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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Seattle Freeway, ca. 1970
Transcribed from postcard: "A magnificent aerial view of Seattle from the North. From the two-level Freeway Bridge (U.S. Highway 5) which crosses over the University Bridge and leads the traffic toward downtown one sees Lake Union in the foreground and Elliot Bay in the distance. In the upper center stands the 640-foot Space Needle with its eye looking toward West Seattle."
Identifier: spl_pc_00003
Date: 1970
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A Summer Home at Alki Point Washington, 1906
View of West Seattle residence at Alki Point with people posed on the front porch.
Identifier: spl_pc_00602
Date: 1906
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Seattle's Civic Center, ca. 1930
Street view of the Frye Hotel, the L.C. Smith Tower and City Hall and Courthouse. The Frye Hotel 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. The Smith Tower was constructed in 1914 by the architecture firm Gaggin and Gaggin. It was the tallest building in Seattle until the construction of the Space Needle in 1962.
Identifier: spl_pc_00405
Date: 1930
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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_00311
Date: 1909
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John Caldwell drawings, ca. 1940s
The collection includes nine pencil drawings. They are believed to be created by John Caldwell, a Black serviceman, during World War II. One drawing depicts Seattle’s Camp George Jordan, a camp for Black soldiers located at 1st Ave. S. and Spokane St., which operated between 1942 and 1947. The other drawings are portraits of unknown women and famous entertainers.
Identifier: 2022-012
Date: 1940; 1941; 1942; 1943; 1944; 1945; 1946; 1947; 1948; 1949
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Alaska Building, ca. 1905
The Alaska Building, constructed between 1903 and 1904, was the first building in Seattle to be built with a steel frame. At 14 stories high, it was the tallest building in Seattle until the construction of the Hoge Building in 1911.
Identifier: spl_pc_00226
Date: 1905
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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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Hotel Perry, 1909
Located at Madison Street and Boren Avenue, the Perry Hotel, also known as the Perry Apartments, was built in 1907. In 1916, the building was renovated to become the Columbus Sanitarium and renamed once again to Cabrini Hospital in the 1960s. The building was demolished in 1996. Transcribed from postcard: "Hotel Perry, Madison Street at Boren Avenue Seattle, European Plan, Rooms with Bath $2.00 per Day, B.H. Brobst Manager, 1909"
Identifier: spl_pc_00807
Date: 1909
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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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U.S. Court House, Custom House and Post Office, Seattle, Washington.
Construction on Seattle's Third Avenue post office (also known as the U.S. Court House, Custom House and Post Office) was 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_00411
Date: 1908
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