Browse photographs from the Paul Dorpat Collection which documents the history of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. At this time, a small sampling of images has been digitized while the collection is actively being processed.
Lake Washington, Mercer Island, and Mt. Rainier, ca. 1910s
View southeast from around the Leschi neighborhood in Seattle towards Lake Washington, with Mercer Island, parts of Bellevue, Seward Park, and Mt. Rainier visible. Detailed view of spl_dor_gpn_re_00026 showing closeup of homes. The roofs of the Leschi Park Pavilion and Boathouse can be seen along the waterfront.
Identifier: spl_dor_gpn_re_00027
Date: 1910; 1911; 1912; 1913; 1914; 1915; 1916; 1917; 1918; 1919
View this item1st Ave. south from University St., May 23, 1969
Corner of 1st Ave. and University St. in downtown Seattle. Looking south, several businesses can be seen, including Western Leather Works, Pacific Loans, other lending establishments, and Zobrist's Consumer Electronics shop.
Identifier: spl_dor_00018
Date: 1969-05-23
View this itemSnow on Union St. at 3rd Ave., January 30, 1969
Looking east on Union St. from 3rd Ave. The buildings on the left are the Vance Building and the 1411 4th Ave. Building.
Identifier: spl_dor_00025
Date: 1969-01-30
View this itemBoats at Fishermen's Terminal, Seattle, ca. 1917
Boats Famous, Margaret and Penguin at Fishermen's Terminal. The Ballard Bridge appears under construction in the background.
Identifier: spl_dor_gpn_re_00064
Date: 1917?
View this itemGroup of musicians in carriage branded with "Home Comfort Stables," ca. 1910s
In addition to his career as a plumber, William Leroy Brown (1871-1939) was also a musician. According to Paul Dorpat, he was a charter member of the local musician's union and ""played the clarinet in "Dad" Wagner's popular concert and marching band." The hats of the men holding instruments in this photo appear to say Wagner, making it possible they are members of the band. Home Comfort Stables appears to have been Yakima business so location is likely either Yakima or Seattle. See note for more on the Brown family.
Identifier: spl_dor_gpn_re_00242
Date: 1910; 1911; 1912; 1913; 1914; 1915; 1916; 1917; 1918; 1919
View this itemExterior of two houses from the street, Seattle, ca. 1900s
Homes are possibly on Dexter or Denny, near Brown residence. See note for more on the Brown family.
Identifier: spl_dor_gpn_re_00238
Date: 1900; 1901; 1902; 1903, 1904; 1905; 1906; 1907; 1908; 1909
View this item2nd Ave. and Stewart St., Seattle, circa 1910s
The Wilson Building on the corner of 2nd Ave. and Stewart St. with window signs for Wilson's Modern Business College and Mueller's Fur Store.
Identifier: spl_dor_gpn_re_00002
Date: 1910; 1911; 1912; 1913; 1914; 1915; 1916; 1917; 1918; 1919
View this itemAlma Hotel bar, San Francisco, California, ca. January 29, 1912
Bartender talking to two customers in bar located inside the Alma Hotel, 335 Stockton Street, San Francisco, California on January 29, 1912(?).
Identifier: spl_dor_gpn_re_00010
Date: 1912-01-29
View this item[Untitled view of Suzzalo Library], ca. 1931
Frank Asakichi Kunishige was born in Japan on June 5, 1878. He came to the United States via San Francisco in 1895. After graduating from the Illinois College of Photography, he opened a small photography studio in San Francisco. Kunishige moved to Seattle in 1917. In the same year, he married Gin Kunishige and began working in the studio of Edward S. Curtis where he became acquainted with Ella McBride who he worked for in later years. Kunishige was well known for his use of Pictorialism, a popular painterly style of photography. He developed his photographs on "textura tissue," a paper of his own creation, which allowed him to produce almost dreamlike prints. His work was featured nationally and internationally in exhibitions and publications such as Photo-Era and Seattle's Town Crier. In 1924, Kunishige became one of the founding members of the Seattle Camera Club, a group of local photographers including Kyo Koike, Yukio Morinaga, Iwao Matsushita and Fred Y. Ogasawara who gathered to share techniques and ideas, as well as their deep love of the medium. Although the group was initially solely Japanese, they soon welcomed more members including Ella McBride, their first female member. When World War II struck and the country's Japanese internment policy was put in place, Kunishige and his wife were forced to leave Seattle for Idaho where they were interned at the Minidoka camp. After their release, Kunishige spent two years working at a photography studio in Twin Falls, Idaho but eventually returned to Seattle due to his poor health. Frank Kunishige passed away on April 9, 1960.
Identifier: spl_art_367924_25
Date: 1931
View this itemSnoqualmie Falls dam from south side, ca. 1910s
Identifier: spl_dor_gpn_re_00224
Date: 1910; 1911; 1912; 1913; 1914; 1915; 1916; 1917; 1918; 1919
View this item