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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Westward Motel & Gift Shop, ca. 1965
Street view of the Westward Motel and Gift Shop located on Aurora Avenue in Shoreline. Owned and operated by Bill and Mildred Rother.
Identifier: spl_pc_00813
Date: 1965?
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Hotel Lincoln's rooftop garden, ca. 1910
Hotel Lincoln was constructed in 1900 at the intersection of 4th Avenue and Madison Street. The hotel was destroyed by fire in 1920.
Identifier: spl_pc_00803
Date: 1910?
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Pacific Builder and Engineer, v. 4, no. 38, Sep. 22, 1906
Page 3 article discusses the opening of the Savoy Hotel at 2nd Ave. and University St.
Identifier: spl_pbe_3022043_1906_04_38
Date: 1906-09-22
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Hotel Butler, ca. 1905
The original Butler Block building was a three story wooden structure 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 the hotel 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_00815
Date: 1905?
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Olympic Hotel, ca. 1925
The Fairmont Olympic Hotel, originally the Olympic Hotel, was built in 1924 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Identifier: spl_pc_00814
Date: 1925?
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Pacific Builder and Engineer, v. 4, no. 41, Oct. 13, 1906
Page 3 article includes photograph of Three Tree Point Park.
Identifier: spl_pbe_3022043_1906_04_41
Date: 1906-10-13
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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 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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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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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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