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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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393 results for: Central Area

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Image of Pete Peterson playing saxophone for a group of servicemen, Seattle, circa 1944
Photograph

Pete Peterson playing saxophone for a group of servicemen, Seattle, circa 1944

Seattle's Jackson Street jazz clubs flourished in the first half of the twentieth century, with their popularity peaking in the late 1930s through early 1950s. Seattle-born photographer Al Smith was a familiar figure in the clubs, often taking pictures of musicians and patrons, then returning the following week to sell prints.On this occasion, Smith photographed a group of servicemen listening…
ID Number:2014.49.29.09.01
Date:Circa 1944
Image of Larry Gossett entering police van at  protest at the South African consulate, Seattle, December 9, 1984
Photograph

Larry Gossett entering police van at protest at the South African consulate, Seattle, December 9, 1984

Beginning in October 1984, demonstrations were held outside the home of the honorary South African consul in Seattle’s Madison Park neighborhood to protest the South African government's polices of racial segregation known as apartheid. In this image, Seattle civil-rights activist and community organizer Larry Gossett, wrists zip tied, steps into a police van. He and 22 others were arrested for…
ID Number:2014.49.033.057.03
Date:1984
Image of Group sitting on stairs at a party, Seattle, July 16, 1944
Photograph

Group sitting on stairs at a party, Seattle, July 16, 1944

A postal carrier during the week, Al Smith (1916-2008) spent weekends taking pictures for his photography business "On The Spot." His photographs tell the stories of the everyday people who shaped the dynamic character of Seattle, offering rare views into the city’s Black community, the Central Area neighborhood, and the local jazz scene.Here, Smith photographs a group of friends sitting…
ID Number:2014.49.051.039.01
Date:1944
Image of Lester Catlett and woman on stairs at a party, Seattle, July 16, 1944
Photograph

Lester Catlett and woman on stairs at a party, Seattle, July 16, 1944

A postal carrier during the week, Al Smith (1916-2008) spent weekends taking pictures for his photography business "On The Spot." His photographs tell the stories of the everyday people who shaped the dynamic character of Seattle, offering rare views into the city’s Black community, the Central Area neighborhood, and the local jazz scene.Here, Smith photographs Lester Catlett and an unidentified…
ID Number:2014.49.051.040.01
Date:1944
Image of Couple dancing, Seattle, circa 1945
Photograph

Couple dancing, Seattle, circa 1945

A postal carrier during the week, Al Smith (1916-2008) spent weekends taking pictures for his photography business "On The Spot." His photographs tell the stories of everyday people who shaped the dynamic character of Seattle, offering rare views into the city’s African American community, the Central Area neighborhood, and the local jazz scene. Here, Smith takes a candid shot of…
ID Number:2014.49.051.101.01
Date:Circa 1945
Image of Guests at a house party, Seattle, circa 1940
Photograph

Guests at a house party, Seattle, circa 1940

This image of a group of people at house party was taken by Seattle photographer Albert J. "Al" Smith, Sr. (1916-2008). A postal carrier during the week, Al Smith spent weekends taking pictures for his photography business "On The Spot." His photographs tell the stories of everyday people who shaped the dynamic character of Seattle, offering rare views into the…
ID Number:2014.49.051.119.02
Date:Circa 1940
Image of Men marching in a Mardi Gras parade, Seattle, circa 1956
Photograph

Men marching in a Mardi Gras parade, Seattle, circa 1956

In addition to his Seattle jazz club images, photographer Al Smith took photos of events in the city’s black community. On this occasion, he photographed a parade group in the annual Mardi Gras, the African American summer festival that took place as part of Seattle’s International Festival, later Seafair. Here, the school groups the Bon Temps and the Le Premiers…
ID Number:2014.49.052.042
Date:Circa 1955
Image of Football player Brennan King, Seattle, 1937
Photograph

Football player Brennan King, Seattle, 1937

Brennan King played football at Garfield High School and went on to star with the Renton Rams of the Northwest League and the Uptown Athletic Club of Seattle’s semi-pro Community League. In 1935, he won the new Al Rosenburg trophy as the most popular league player. The following year, he moved on to coach the Community League’s new, predominantly black…
ID Number:2014.49.052.077.0004
Date:1937
Image of Al Smith
Photograph

Al Smith "On the Spot" stamp, circa 1943

Albert Joseph "Al" Smith, Sr. (1916-2008), was a photographer and prolific chronicler of life in Seattle's Central Area during the mid- to late-20th century. From a hobby begun as a preteen, Mr. Smith began his "weekend job" and photography business, On the Spot, in the 1940s, capturing life in the city’s Black community, the Central Area neighborhood, and the local…
ID Number:2014.49.071.054.01verso
Date:Circa 1943
Image of Hills Brothers Barbeque, Seattle, 1953
Photograph

Hills Brothers Barbeque, Seattle, 1953

In 1953, Al Smith photographed Robert L. Hills (at right) and his brother, Zebedee, in front of their Hills Brothers BBQ in the Central District. According to the Smith family, the barbecue stand served sweet potato pie, spicy sauce on smoked ribs, and white bread and butter through the 1990s.
ID Number:2014.49.091.009.05
Date:1953
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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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