments on topics ranging from traffic to elections. SMA’s collection is not complete,… [ Keep reading ]
Did you know SMA holds annual reports from multiple city departments, some going back to the late 1800s? They can be excellent sources for researching departmental projects and priorities over time, revealing the successes and struggles of city work as Seattle grew year by year. One unique early example is… [ Keep reading ]
Pike Place Market celebrates its 119th birthday this year! The origins of the market can be traced to Ordinance 16636 passed on August 5, 1907, designating a portion of “Pike Place” as a location that could be used “for the sale of garden, farm and other food products from wagons,… [ Keep reading ]
Textual records from a recent Police Department accession have been processed and many new collections are available for research! The largest series is the Subject Files (Record Series 6403-01), which cover a wide variety of subject matter, including DWI enforcement, precinct buildings, traffic management, drill teams, and the annual police… [ Keep reading ]
Regular complaints have been made over the years about the noise made by early morning garbage pickup. For example, in 1941, the manager of the Malloy Apartments in the University District relayed grumbles from his tenants that “the big trucks roar up the alley, the men talk loud and beat… [ Keep reading ]
Seattle’s long-running summer festival Seafair has been an annual tradition for over 75 years. The first Seafair celebration took place in August 1950 and featured parades, boat races, Fleet Week, a royal court, pirates, a new Aqua Theater on Green Lake with synchronized swimming performances by the Aqua Follies, and… [ Keep reading ]
Our volunteer Ilias Bowen-Sicalides recently finished processing a set of Engineering Department records that gives us a fascinating look at street vending carts in the 1970s and 1980s. The Board of Public Works authorized street vending carts in 1972, with a one-page document providing all of the regulations for cart… [ Keep reading ]
Seattle’s iconic Freeway Park opened to the public 50 years ago this month on July 4, 1976. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve created a new online exhibit tracing the history of the park from conception to opening. The exhibit was researched using records in the archives and is illustrated with… [ Keep reading ]
An unusual Department of Community Development report from 1971 was meant to incorporate ecological and urban design factors into Seattle’s city planning efforts. Titled “Determinants of City Form,” the document is more or less an atlas of stylized maps with accompanying narratives. A transmittal letter to the mayor declared the… [ Keep reading ]
