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Explore stories in Northwest history through highlights from MOHAI’s collections. Search by keyword below or browse the entire online collection by entering the asterisk symbol (*). Filter your search by type of materials.

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257 results for: Innovation and Invention

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Image of Starbucks sign, ca. 1971-1987

Starbucks sign, ca. 1971-1987

The first Starbucks Coffee opened in Seattle, Washington, on March 31, 1971, by three partners: Gordon Bowker, Jerry Baldwin, and Zev Siegl. The moniker, "Starbucks," comes from the name of the first mate in the Herman Melville novel, "Moby Dick," and the logo, a twin-tailed siren, is representative of Seattle's maritime heritage. The first Starbucks store was located in Seattle…
ID Number:2011.1.40.1
Date:Circa 1971-1987
Image of Starbucks sign, ca. 1990

Starbucks sign, ca. 1990

The first Starbucks Coffee opened in Seattle, Washington, on March 31, 1971, by three partners: Gordon Bowker, Jerry Baldwin, and Zev Siegl. The moniker, "Starbucks," comes from the name of the first mate in the Herman Melville novel, "Moby Dick," and the logo, a twin-tailed siren, is representative of Seattle's maritime heritage. The first Starbucks store was located in Seattle…
ID Number:2011.1.40.2
Date:Circa 1990
Image of Boeing ID badge for employee K.E. Denby, 1971

Boeing ID badge for employee K.E. Denby, 1971

This is an official Boeing ID badge decorated with a special "FirSST" pin. Boeing’s supersonic transport, the SST, was funded, then defunded. Concerns about noise and air pollution killed it in Congress. K.E. Denby left the company after the program was scrapped.
ID Number:2011.32.1
Date:1971
Image of Nirvana,

Nirvana, "Smells Like Teen Spirit," maxi-single compact disc, Sub Pop Records, Seattle, 1991

This is the breakout single by Nirvana, a band that had their beginnings in the Seattle grunge scene and widely popularized alternative rock. Members Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic were from Aberdeen, Washington.
ID Number:2011.92.37
Date:1991
Image of Tin and box for Brown & Haley Almond Roca candy, ca. 1960s

Tin and box for Brown & Haley Almond Roca candy, ca. 1960s

Brown & Haley, founded in Tacoma in the early 1900s and still in operation today, began as a candy company before WWI but hit it big with the invention of Almond Roca in 1923. In 1927, they began packaging it in a pink tin, which extended the shelf life. Besides the taste, it was the candy's ability to travel well…
ID Number:2011.112.3
Date:Circa 1961
Image of Bottle of Mapleine from Crescent Co., ca. 1950

Bottle of Mapleine from Crescent Co., ca. 1950

The Crescent Manufacturing Company was founded in Seattle, Washington, in 1883 as Larsen Extract Company. In 1905, a Crescent company chemist and salesman concocted an imitation maple flavoring dubbed Mapleine. By the early twentieth century, Crescent was manufacturing 75 different extracts including Mapleine, as well as importing spices, coffee, and nuts. Crescent was sold to McCormick and Company in 1989,…
ID Number:2011.112.5
Date:Circa 1950
Image of LIFEPAK 33 ® defibrillator/monitor from Physio-Control, Inc., ca. 1968

LIFEPAK 33 ® defibrillator/monitor from Physio-Control, Inc., ca. 1968

LIFEPAK 33 ® defibrillator/monitor from Physio-Control, Inc. was a revolutionary portable heart device. The same model was installed aboard Air Force One and Air Force Two, the aircraft assigned to carry the president and vice president of the United States.
ID Number:2012.28.3
Date:Circa 1968
Image of Prototype of a

Prototype of a "Lab on a Chip," ca. 2011

Developed at the University of Washington with funding from the Gates Foundation, the goal of this "Lab on a Chip" or "two-dimensional paper network" (2DPN) technological device was to make diagnosing infectious illnesses simple and cost effective with just the use of a paper version of PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing and a camera on a cell phone.
ID Number:2012.56.1
Date:Circa 2011
Image of Smart-Electrochlorinator 200 (SE200), ca. 2011

Smart-Electrochlorinator 200 (SE200), ca. 2011

The SE200 is a small, community-scale electrochlorination system designed by Cascade Designs, Inc. and PATH for community water purification. Using simple, affordable, and accessible materials (water, table salt, car battery), the device can produce chlorine instantly and efficiently.
ID Number:2012.57.1
Date:Circa 2011
Image of HumaPen Memoir digital insulin pen with case, ca. 2012

HumaPen Memoir digital insulin pen with case, ca. 2012

The HumaPen Memoir, developed by the Battelle Seattle Research Center, helps patients manage their insulin dosages by making it easier to learn, use, and carry. The device uses insulin cartridges and allows the user to dial the amount of insulin they need to take. It records when a dose has been taken and automatically loads a fresh needle each time.
ID Number:2012.62.1
Date:Circa 2012
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MOHAI stands on the historic and contemporary lands and shores of the Duwamish, Suquamish, Muckleshoot, and other Coast Salish Nations. We acknowledge the forced displacement of Native Communities from this land while honoring the endurance of the Duwamish people who still live here.
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