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 ]
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 ]
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 ]
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 ]
As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, SMA is presenting the exhibition We the People of Seattle: America at 250. The free display, which is open to all members of the public, is now on view in the Seattle Municipal Tower Gallery on the 3rd floor. Records… [ Keep reading ]
In June 1980, Seattle Center held its first annual Juneteenth Celebration, a free public event spanning four days which featured exhibits, dances, dramatic performances, concerts, and films. The event was intended to celebrate Juneteenth through visual and performing arts, using the theme of “The Young Black Artist.” National and local… [ Keep reading ]
In the early 20th century, the campaign for women’s suffrage and activism around prohibition brought women into the public sphere. With the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920 giving women the right to vote, the idea of women in the political arena was no longer unthinkable. In 1926, Seattle… [ Keep reading ]
The Police Academy Records (Record Series 6408-01) include pages from a notebook created by Howard E. Hartsfield when he was in training at the academy in 1952. The pages in Hartsfield’s meticulous handwriting note what he was learning in his classes, with the occasional hand-drawn illustration. His table of contents… [ Keep reading ]
