110 results for: Asian American
Ceramic spoon that was burned in the Seattle Fire of 1889
The Great Fire of June 6, 1889 was a significant turning point in Seattle's history and changed both the physical and political landscapes of the city. The fire started in a paint and woodwork shop at Front and Madison and swept southward across 100 acres of Seattle's business district and waterfront. The inferno completely consumed the business district's wooden buildings,…
ID Number:1984.66.35
Date:Circa 1880
Brass sprinkling can from Chinese laundry in San Francisco, ca. 1910
In a Chinese laundry, workers would sprinkle cotton or linen with water from a brass sprinkling can like this one before ironing.
ID Number:1984.115.1
Date:Circa 1910
Senbei iron with AYPE seal, from the Sagamiya Confectionary Co., 1909
The Sagamiya Confectionery, founded in 1904 by Unosuke Shibata, was formerly located at 6th and Main in the area previously known as Nihonmachi, or Japantown, now in Seattle's Chinatown International District. Sagamiya used traditional Japanese methods in the making of mochi, pastries and other wagashi (confections). The bakery was a popular neighborhood establishment until it closed in the 1970s. This…
ID Number:2000.84.4
Date:1909
Senbei iron from the Sagamiya Bakery with the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition (AYPE) seal, ca. 1909
The Sagamiya Confectionery, founded in 1904 by Unosuke Shibata, was formerly located at 6th and Main in the area previously known as Nihonmachi, or Japantown, now in Seattle's Chinatown International District. Sagamiya used traditional Japanese methods in the making of mochi, pastries and other wagashi (confections). The bakery was a popular neighborhood establishment until it closed in the 1970s. This…
ID Number:2000.84.5
Date:1909
Charcoal drawing, "Moi Meme" (self portrait) by Yasushi Tanaka, 1913
Yasushi Tanaka (1886-1941) was born in Japan and moved to Seattle in 1904 where he graduated from high school. He studied art, exhibited and taught at the Seattle Fine Art Association from 1901-1920. Yasushi had his first one-man show in Seattle in 1914 and his works demonstrated a cubist influence.
ID Number:2002.5.1
Date:1913
Charcoal drawing, "Portrait of Louise Cann" (the artist's wife) by Yasushi Tanaka, 1913
Yasushi Tanaka (1886-1941) was born in Japan and moved to Seattle in 1904 where he graduated from high school. He studied art, exhibited and taught at the Seattle Fine Art Association from 1901-1920. Yasushi married Louise Gebhard Cann who was from a notable Seattle family. Cann's father, Judge Thomas Hart Cann, was Seattle's police court judge and held a few…
ID Number:2002.5.2
Date:1913
Sign for David Ishii Bookseller located in Pioneer Square, 1972
David Ishii (1936-2012) owned a local favorite secondhand bookstore that was a Pioneer Square fixture from 1972 to 2005. His store featured, among other things, books on fly-fishing, baseball, opera, dogs, and he especially promoted artwork and literary works by Asian American artists and authors.
ID Number:2005.64.2
Date:1972
Woodcut, "Corner Japanese Grocery, Seattle" by Richard Bennett, ca. 1930
Richard Bennett (1899-1971) was a nationally known printmaker, illustrator, and painter. He was born in Ireland but grew up just outside Seattle in Washington State, and he also spent time in New York City and Ireland. A leading children's book author and illustrator, he received national recognition for his woodblock prints and engravings. He was close friends with several leading…
ID Number:2006.38.210
Date:Circa 1930
Painting of children in a playground by Mark Tobey, ca. 1930s
Mark Tobey (1890-1976) was from the Midwest but spent much of his later life in Seattle. He is known for his abstract imagery, murals, illustrations. From 1911-1922, Tobey worked as a commercial illustrator in New York City providing fashion illustrations and caricatures for "McCalls" magazine and other publications. He spent time in Europe and immersed himself in Asian religion, and…
ID Number:2006.38.411
Date:Circa 1930
Watercolor and Chinese ink painting, "Driftwood" by Fay Chong, 1945
Fay Chong (1912–1973) was a Chinese-American artist in Seattle and was known for his printmaking and watercolor painting. He was an influential member of what became known as the Northwest School and worked on Seattle's Works Progress Administration (WPA) Federal Art Project. This particular painting hung in the Chong home.
ID Number:2007.6.1
Date:1945