• Visit
    • Museum Accessibility
    • Community Access
    • Group Visits and Tours
    • Programs
      • History Café
      • MOHAI Mercantile Literary Series
      • First Thursday
      • Denny Lecture
      • Al Young Educator of the Year
      • Everyday Heroes
    • MOHAI Mercantile
    • Gourmondo at MOHAI
  • Exhibits
  • Events
  • Collections and Research
    • Collections Search
    • Themed Collections
    • Research Library
    • Image Ordering
    • Donate an Artifact
    • Curator’s Fellowship
  • Support
    • Donate
    • Membership at MOHAI
    • Gift Memberships
    • Corporate Support
  • Education
    • Field Trips
      • Self-Guided School Year Explorations
      • Creating Our Community
      • Cracking the History Code: Salish Stories
      • Cracking the History Code: Settling Around the Sound
      • Hands on History
      • Self-Guided Summer Field Trips
      • Homeschool Group
    • Portable Museum Program
    • Scholarships
    • Education FAQ
    • Primary Source Analysis
    • Online Curricula
    • Teen Programs
    • Idea Lab
    • Discovery Packs
    • Summer Camps
  • About
    • Annual Reports
    • The MOHAI Blog
    • Contact MOHAI
    • Opportunities
    • Leadership
    • Private Events
  • Donate
  • Tickets
  • Membership
HomeCollections and ResearchCollections Search

Collections Search

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.

Download lower resolution images directly from an item page. MOHAI offers high-resolution digital reproductions of photographs and other materials from our collections for personal and professional use.

We have many more items in our collections and not everything you see online is on view at the museum. We have additional materials online at the University of Washington’s Digital Collections.

MOHAI Statement on Harmful Content

Search by Collection

Not finding what you are looking for?
Ask the MOHAI Collections Staff

412 results for: Retail and Department Stores

Share:
Image of Velvet toque with ostrich feathers, ca. 1910-1920s

Velvet toque with ostrich feathers, ca. 1910-1920s

This hat was sold at Hetrick Hat Shop which was located on Madison Avenue in Seattle in the early 20th century. It was part of a large collection owned by Gertrude Paul, a Seattle dance teacher and patron of the arts.
ID Number:1983.71.26M1091
Date:Circa 1910-1920
Image of Straw and ostrich plume hat, 1910

Straw and ostrich plume hat, 1910

This hat was sold at a local retailer "Cox" in Seattle. It was part of a large collection owned by Gertrude Paul, a Seattle dance teacher and patron of the arts.
ID Number:1983.71.56M1121
Date:1910
Image of Straw cloche with ribbon and fabric violet trim, 1920s

Straw cloche with ribbon and fabric violet trim, 1920s

This hat was sold at Hetrick Hat Shop which was located on Madison Avenue in Seattle in the early 20th century. It was part of a large collection owned by Gertrude Paul, a Seattle dance teacher and patron of the arts.
ID Number:1983.71.58M1123
Date:Circa 1920
Image of Black wrapped hat, ca. 1955

Black wrapped hat, ca. 1955

This hat was sold at Seattle department store, Best's Apparel. It was part of a large collection owned by Gertrude Paul, a Seattle dance teacher and patron of the arts.
ID Number:1983.71.66M1132
Date:Circa 1955
Image of Cream hat from Hetrick Hat Shop, 1919

Cream hat from Hetrick Hat Shop, 1919

This hat was sold at Hetrick Hat Shop which was located on Madison Avenue in Seattle in the early twentieth century. It was part of a large collection of hats owned by Gertrude Paul, a Seattle dance teacher and patron of the arts.
ID Number:1983.71.100M1188
Date:1919
Image of Velvet high top button boots, ca. 1905

Velvet high top button boots, ca. 1905

These stylish shoes are believed to have been purchased in Seattle in the early 20th century, representing how the city quickly grew more cosmopolitan as new retail businesses were established to serve sophisticated shoppers. These deep blue, velvet, high-topped shoes feature fifteen mother-of-pearl buttons.
ID Number:1984.89.2
Date:Circa 1905
Image of Light green Peau de Soie pumps, 1960s

Light green Peau de Soie pumps, 1960s

These women's shoes were purchased from Nordstrom Best. The noticeable water stains may have come from walking in a rainy day Seattle puddle!
ID Number:1984.123.7
Date:Circa 1960
Image of Gray and white striped denim dress, worn by Olive Smith, 1950s

Gray and white striped denim dress, worn by Olive Smith, 1950s

This striped denim dress belonged to Olive J. Smith (1917-1996), fashion buyer and Seattle style authority. It was designed in New York by Larry Aldrich. Smith worked for Rhodes and The Bon Marché department stores until 1963 when she was recruited by Nordstrom. Nordstrom had just purchased women’s specialty store Best’s Apparel, and so Smith was brought on to help…
ID Number:1984.123.9C2699
Date:Circa 1950
Image of Leather jumper, worn by Olive Smith, 1960s

Leather jumper, worn by Olive Smith, 1960s

This leather jumper belonged to Olive J. Smith (1917-1996), fashion buyer and Seattle style authority. Smith worked for Rhodes and The Bon Marché department stores until 1963 when she was recruited by Nordstrom. Nordstrom had just purchased women’s specialty store Best’s Apparel, and so Smith was brought on to help with the pivotal transition from being a shoes-only retailer to…
ID Number:1984.123.12C2702
Date:Circa 1960
Image of Container of Powdered Orris Root from Bartell Drug Store, ca. 1900

Container of Powdered Orris Root from Bartell Drug Store, ca. 1900

Bartell Drugs, established in 1890, was one of the oldest and long-standing family-owned stores in Seattle until it was sold to Rite Aid in 2020. George H. Bartell Sr. (1868–1956) purchased the Lake Washington Pharmacy at 2711 South Jackson Street in Seattle's Central District in 1890, and that was the beginning of a long-lived and beloved Seattle business.
ID Number:1985.29.28
Date:Circa 1900
Previous 1 … 13 14 15 16 17 … 42 Next

Land Acknowledgement

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.
Address: 860 Terry Ave N, Seattle WA, 98109
Phone: 206 324 1126
  • Plan a Visit
  • Directions and Parking
  • Accessibility
  • Group Tours
  • About

Sign up to Receive our Newsletter

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Copyright 2026, Museum of History & Industry. All Rights Reserved