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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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23 results for: Hotels

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Image of Stained glass window for the Lake Union Hotel, ca. 1930

Stained glass window for the Lake Union Hotel, ca. 1930

The Lake Union Hotel opened in 1922 at 3517 1/2 Fremont Avenue in what was the heart of a Seattle working class neighborhood. The hotel occupied the second level of the building and was a boarding house in the Fremont neighborhood for men who worked along Lake Union. The hotel was in business up through 1980 when the name changed…
ID Number:2008.49.1
Date:Circa 1930
Image of Room key from the Camlin Hotel, ca. 1970s

Room key from the Camlin Hotel, ca. 1970s

The Camlin Hotel, designed by architect Carl Linde and opened in 1926, was built to resemble an Italian castle. Located at 1619 9th Avenue in Seattle, this historic hotel once featured 93 apartments complete with baths and kitchenettes, and a penthouse comprised the entire 11th floor. When the hotel was sold in 1931 to Vance Lumber Company (owners of the…
ID Number:2013.24.2
Date:Circa 1970
Image of Room key from the Vance Hotel, ca. 1940s-1950s

Room key from the Vance Hotel, ca. 1940s-1950s

The Vance Hotel, now the Hotel Max, was designed by Victor Voorhees and built in 1926 at the corner of 7th Avenue and Stewart Street. It was commissioned by lumber baron Joseph Vance and is an architectural example of Beaux Arts design.
ID Number:2013.24.4
Date:Circa 1940-1950
Image of Political advertisement or promotional piece for Mayor Mike McGinn from immigrant hotel housekeepers working in Seattle, ca. 2013

Political advertisement or promotional piece for Mayor Mike McGinn from immigrant hotel housekeepers working in Seattle, ca. 2013

This small replication of a welcome mat and a letter from immigrant housekeepers was provided as a welcome to Seattle hotel guests in 2013, and to raise awareness of Mayor McGinn's support of their community.
ID Number:2013.71.31
Date:2013
Image of Collection of nine swizzle sticks from various restaurants, hotels, and businesses in the Seattle area, ca. 1930-1970

Collection of nine swizzle sticks from various restaurants, hotels, and businesses in the Seattle area, ca. 1930-1970

The collection includes: Ivar's Seafood restaurant; Clarks restaurant; Rosellini's 410 restaurant; the Edgewater Inn; The Norselander restaurant; The Bon Marché department store; Olympic Hotel; Trader Vic's restaurant; and The Wharf restaurant.
ID Number:2014.70.2
Date:Circa 1930-1970
Image of Post Hotel sign, ca. 1930s

Post Hotel sign, ca. 1930s

After the Great Fire of 1889 destroyed many of the wooden buildings in Seattle, the Post Hotel was constructed in brick in 1899-1900 on the corner of Post Avenue and Yesler Way. The hotel had small rooms and housed late gold rush seekers heading to the Klondike in Alaska, and accomodated "comfort ladies" as well.
ID Number:2015.66.1
Date:Circa 1930
Image of Wooden clothes hanger from the Edmond Meany Hotel, Seattle, WA, ca. 1950

Wooden clothes hanger from the Edmond Meany Hotel, Seattle, WA, ca. 1950

The Edmond Meany Hotel, built in 1930, is located at the corner of 45th Avenue and Brooklyn Ave in the University District of Seattle. The cantilevered design and construction provided for a wide picture window in each room, thus the motto, "Every Room a Corner Room."
ID Number:2016.15.1
Date:Circa 1950
Image of Key fob from the Palace Hotel on 1st Avenue in Seattle, ca. 1950

Key fob from the Palace Hotel on 1st Avenue in Seattle, ca. 1950

The Palace Hotel was built in 1874 on what is now 1st Avenue (formerly Front Street) between Marian and Madison Streets. It survived the Great Seattle Fire in 1889 and was a stopping point for miners heading to the Alaskan Klondike Gold Rush in 1896-1899. The donor's parents leased and managed the hotel from 1949-1958. The donor recounts many stories…
ID Number:2017.30.1
Date:Circa 1950
Image of Neon sign from the Klose-In Motel on Aurora Ave, Seattle, ca. 1951

Neon sign from the Klose-In Motel on Aurora Ave, Seattle, ca. 1951

The Klose-In Motel, located on Aurora Avenue, was originally an auto court built in the 1930s when this area was outside the Seattle city limits. The hotel lobby was once a grocery store. In the 1950s, when this neon sign was added, the motel was thriving, along with the other roadside attractions on the avenue. But in later decades, Aurora…
ID Number:2017.34.1
Date:Circa 1951
Image of Wooden clothes hanger from the Hotel Gowman in Seattle, ca. 1930

Wooden clothes hanger from the Hotel Gowman in Seattle, ca. 1930

During the 1920s Seattle had several large downtown hotels, including the Hotel Gowman at 1620 Second Avenue. It later became known as the Stewart Hotel. Originally named the Hotel Washington Annex, the name was changed to the Gowman Hotel in 1922 after manager Harry Gowman. The name was later changed to the Stewart Hotel in 1951. The building was demolished…
ID Number:2019.ClothesHanger
Date:Circa 1930
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