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 ]
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 ]
We’re excited to present Lunchtime Rewind—a Lunch & Learn Archival Screening! Take a break and travel back in time with us on Thursday, July 16, from 12:00–12:45 PM for a special screening of archival footage from City Light and the Seattle Channel, featuring: The screening will take place in the… [ Keep reading ]
The first Gay Pride Week in Seattle took place in June 1974 with celebrations including a picnic, street dance, performances, and roller skating at the top of the Volunteer Park Water Tower. The week also saw the official opening of the Gay Community Center on Capitol Hill, which offered a… [ Keep reading ]
Prohibition in Washington State went into effect 110 years ago this year, outlawing the manufacture and sale of liquor across the state. The business of regulating alcohol had been a concern of Seattle city government since the city’s incorporation in 1869, when the very first ordinance passed was to establish… [ Keep reading ]
In 1962, Wing Luke became the first person of color elected to Seattle City Council and the first Asian American elected to public office in King County. Born in China, Luke moved to Seattle as a young child and attended Roosevelt High School where he was student body president. After… [ Keep reading ]
Neighbor Appreciation Day started in Seattle in 1995 as an opportunity to recognize caring neighbors and help all neighbors to get to know each other. Over the past 31 years, the annual event – now called Neighbor Day – has continued to encourage community connections, with many neighborhoods participating through… [ Keep reading ]
In 1982, plans moved forward to install two 50-foot red cedar totem poles in Market Park (now Victor Steinbrueck Park), adjacent to Pike Place Market. SMA’s Market Park Totem Poles Photograph Collection (Record Series 5801-09) includes 125 photographs documenting the carving, finishing, painting, transport, and installation of the poles in… [ Keep reading ]
Happy National Poetry Month! Not so very long ago, poetry readings were a regular event at some City Council committee meetings. Soon after he took office in 1998, Councilmember Nick Licata began holding a series of poetry readings at his committee meetings related to the arts, establishing the nation’s only… [ Keep reading ]
Here at SMA we hold many different kinds of records: textual records, photographic materials, drawings, posters, maps, and audiovisual materials – that is, film, video, and audio recordings. These recordings exist in both analog and born-digital formats, each with their own needs and challenges for preservation and access. For example,… [ Keep reading ]
