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 ]
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 ]
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 ]
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 ]
