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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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354 results for: Visual Arts

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Image of Oil painting,

Oil painting, "Battle of Seattle, Jan. 26, 1856," by Emily Inez Denny, ca. 1890

On the morning of January 26, 1856, the "Battle of Seattle" began when Native Americans raided the white settlement in what is now known as Seattle. Previously warned of the attack, most settlers had barricaded themselves in a blockhouse. The attackers were driven off by artillery fire. The battle was the penultimate event in a series of armed conflicts, known…
ID Number:1955.921.2
Date:Circa 1890
Image of Copper plate etching of the ship Columbia Rediviva in 1792, by Joe Knowles, ca. 1930

Copper plate etching of the ship Columbia Rediviva in 1792, by Joe Knowles, ca. 1930

Joe Knowles (1869-1942), was born in Maine but came to Seaview, Washington, in 1917. He was described as a sailor, newspaper illustrator, lecturer, author, motion picture producer and actor, showman, nature tamer, Boy Scout councilor and artist of etchings, water colors, and oils. This first edition copper plate etching print features the ship, Columbia Rediviva, captained by explorer Robert Gray…
ID Number:1955.970.87
Date:Circa 1930
Image of Miniature lighthouse with wood from the Lone Tree in Gray's Harbor, 1921

Miniature lighthouse with wood from the Lone Tree in Gray's Harbor, 1921

The Lone Tree stood at the entrance to Gray's Harbor. Robert Gray took his bearings on this tree when entering the harbor on his voyage of discovery. The Lone Tree was shown as a landmark for mariners on all charts ever made of that area until 1921 when it was destroyed by high winds.
ID Number:1955.970.192
Date:1921
Image of Watercolor drawing of SS Beaver by Hewitt R. Jackson, 1963

Watercolor drawing of SS Beaver by Hewitt R. Jackson, 1963

Hewitt Jackson (1914-2007) was a seaman, marine draftsman, and artist. He is best known for his maritime drawings of ships that sailed the Puget Sound and Pacific Northwest. The MOHAI collection contains seven of Hewitt's works. This particular drawing features the SS Beaver which was the first steamship on the Northwest Coast. Originally built in 1835 in England, she sailed…
ID Number:1955.970.363
Date:1963
Image of Watercolor drawing,

Watercolor drawing, "Alki, November 13, 1851," of the schooner Exact by Hewitt R. Jackson, ca. 1963

Hewitt Jackson (1914-2007) was a seaman, marine draftsman, and artist. He is best known for his maritime drawings of ships that sailed the Puget Sound and Pacific Northwest. The MOHAI collection contains seven of Hewitt's works. This particular work depicts the schooner EXACT as it arrived at the future named "Alki" on Puget Sound carrying the Denny party and captained…
ID Number:1955.970.364
Date:Circa 1963
Image of Claire Hammons miniature house, 12th scale model, 1945-1955

Claire Hammons miniature house, 12th scale model, 1945-1955

This miniature mansion was donated to MOHAI by Claire Bagley Hammons in 1955. Mrs. Hammons and her husband, Frederick Dent Hammons, had the house model designed by Seattle architect Joseph S. Cote (designer of the Green Lake Carnegie Library) and then spent more than a decade working on the detailed furnishings. Hand-made carpets, miniature paintings, clocks made from vintage watches,…
ID Number:1955.974.1.1
Date:1945-1955
Image of Painting,

Painting, "The first gas station in the world, Seattle, 1907," by Robert Addison, ca. 1950s

This painting, a copy made from an illustration, claims to feature the first gas station ever established and it was built in 1907 at the corner of East Marginal Way and Holgate Street in Seattle, Washington. This is highly debatable as it is more widely known that St. Louis, Missouri, holds that title dating back to 1905. The story goes…
ID Number:1956.1016
Date:1950-1960
Image of Portrait of Frederick K. Struve by Dola M. Litzenberg, ca. 1910

Portrait of Frederick K. Struve by Dola M. Litzenberg, ca. 1910

In his dark suit, Frederic Struve projects an image of propserous stability. Struve was a prominent Seattle businessman and real estate developer. He became president of Seattle National Bank in 1914 and was active in the social, athletic, and political life of the city. The artist, Dola M. Litzenberg (1868-d.?), was born in Ohio and the census shows her in…
ID Number:1956.1061.f
Date:Circa 1910
Image of Oil portrait of Henry G. Struve by Albert Jenks, 1883

Oil portrait of Henry G. Struve by Albert Jenks, 1883

On July 10, 1882, voters elected Judge Henry G. Struve (1836-1905) as mayor of the City of Seattle. Struve, a German immigrant, was a lawyer, journalist, and businessman who played a key role in Seattle’s political, social, and economic life in the 1880s and 1890s. He served two terms as mayor, overseeing more than $500,000 in public improvements, including the…
ID Number:1956.1061.g
Date:1883
Image of Portrait of Ezra Meeker at age 96 by Louise Crow, 1926

Portrait of Ezra Meeker at age 96 by Louise Crow, 1926

Ezra Manning Meeker (1830-1928) was born in Iowa and traveled the Oregon Trail eventually settling in what would become Puyallup, Washington, in 1862. He grew hops for brewing beer and he was known as the "Hop King of the World," as his agricultural business made him a wealthy man. Unfortunately, an infestation of hop aphids in 1891 destroyed his crops…
ID Number:1956.1145.1
Date:1926
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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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