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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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887 results for: Performing Arts and Music

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Image of J. P. Patches and Gertrude riding elephants in a parade, Seattle, circa 1975
Photograph

J. P. Patches and Gertrude riding elephants in a parade, Seattle, circa 1975

In this image popular children's television host J. P. Patches and his girlfriend Gertrude ride elephants in a parade.J. P. Patches (Julius Pierpont Patches) was a clown portrayed by Seattle entertainer Chris John Wedes (1928-2012) in "The J.P. Patches Show" on KIRO-TV from 1958 to 1981. Only the second program ever broadcast by KIRO-TV, the live improv show was immensely…
ID Number:2003.35.12.2
Date:Circa 1975
Image of Brakeman Bill, circa 1960
Poster

Brakeman Bill, circa 1960

Brakeman Bill, featuring ex-DJ and sports announcer Bill McLain, was a popular weekday children’s show on KTNT-TV (later KSTW-TV) in the Pacific Northwest market from 1955 to 1975. The television show was performed live and un-scripted; McLain dressed as a railroad brakeman, and drew pictures, ran elaborate model trains, showed cartoons, and interacted with puppet side-kick the Crazy Donkey, whose…
ID Number:2003.66.26
Date:Circa 1960
Image of Ruth Prins as Wunda-Wunda, KING-TV children's program host, Seattle, circa 1955
Photograph

Ruth Prins as Wunda-Wunda, KING-TV children's program host, Seattle, circa 1955

In 1947, Dorothy Bullitt, owner of KING-TV, hired Ruth Prins, a Seattle actor and drama teacher, to take part in the young station's new children's educational programming. Prins first became the station's Story Lady, in the award-winning Televenture Tales. From 1952 to 1972, she entertained preschoolers as Wunda Wunda, presenting stories, singing songs, and spending time with a group of…
ID Number:2005.5.10
Date:Circa 1955
Image of Costumed group at Kirmess fundraiser, Seattle, circa 1915
Photograph

Costumed group at Kirmess fundraiser, Seattle, circa 1915

The word Kirmess is applied in the United States to any entertainment, especially one organized in the interest of charity. The term comes from Kermesse, a Dutch language term for the mass said on the anniversary of the foundation of a church (or the parish) and accompanied by feasting, dancing, and sports of all kinds.This group is posed in costume…
ID Number:2005.19.4
Date:Circa 1915
Image of Eleventh Annual Seattle Peace Concerts poster, June 2 - August 25, 1991
Poster

Eleventh Annual Seattle Peace Concerts poster, June 2 - August 25, 1991

The Seattle Peace Concerts were established in 1981 by the Love Family commune as a series of free summertime concerts given in Seattle parks to promote a culture of peace and reconciliation. Member Don Glenn managed the concerts for the Love Family, continuing after the commune disbanded in 2003, until relinquishing the position in 2016. As of 2019, the annual…
ID Number:2005.28.2
Date:1991
Image of Frye's Opera House ledger, Seattle, 1887-1888
Ephemera

Frye's Opera House ledger, Seattle, 1887-1888

In 1883, Seattle businessman George F. Frye and his wife Louisa Denny Frye commissioned the building of a first-class opera house for the growing city. Located at the corner of First Avenue and Marion Streets, the elegant 1300-seat hall opened in 1884. Frye managed the house himself. It featured performances by national and international touring groups and provided a gathering…
ID Number:2005.38.4
Date:1887-1888
Image of Mural Concert Series poster, Seattle, June 17 - August 28, 1989
Poster

Mural Concert Series poster, Seattle, June 17 - August 28, 1989

Seattle Center's Mural Amphitheater is so named for the magnificent backdrop to the stage, a large scale glass mosaic by Northwest School artist Paul Horiuchi (1906–1999), commissioned in 1962 for the Century 21 Exposition (Seattle World's Fair). In the decades since the fair, the grounds have been operated by the city and hosts many public festivals and events throughout the…
ID Number:2007.25.38
Date:1989
Image of Seattle Girls Choir Christmas Carol Sing-Along poster, December 19, 1984
Poster

Seattle Girls Choir Christmas Carol Sing-Along poster, December 19, 1984

Since its founding in 1982, the Seattle Girls Choir has provided a choral education for girls ages 5 to 18. There are six progressive levels of instruction during the school year and summer months, and participants learn vocal technique and musical literacy. They collaborate with other area arts organizations, and perform in national and international choral festivals and competitions.This poster…
ID Number:2007.25.47
Date:1984
Image of Northwest Folklife Festival poster, Seattle, May 27-30, 1983
Poster

Northwest Folklife Festival poster, Seattle, May 27-30, 1983

Seattle's annual Northwest Folklife Festival has been held each Memorial Day weekend since 1972 at Seattle Center as a free celebration of folk and ethnic music, dance, and arts. This poster from the 12th annual festival in 1983 features a fiddle player in glasses and a hat as the central illustration. Credit on poster: Poster by Art Chantry Design; Printed…
ID Number:2007.25.50
Date:1983
Image of Remember My Name poster, Seattle, September 14-October 8, 1989
Poster

Remember My Name poster, Seattle, September 14-October 8, 1989

Begun in San Francisco in 1987, the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt was started as a project to honor loved ones who had died of AIDS. Comprised of more than 48,000 individual panels as of 2017, the AIDS Memorial Quilt has been displayed across the country, including several stops in Seattle, with local panels added at each city. In 1988,…
ID Number:2007.25.52
Date:1989
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