101 results for: Home and Family
Hot pink and black lace dress, c. 1965-66
This satin and lace gown was created by Seattle designer Howard Blair. Blair started designing in high school when he made theater costumes and prom dresses for friends. Working out of his family home, he became a sought-after designer for local and national pageant dresses, wedding gowns, and evening attire. In 1958, just eight years into his career, he was…
ID Number:2018.40.3
Date:Circa 1965-1966
Floral taffeta dress, "Monet," ca. 1964
This gown was created by Seattle designer Howard Blair and referred to as the “Monet Dress.” The main textile is a fabric known as chiné, where the vertical (warp) threads of the fabric are printed before weaving. In the weaving process the print is stretched to create a watercolor-like effect. Blair worked out of his family home and was a…
ID Number:2018.40.4
Date:Circa 1964
Green gown with matching stole and hat, made by Howard Blair, 1970s
This green ensemble was created by Seattle designer Howard Blair for a client to wear at a wedding in the 1970s. Blair worked out of his family home and was a sought-after designer for wedding gowns, evening attire, and local and national pageant dresses. In 1958, just eight years into his career, he was reported to already have made 600…
ID Number:2018.40.5
Date:1970
Seattle Times and American Institute of Architects (AIA) Home of the Month Award presented to Benjamin F. McAdoo, Jr., 1957
From the 1950s-1970s, Benjamin McAdoo (1920-1981) was the first Black person to own an architecture firm in Seattle and was the first Black man to practice architecture in Washington State. Born in Pasadena, California, he earned a BA at the University of Washington in 1946. He was President of the Seattle Chapter of the NAACP from 1964-1968 during which he…
ID Number:2018.85.1
Date:1957
One of a pair of slat back side chairs with woven rawhide seats, ca. 1850-1880
This chair was once owned by the Mercer family--early Seattle settlers who arrived in the Pacific Northwest around 1852.
ID Number:2019.64.1
Date:Circa 1850-1880
Square grand Hallett & Allen piano, ca. 1847-1850
This piano was owned by Antoinette Josephine Baker, an original Mercer Girl who arrived in Seattle in 1864 at the age of 26 to teach at the newly established Territorial University. The Mercer Girls was the name given to the group of women recruited by Asa Mercer to journey to Seattle where there were a plethora of men but very…
ID Number:2020.37.1
Date:Circa 1847-1850
Leather license plate from a Seattle hack, 1911
This license plate, dated to 1911, is from a hack (or cab) driven by the donor's great uncle Sylvester Ambrose (Doc) Hildebrand that drove customers from the east end of Madison Street into downtown Seattle. Hildebrand would work all week then, for the weekends, he would row from the Madison neighborhood, across the west end of Lake Washington, to his…
ID Number:2024.26.1
Date:1911
Family Radiation Measurement Kit, 1960-1963
During the post WWII Cold War era, many families felt the threat of nuclear war and built fallout shelters and equipped their homes in preparation of this scary possibility. The Bendix Corporation Family Radiation Measurement Kit was one of the first commercially available radiation detection devices designed for home use. The Ratemeter and Dosimeter devices in the kit could be…
ID Number:2025.11.1
Date:Circa 1960-1963
Set of eight Seattle Centennial glasses with Carnation Cottage Cheese tin lids, 1952
The Seattle Centennial in 1952 was a highly celebrated occasion throughout the city during which many events took place and commemorative merchandise was sold. The Carnation Company manufactured this set of eight glasses to promote the Centennial and sell their signature creamed cottage cheese. Each glass features an iconic and nostalgic event that occurred in the first 100 years of…
ID Number:2025.34.1.ONLINE
Date:1952
Bissell's Parlor Queen vacuum cleaner from Frederick & Nelson, ca. 1930
The founders of premiere Seattle department store Frederick & Nelson got their start selling used furniture during the rebuilding of Seattle after the Great Fire of 1889. The business expanded to include home goods and appliances such as this vacuum cleaner, a tea room, and ready-to-wear men's and women's fashions. The owners built a reputation for elegance and customer service.…
ID Number:2025.37.1
Date:Circa 1930