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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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283 results for: Retail and Department Stores

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Image of Horse and carriage outside Bender & Kohlstad, Seattle, 1934
Photograph

Horse and carriage outside Bender & Kohlstad, Seattle, 1934

Edwin Bender (1901-1984) opened his menwear shop (also known as Bender Kohlstad) in the Medical Dental Building in Seattle in the late 1920s. Bender ran the store at this location until 1969 when he retired and sold the business to Ben Lerner. Signs in image: Bender & Kohlstad. Dobbs Hats. We Aim to Save You At Least $10. Florsheim Shoes…
ID Number:1983.10.4965.51
Date:1934
Image of Occidental Hotel, Seattle, circa 1898
Photograph

Occidental Hotel, Seattle, circa 1898

The Occidental Hotel (not to be confused with its earlier namesake that was destroyed in the 1889 fire) was on the northwest corner of 3rd Avenue and Cherry Street. It and the New York Block visible to its rear were razed for the construction of the Dexter Horton Building. On the ground floor is one of Seattle's oldest and most…
ID Number:1983.10.6037
Date:Circa 1898
Image of View of Seattle, circa 1888
Photograph

View of Seattle, circa 1888

Between about 1888 and 1893, Seattle grocer Charles Louch sold groceries, seeds, cigars, and other goods from his store on Front Street (now First Avenue). At some point, he advertised his store, and his 1888 brand of hams and bacon, using give-away photographs of downtown Seattle with his roof sign prominently displayed in the foreground.This photo, taken by Walter Davis…
ID Number:1983.10.6083
Date:Circa 1888
Image of Bon Marche delivery wagon, Seattle, 1911
Photograph

Bon Marche delivery wagon, Seattle, 1911

In 1890, German immigrant Edward Nordhoff and his wife Josephine invested their life savings of $1,200 to start The Bon Marche at First Avenue and Cedar Street. He modeled his new department store after one he had known in Paris. The Bon Marche moved to the corner of Second Avenue and Pike Street in 1896. By 1901, it had expanded…
ID Number:1983.10.6658
Date:1911
Image of Pike Place Market, circa 1911
Photograph

Pike Place Market, circa 1911

Before the Pike Place Market opened in 1907, King County farmers had a harder time making a steady income. They either had to sell their produce to wholesalers or travel to town to sell directly to hotels, restaurants, and residents. If no buyers were found, the fruits and vegetables were left to rot. The market gave farmers a permanent place…
ID Number:1983.10.6868.1
Date:Circa 1911
Image of Pike Place Market, Seattle, circa 1911
Photograph

Pike Place Market, Seattle, circa 1911

The City of Seattle spent $10,000 to install a double row of stalls to provide shelter for Pike Place Market farmers and their customers. The canopy-covered west side was known as "the dry row." The arcade, extending from Pike Street to Stewart Street, was ready for occupancy in early 1911. Handwritten on sleeve: Pike Place Mkt. newsheds, 1905 [sic].Webster &…
ID Number:1983.10.7355.2
Date:Circa 1911
Image of Ye Olde Curiosity Shop, Seattle, circa 1907
Photograph

Ye Olde Curiosity Shop, Seattle, circa 1907

Ohio-born curio collector Joseph Edward "Daddy" Standley (1854-1940) came to Seattle in 1899 and opened Ye Olde Curiosity Shop on Second Avenue and Pike Street. He moved the shop to the Colman Dock on the waterfront in 1904, and since 1988 the shop has been located at Pier 54. Still a family-run business after five generations, the store attracts about…
ID Number:1983.10.7367
Date:Circa 1907
Image of Schwabacher Grocery Co., 1905
Photograph

Schwabacher Grocery Co., 1905

Schwabacher Brothers & Company, a San Francisco firm, opened an branch in Seattle in the 1860s. Within a short time, the firm became Puget Sound's major wholesaler of canned goods, dry goods and other materials to the logging camps, mill towns and farming communities. The first supplies were delivered across the water and upriver by steamer. In later years, the…
ID Number:1983.10.7374.2
Date:1905
Image of Soda fountain at Shaw's Pharmacy, circa 1905
Photograph

Soda fountain at Shaw's Pharmacy, circa 1905

Soda fountains were very popular in the early 1900s. They were often located in drugstores. Some had tile floors, marble counters, and fancy mirrors. The person behind the counter mixed soft drinks from scratch using fruit syrups and carbonated water. Customers sat at the counter and sipped their drinks or ate ice cream.This photo, taken in about 1905, shows the…
ID Number:1983.10.7512.1
Date:1905
Image of Frederick & Nelson, circa 1910
Photograph

Frederick & Nelson, circa 1910

Business at Seattle's Frederick & Nelson department store was so good in the late 1890s that the store needed more space. In 1897, the owners leased part of the Rialto Building, on Second Avenue at Madison Street. By 1906, the store had expanded to occupy the whole building. Here, the owners of this landmark department store installed one of the…
ID Number:1983.10.7604.1
Date:Circa 1910
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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.
Address: 860 Terry Ave N, Seattle WA, 98109
Phone: 206 324 1126
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