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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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265 results for: Visual Arts

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Image of Jack Dempsey and Alonzo Victor Lewis, Seattle, circa 1923
Photograph

Jack Dempsey and Alonzo Victor Lewis, Seattle, circa 1923

Alonzo Victor Lewis began his career as a sculptor and painter in 1920. In 1923, Lewis created a furor in the art world when his oil painting of Jack Dempsey was hung amid landscapes at the Kansas City Art Institute. This photo shows Lewis with a sculpture of the famous boxer, who was the Heavyweight Champion of the World from…
ID Number:1974.5923.154.6
Date:Circa 1923
Image of Chief Si'ahl (Chief Seattle) fountain, Seattle, circa 1920
Photograph

Chief Si'ahl (Chief Seattle) fountain, Seattle, circa 1920

Seattle sculptor James A. Wehn designed this fountain and copper statue of Chief Si'ahl (Chief Seattle) that stands in Tilikum Place at the corner of Denny Way, Cedar Street, and Fifth Avenue. Tilikum is a Chinook term meaning "greeting," and Chief Si'ahl stands with hand raised to welcome the white settlers who landed at Alki Point in 1851. Wehn based…
ID Number:1974.5923.373.2
Date:Circa 1920
Image of J.E. Standley and young girl in front of a totem pole, Seattle, circa 1925
Postcard

J.E. Standley and young girl in front of a totem pole, Seattle, circa 1925

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:1980.6877.4.85
Date:Circa 1925
Image of Carl Henry Moen playing cards with himself in a double exposure, Seattle, circa 1910
Photograph

Carl Henry Moen playing cards with himself in a double exposure, Seattle, circa 1910

Carl Henry Moen was born in Seattle in 1892 to Norwegian immigrant parents. His family moved several times as he was growing up, but settled in Ballard when he was nine years old. He helped harvest and sell the produce, milk, and poultry his family raised, and also was a messenger for Western Union, dug clams, and worked for Bemis…
ID Number:1980.6880.255
Date:Circa 1910
Image of Warshal's wall mural postcard, circa 1977
Ephemera

Warshal's wall mural postcard, circa 1977

Pictured on this postcard is the exterior of Warshal's Sporting Goods, a long-time Seattle outdoor emporium, highlighting a new mural on the South Wall. The mural was co-commissioned by the Seattle Art Commission as part of the Seattle Walls project of the Downtown Seattle Development Association. The mural was designed and painted by artist Fay Jones, whose work has been…
ID Number:1980.7040.2
Date:Circa 1977
Image of The Curtis Picture Musicale program, circa 1912
Program

The Curtis Picture Musicale program, circa 1912

From 1911 to 1913, photographer Edward S. Curtis toured the country with a multimedia production, The Curtis Picture Musicale, based on his photographs of Indigenous peoples. At this point, Curtis’s efforts to document Indigenous life had already taken 14 years, and he expected that it would take eight additional years to complete the project. The Musicale, a fund-raising effort, was…
ID Number:1980.7060.1
Date:Circa 1912
Image of Ceramics room at University of Washington, Seattle, circa 1925
Photograph

Ceramics room at University of Washington, Seattle, circa 1925

This photo shows someone working at the ceramics room at the University of Washington. Handwritten on sleeve: U of W Ceramic Dept.Webster & Stevens number: 113203
ID Number:1983.10.547
Date:Circa 1925
Image of Moving the totem pole, Pioneer Square, Seattle, circa 1923
Photograph

Moving the totem pole, Pioneer Square, Seattle, circa 1923

This Tlingit totem was carved around 1870 to honor a high-ranking tribal woman named Aanséet. The pole was named Naas-shagee-yéil and it was placed in Aanséet's village on Tongass Island on the Alaska coast. In 1899, a group of leading Seattle businessmen on a goodwill tour of southeastern Alaska stole the totem and brought it back to Pioneer Square. The…
ID Number:1983.10.2537.1
Date:circa 1923
Image of Clay figure for the World War I memorial statue, circa 1922
Photograph

Clay figure for the World War I memorial statue, circa 1922

Alonzo Victor Lewis' "Doughboy" was controversial from the beginning. It was to be a memorial to Seattle soldiers who had served in World War I. Navy veterans felt left out. Some people thought the statue was too arty, others thought it wasn't arty enough. Still others objected to the German helmet slung over the soldier's shoulder. Eventually, without the helmet,…
ID Number:1983.10.2718.1
Date:Circa 1922
Image of Chief Si'ahl (Chief Seattle) fountain, circa 1925
Photograph

Chief Si'ahl (Chief Seattle) fountain, circa 1925

In 1909, sculptor James Wehn designed three fountains with the bust of Chief Si'ahl (Chief Seattle). One was placed at Pioneer Square, another on Occidental Street and a third at the intersection of Fourth and Westlake Avenues. The fountains were designed to provide water for people, horses, and dogs.This photo shows the fountain at the intersection of Fourth and Westlake…
ID Number:1983.10.3080.3
Date:circa 1925
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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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