Seattle Historic Postcard Collection
Preview up to 100 items from this collection below. Highlights of early 20th century Seattle, as depicted through our historic postcards. Cards include images of buildings, attractions and events from the 1900s to the 1960s along with messages between friends and family.
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Frederick & Nelson
In Seattle, Christmas isn't Christmas without a Day at Frederick & Nelson. Seattle's most beautiful department store had rolled out the red carpet for its friends and neighbors this Christmas. The scene shows one of the First floor aisles.
Identifier: spl_pc_00224
Date: 1955
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King Street Station, ca. 1906
During the early 1900s, there was increasing interest in connecting railroads with Seattle. The high demand and competition between railways resulted in two railway stations being built directly next to each other at 4th Avenue and Jackson Street. King Street Station (which is depicted in this postcard) was constructed in 1906 and can be distinguished by its tower. Union Station, originally known as the Oregon and Washington Station, was constructed in 1911. Alternative names for Union Station include the Union Depot and the Northern Pacific Great Northern Depot. The postcard captioning can be confusing because both stations were sometimes referred to as "union stations" due to the fact that multiple railroad lines were shared within the same terminal. For a good example of the differences between Union Station and King Street Station see spl_pc_01011 where Union Station appears in the foreground and King Street Station appears in the background.
Identifier: spl_pc_01017
Date: 1906?
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Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, ca. 1965
Transcribed from postcard: "Interior icons on gold-leaf were executed in 13th century Byzantine Style on Mount Athos, the Holy Mountain of Orthodoxy."
Identifier: spl_pc_00305
Date: 1965?
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Frederick and Nelson, ca. 1918
The Frederick and Nelson flagship store opened in 1918 at 5th Avenue and Pine Street. The store attracted thousands of customers on it's first day and remained a popular shopping location for decades. The company went out of business in 1992 and the building was taken over by Nordstrom.
Identifier: spl_pc_00204
Date: 1918?
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Hotel Butler, ca. 1908
The original Butler Block building was a three story wooden building that was constructed around 1875. This building burned in the fire of 1889 but was quickly replaced with a more substantial stone structure. The Butler Hotel or Hotel Butler began operation in the building in 1903, attracting many visitors and gaining a reputation during Prohibition for ignoring the laws against alcohol. The Great Depression forced it to close its doors in 1933 and now all that remains are the lower two floors of the building which were converted into a parking garage.
Identifier: spl_pc_00808
Date: 1908?
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St. James Cathedral, ca. 1909
Bishop Edward O'Dea purchased the land for St. James Cathedral's First Hill site in 1903 after successfully petitioning the Pope to relocate the episcopal see from Vancouver, Washington to Seattle. The cornerstone for the building was laid in 1905 with more than 5,000 people in attendance and the cathedral officially opened on December 15, 1907.
Identifier: spl_pc_00306
Date: 1909?
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Medical Dental Building, ca. 1925
The Medical Dental Building was constructed in 1925 and expanded in 1950. Initial plans for expansion during the 1930s were put on hold due to the Great Depression. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.
Identifier: spl_pc_00900
Date: 1925?
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Federal Building at 3rd Ave. and Union St., ca. 1910
Street view of the Federal building in downtown Seattle (also known as the U.S. Court House, Custom House and Post Office). Construction on the Federal Building began in 1903 and ended in 1908. The building was located at the intersection of Union Street and Third Avenue, which was being regraded at the time. The Third Avenue regrade left a gap of four feet down to the new sidewalk which resulted in a new set of stairs being added to the building's exterior. The building was demolished in 1958.
Identifier: spl_pc_00406
Date: 1910?
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Frye Hotel, December 5, 1917
Transcribed from postcard: "When in Seattle, Try the Frye, Hotel Frye, Opposite 42 story L.C. Smith Bldg." The Frye Hotel (also known as Hotel Frye) was constructed in 1911 and designed by the architects Charles H. Bebb and Louis L. Mendel. The project was funded by Seattle pioneer George F. Frye and his wife Louisa Frye (originally of the Denny family). The hotel was converted to low income housing in the 1970s.
Identifier: spl_pc_00812
Date: 1917-12-05
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White and Henry Buildings., ca. 1915
Located at 1318 4th Avenue, the White-Henry-Stuart Building actually consists of three buildings constructed by the Howells and Stokes architecture firm during the period between 1908 and 1915. It was part of the Metropolitan Tract plan which provided office and retail space for the downtown area in the space formerly occupied by the University of Washington's downtown campus. The building was torn down in 1974 to make way for the Rainier Square complex.
Identifier: spl_pc_00221
Date: 1915?
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