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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King Street Station, ca. 1906
During the early 1900's, 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_01014
Date: 1906
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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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Capitol Hill, from Queen Anne Hill, January 6, 1907
Aerial view of Capitol Hill taken from Queen Anne.
Identifier: spl_pc_00605
Date: 1907-01-06
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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
View of the Federal Building (also known as the U.S. Court House, Custom House and Post Office Building) with the White-Henry-Stuart Building and the Pantages Theatre in the background.
Identifier: spl_pc_00403
Date: 1910
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Seattle-Tacoma Airport, ca. 1950
Transcribed from postcard: "The new $11,000,000 Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, now serving the United States, Alaska and the Orient."
Identifier: spl_pc_00407
Date: 1950
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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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Seattle Country Club, ca. 1907
Location and identity of the country club depicted is unclear. The postcard possibly shows the Seattle Golf Club (then called the Seattle Golf and Country Club) which moved from a location near Gasworks Park to Laurelhurst in 1904. In 1908 the club moved to their current location on Richmond Beach Road and changed their name to Seattle Golf Club.
Identifier: spl_pc_00568
Date: 1907
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Seattle waterfront, ca. 1915
Transcribed from front of postcard: "Seaport of Seattle, showing the 42 Story L.C. Smith Building and central portion of Water Front." Transcribed from back of postcard: "42- Story L.C. Smith Building Seattle. Great View from Observation Floor and Balcony."
Identifier: spl_pc_00211
Date: 1915
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