Century 21 Digital Collection
Preview up to 100 items from this collection below. Seattle’s 1962 World’s Fair showcased Seattle as a space-age city. See photos, brochures, postcards and other items related to Seattle’s 1960s vision of the future.
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Alley 200 block, so. of Thomas between Nob Hill and 3rd Ave. N. View S.E. House to right still occupied
Future site of the Century 21 Exposition (Seattle World’s Fair). In 1956, the City of Seattle’s Civic Center Advisory Committee selected land surrounding the existing Civic Auditorium at the foot of Queen Anne Hill for the site of the Century 21 Exposition and a future Civic Center for the city. In 1957, the city acquired the property through condemnation. With a few exceptions, including the Civic Auditorium (which was transformed into the Opera House) and the National Guard Armory (which became the Food Circus), most existing buildings were demolished. This set of photos documents the site before demolition began.
Identifier: spl_wl_sec_00203
Date: 1957-10
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Camp Fire Girls Day; view N.W. on Third Av. No.
Camp Fire Girls Day at the Century 21 Exposition (Seattle World's Fair). “The World’s Fair flagpoles that Camp Fire Girls’ candy mint sales built were dedicated yesterday in the Plaza of the States. Some 10,000 Camp Fire Girls attended. The Camp Fire Girls’ events attracted more than 20,000 of the record number of fairground visitors yesterday.” (Seattle Times, May 6, 1962.)
Identifier: spl_wl_exp_00356
Date: 1962-05-05
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2 houses on Harrison between 1st Ave. & Warren; at extreme right is corner of Warren Ave. School. View N.E.
Future site of the Century 21 Exposition (Seattle World’s Fair). In 1956, the City of Seattle’s Civic Center Advisory Committee selected land surrounding the existing Civic Auditorium at the foot of Queen Anne Hill for the site of the Century 21 Exposition and a future Civic Center for the city. In 1957, the city acquired the property through condemnation. With a few exceptions, including the Civic Auditorium (which was transformed into the Opera House) and the National Guard Armory (which became the Food Circus), most existing buildings were demolished. This set of photos documents the site before demolition began.
Identifier: spl_wl_sec_00217
Date: 1957-10
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View S.W. of International Mall from Phillipine [i.e. Philippines] Pavilion
International Mall of the Century 21 Exposition (Seattle World's Fair). “The largest and most diverse of the five great theme areas of the Seattle World’s Fair is the wide and wonderfully varied World of Commerce and Industry. It stretches to the opposite ends of the fair grounds and it is divided into two major divisions, domestic and foreign. The foreign exhibitors are governments, alliances and groups. They are housed in the buildings on the International Plaza and the International Mall.” (Official Guide Book, Seattle World's Fair 1962. Seattle: Acme Publications. p. 42.)
Identifier: spl_wl_exp_00326
Date: 1962-10-06
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Coliseum interior
Washington State Theme Exhibit, Century 21 Exposition (Seattle World’s Fair). “Rising in the center of the Coliseum, the ‘World of Tomorrow’ exhibit symbolizes the 21st century -- just beyond man’s reach yet within his range of vision. The theme of this structure of interlocking aluminum cubes, ‘The Threshold and the Threat,’ depicts the ambivalence of atomic power, to be employed either for the advancement or the annihilation of man and his planet. Visitors ascend to the overhead exhibit in a globe-shaped elevator, the ‘Bubbleator,’ for a 21-minute tour of the future, which includes a look at the city of tomorrow, the home of the future, and transportation, industry, food production, education, communications and recreation in the 21st century…The ‘World of Tomorrow’ exhibit was designed by the Donald Deskey Associates of New York and installed by the Radio Corporation of America. The State of Washington sponsored and financed the exhibit.” (Official press book: Seattle World's Fair 1
Identifier: spl_wl_exp_01095
Date: 1962-10
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Mexico Pavilion; Self portrait (see other photo of same subject without portrait)
Government of Mexico Pavilion, Century 21 Exposition (Seattle World’s Fair). “Set off by red lavastone and amberglass walls, the Mexican pavilion offers a collection of leather goods, glassware, Indian blankets, bright cloth and clay and china pottery. Jewelry is displayed in a modernistic setting. The designers of the pavilion, Pedro Vasquez and Rafael Mijares, are from Mexico City. Mr. Molino, Director” (Official press book : Seattle World's Fair 1962. Seattle: Century 21 Exposition, p. 37.)
Identifier: spl_wl_exp_00720
Date: 1962-10
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View north across lower pool U.S. Science Bldg.
United States Science Pavilion, Century 21 Exposition (Seattle World’s Fair). “The lacy pattern of this six-unit complex placed around a central court with its 100-ft. high arches is in decided contrast to the forcefulness of Coliseum 21. In a sense, the pavilion is a salute to concrete, for it is believed to represent the largest single use of precast and prestressed structural components in the nation.” (An Architect’s Guidebook to the Seattle World’s Fair. Seattle, Pacific Builder and Engineer, April 1962, p. 21)
Identifier: spl_wl_sec_01386
Date: 1962-04-11
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Seattle 1st N.B. "Ahab" by Ray Jensen; Bellevue: Wash.
Seattle-First National Bank sculpture exhibit, Century 21 Exhibition (Seattle World’s Fair). “An outdoor exhibition of works by leading Northwest sculptors has been arranged by the Seattle-First National Bank at its fairgrounds branch around the corner from the Federal Science Pavilion. The bank announced today it has established an invitational competition and show, with prizes of $300, $200 and $100. All entries will be exhibited in the large courtyard and gardens of the fairgrounds bank for the duration of the fair.” (Louis R. Guzzo, Seattle Times, March 22, 1962, p. 26.)
Identifier: spl_wl_exp_00055
Date: 1962-05-30
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Poles at South gate with Space Needle
South Entrance and Space Needle, Century 21 Exposition (Seattle World's Fair). On the South Entrance, designed by Bassetti & Morse: "Douglas fir logs turned on giant lathe by Cascade Pole Co. and painted rainbow of colors, greet visitors on south side." (An Architect's Guidebook to the Seattle Worlds Fair. Seattle, Pacific Builder and Engineer, April 1962, p. 31). Space Needle: "The Space Needle, a modernistic totem of the Seattle Worlds Fair, was conceived by Eddie Carlson as a doodle in 1959 and given form by architects John Graham Jr., Victor Steinbrueck, and John Ridley. When King County declined to fund the project, five private investors, Bagley Wright, Ned Skinner, Norton Clapp, John Graham Jr., and Howard S. Wright, took over and built the 605-foot tower in less than a year." (Walt Crowley, Space Needle (Seattle). HistoryLink.org, http://historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=1424)
Identifier: spl_wl_exp_00503
Date: 1962-04-21
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Left is United Nation [i.e. Nations] Pavilion in International Mall
United Nations Pavilion and Africa Pavilion on the International Mall of the Century 21 Exposition (Seattle World's Fair). International Mall of the Century 21 Exposition (Seattle World's Fair). “Six hyperbolic paraboloid shells blending into a single fluted column make up two of the exhibit buildings; the third, not shown, is simply a box beam shelter. The twin structures actually are a collection of 52 of these shells and, with their classic Oriental overtones, seem to be particularly fitting for the foreign displays they contain. A fine, clean concrete surface was created by coating the four forms with fiberglass. High-early cement was used to cast the 1 ½ in. thick shells. With temperatures ranging from 35 to 65 deg., calcium chloride was added and cylinder strengths of over 3,000 lb. were obtained in 24 hours. Located on the northwest corner of the exposition site, the inside-out umbrellas with their colorful fiberglass panels present an exciting boundary.” (An Architect’s Guidebook to the Seattle World’s Fair. Seattle, Pacific Builder and Engineer, April 1962, p. 32.)
Identifier: spl_wl_exp_00023
Date: 1962-10-01
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