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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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357 results for: Homes and Housing

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Image of Woman in electric auto, circa 1917
Photograph

Woman in electric auto, circa 1917

Published in the Seattle Sunday Times with a headline "Electric Finds New Admirers," this photograph shows a woman posing with a Detroit Electric automobile in front of the Rhodes mansion at the corner of Howe Street and Tenth Avenue East, on Capitol Hill. The promotion mentions the features of this model car that make it attractive to women drivers. Webster…
ID Number:1983.10.10587
Date:Circa 1917
Image of Electric automobile advertising photo, 1918
Photograph

Electric automobile advertising photo, 1918

Some photographs taken by Webster & Stevens helped advertise cars and other consumer products. In this photo, taken in 1918, a young woman poses by an electric automobile. An elegant home provides just the right setting for the car ad. The house had been built eight years earlier by clothing store owner Jules Redelsheimer. It still stands near Denny Blaine…
ID Number:1983.10.10652.1
Date:1918
Image of Hooverville, Seattle, March 1933
Photograph

Hooverville, Seattle, March 1933

During the hard times of the 1930s economic depression, many unemployed and homeless people settled just west of where Seattle's sports stadiums now stand. They built ramshackle houses out of scrap material and elected their own mayor. The area was nicknamed Hooverville or Hoover City by people who blamed President Herbert Hoover for causing the Depression. This 1933 photo, taken…
ID Number:1983.10.10788
Date:1933
Image of Trail Blazer electric range : electric company promotional display, June 8, 1935
Photograph

Trail Blazer electric range : electric company promotional display, June 8, 1935

Seattle's Puget Sound Power and Light Company promoted the use of electricity in the home. In the 1930s, they also sold their own brands of stoves, water heaters, and other electrical appliances. This photo shows a 1935 PSP&L display, featuring a three-burner Trail Blazer electric range. A homeowner could buy the stove from the electric company for $1.95 down and…
ID Number:1983.10.10799.1
Date:1935
Image of Water heater on display, Seattle, June 8, 1935
Photograph

Water heater on display, Seattle, June 8, 1935

Seattle's Puget Sound Power and Light Company promoted the use of electricity in the home. In the 1930s, they also sold their own brands of stoves, water heaters, and other electrical appliances. Signs in image: Free Flushing Drain. Calrod Electric Heaters. Baked Glyptol Enamel. Rock Wool. Monel Metal Tank. Concealed Heat Trap. Deflector Plate. Thermostatic Heat Controls. Broom High Legs.…
ID Number:1983.10.10799.4
Date:1935
Image of Miner's home in winter quarters, Nome, circa 1905
Photograph

Miner's home in winter quarters, Nome, circa 1905

Winters were long and dark in Nome. Strong winds blew off the Bering Sea, and snowfalls sometimes buried small dwellings. Residents might be isolated in their homes for weeks at a time.This photo of a miner's dwelling nearly covered with snow was taken during the winter of 1905-06 by Seattle photographer Frank Nowell, who spent several years in the Nome…
ID Number:1983.10.13090
Date:Circa 1905
Image of Aerial of Camp Cherry Valley, near Carnation, February 15, 1935
Photograph

Aerial of Camp Cherry Valley, near Carnation, February 15, 1935

Camp Cherry Valley was a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp located in the Snoqualmie Valley on land leased from Weyerhaeuser. In 1935, the Washington State Department of Welfare took over the camp and used it as a location to house and feed homeless men in the area. The men were also given jobs constructing public works. During WWII the camp…
ID Number:1983.10.17731.2
Date:1935
Image of Aerial view of Edgewater Apartments in Madison Park, Seattle, September 11, 1938
Photograph

Aerial view of Edgewater Apartments in Madison Park, Seattle, September 11, 1938

The Edgewater Apartments, located along the north shore of the Madison Park neighborhood, opened in January 1939. Designed by the architectural firm of John Graham, Sr., the apartments are spread throughout two-story buildings with abundant green space between them. This aerial view shows the partially completed Edgewater complex in the fall of 1938. From original inventory: written on sleeve 9-11-38…
ID Number:1983.10.17859
Date:1938
Image of Towing a houseboat across Lake Union, Seattle, September 23, 1983
Photograph

Towing a houseboat across Lake Union, Seattle, September 23, 1983

In 1983, the National Press Photographers Association sponsored a documentary project called "Day in the Life of Washington: September 23, 1983." Photographers from the NPAA, the American Society of Magazine Photographers, and freelancers participated in the 24-hour "Dayshoot," recording the ordinary occurrences of everyday life that might take on larger significance in a historical perspective. One hundred twenty of the…
ID Number:1984.118.496
Date:1983
Image of Weekly Rental Bulletin, Seattle, April 21,1928
Ephemera

Weekly Rental Bulletin, Seattle, April 21,1928

Born in Wisconsin and raised there and in Walla Walla, Washington, John Davis (1863-1917) moved to Seattle in 1887 where he founded his eponymous real estate brokerage. Following the panic of 1893, Mr. Davis expanded into property management, mortgages, loans, and insurance sales. The company grew steadily into one of the largest real estate corporations on the West Coast, and…
ID Number:1984.142.2
Date:1928
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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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