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 ]
Drawn in 1926, the Porter Map of Seattle is a large wall map covering the entire city. It’s impressively detailed, with keys describing public buildings, road types and grades, street designations, and churches according to denomination. The author is shown as Mrs. Florence Porter. The name was unfamiliar to us,… [ Keep reading ]
Are you curious about the history of your Seattle neighborhood? Our series of online guides featuring resources in the archives by City Council district is a great place to start! Structured around the themes of Early Records, Parks and Recreation, Infrastructure and Public Works, Neighborhood Development and Community Services, and… [ Keep reading ]
Founded in 1970, Seattle’s Black Academy of Music (BAM) provided music instruction, visiting artist events, performances, and festivals that emphasized the importance of Black music, history, and culture. Led by local jazz icon Joe Brazil, BAM was a groundbreaking community arts organization that influenced and supported countless local (and beyond)… [ Keep reading ]
Happy National Handwriting Day! SMA holds many handwritten records, from individual letters and petitions to large, heavy volumes documenting official actions and reports. All of them give us valuable insights into the workings of city government over time and the issues that were important to Seattle. We’ve recently digitized two… [ Keep reading ]
Seattle’s recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day traces back to December 28, 1970, when Seattle City Council passed Resolution 22872 declaring January 15 as a city holiday to “express our gratitude for his services to mankind.” A copy of the resolution was sent to Dr. King’s widow Coretta Scott… [ Keep reading ]
As the holiday season lights up Seattle once again, we’re turning the spotlight back to Seattle City Light’s holiday lighting recommendations from the early 1960s. In our Digital Collections, you’ll find both a short promotional video and a brochure that showcases how SCL encouraged customers to brighten their homes for… [ Keep reading ]
Did you know that before it was Seattle’s first city park, Denny Park was Seattle’s first municipal cemetery? Created on land donated by David and Louisa Denny, burials started in the 1860s and continued until 1884 when Mayor Henry G. Struve signed Ordinance 571 to convert Seattle Cemetery into a… [ Keep reading ]
