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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Elvis Presley in "Meet Me at the Fair" a M.G.M. picture; J. Souders; band leader to left
Elvis Presley filming "It happened at the World's Fair" at the Century 21 Exposition (Seattle World's Fair). "Elvis Presley came to town to make the film It Happened at the World’s Fair. Using the fair as a backdrop for an Elvis movie was actually the brainchild of Governor Albert D. Rosellini, who suggested the idea to studio execs at MGM. They liked the concept, and soon enough The King showed up, turning heads and causing girls to shriek everywhere he went." (Century 21 Exposition (1962): Music at the Fair. HistoryLink.org, http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=9367)
Identifier: spl_wl_exp_00896
Date: 1962-09-14
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View west to central Information Pavilion [i.e. General Insurance Company Information Center]
Landscaping, Century 21 Exposition (Seattle World’s Fair). “Landscape architects have praised the Seattle World's Fair, as it is unique among international expositions. For the first time, landscape design is permanent, remaining in the Seattle Center after the Fair…More than 15,000 flowering annuals give color and texture, beginning with daffodils and tulips, going through snapdragons, china asters, dahlias (the Fair flower, although there is also a Century 21 rose), begonias (5,000 donated by the Dutch government), and early and late chrysanthemums.” (Official press book : Seattle World's Fair 1962. Seattle: Century 21 Exposition, p. 71.) General Insurance Company Information Center, designed by Austin Associates, is visible in background.
Identifier: spl_wl_exp_00672
Date: 1962-09
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Bronze plaque on new Shrine bldg. 3rd Ave. No. near Thomas
Nile Temple of the Shrine, on the grounds of the future Century 21 Exposition (Seattle World’s Fair). “In 1953…the Nile Temple of the Shrine, a Masonic social and charitable organization,…built a new headquarters building…at the corner of Third Avenue North and Thomas Street. The Nile Temple chose the site in order to permit uniformed units to dress in the Nile Building and then march to the nearby Civic Auditorium for Shrine ceremonials twice a year…The Nile Temple Building was converted for use as the Century 21 Club, a membership organization formed especially for the fair, which offered lounge, dining room, and other club facilities. The $250 membership fee provided a permanent gate pass along with club facilities for the six-month duration of the fair. A vacant space at the front of the building was used to construct a temporary structure, which would house the Christian Witness Pavilion & Child Care Center.” (Cathy Wickwire, Survey Report: Comprehensive Inventory of City-Owned Historic Resources, Seattle, Washington, 2001, pp. 19-22.)
Identifier: spl_wl_sec_01140
Date: 1957-10
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View east of plaza south of Coliseum with Space Needle
Little Hippo Inn / Hippo Burger Restaurant, Century 21 Exposition (Seattle World's Fair). "Snacks and meals are available almost anywhere you go on the fairgrounds. In addition to the food concessions to be found in the fabulous Food Circus...there are places to eat in every area." (Official Guide Book, Seattle World's Fair 1962. Seattle: Acme Publications. p. 135.)
Identifier: spl_wl_exp_00438
Date: 1962-07
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After fair removal; view from Danish rest. to Sweden Pa
Demolition of Century 21 Exposition (Seattle World's Fair). "Surrounding the Coliseum is 94,200 sq. ft. of exhibit space in clear span structures of concrete columns and tilt-up walls with a steel joist roof system and metal decking and insulation. The concrete, laid out in a repetitive form which has become the architect's trademark, relieves what might otherwise have become a monotonous perimeter facade." (An Architect's Guidebook to the Seattle Worlds Fair. Seattle, Pacific Builder and Engineer, April 1962, p. 19)
Identifier: spl_wl_exp_00369
Date: 1962-10-24
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One of 2 lions at entrance to World's Fair Museum
The World’s Fair Museum operated on the grounds of the Seattle Center, in the former United Arab Republic Pavilion of the Century 21 Exposition (Seattle World’s Fair), during the summer of 1963. It displayed photographs and artifacts from the fair.
Identifier: spl_wl_sec_02007
Date: 1963-08-16
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300 block Warren Ave. Eastside; 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_00230
Date: 1957-10
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View N.E. from British Pavilion
International Plaza, Century 21 Exposition (Seattle World's Fair). “Surrounding the Coliseum is 94,200 sq. ft. of exhibit space in clear span structures of concrete columns and tilt-up walls with a steel joist roof system and metal decking and insulation. The concrete, laid out in a repetitive form which has become the architect's trademark, relieves what might otherwise have become a monotonous perimeter facade.” (An Architect’s Guidebook to the Seattle World’s Fair. Seattle, Pacific Builder and Engineer, April 1962, p. 19)
Identifier: spl_wl_exp_00951
Date: 1962-07
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Century 21--the Seattle World's Fair
Article in Data Link, a publication of the Institute of Radio Engineers, describing the Century 21 Exposition (Seattle World's Fair).
Identifier: spl_c21_2771058
Date: 1962
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Alaska Pavilion; scenic views in exit corridor
The Alaska Pavilion of the Century 21 Exposition (Seattle World's Fair). "The National Bank of Commerce of Washington, which erected the building for Alaska, provides information for visitors interested in the economic development of the 49th state." The Alaska Pavilion featured displays on the social and economic story of Alaska including a projection of the Aurora Borealis on the dome of the pavilion and color photographs of Alaska scenery and landmarks. (Official Guide Book, Seattle World's Fair 1962. Seattle: Acme Publications. p. 47.)
Identifier: spl_wl_exp_00029
Date: 1962-10
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