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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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733 results for: Labor and Labor Unions

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Image of M. Seller Co. employees posing outside store, Seattle, 1910
Photograph

M. Seller Co. employees posing outside store, Seattle, 1910

This image of the employees of M. Seller Co. was taken outside the store located between 409-417 First Avenue South in Seattle. The store was a wholesaler of crockery, glassware, stoves, and ranges. The only individual identified is George Harvey Sharon (1878-1971), the man wearing a black bowler hat, who in the 1910 U. S. Census listed his occupation as…
ID Number:Lib1989.3.34
Date:1910
Image of C. M. Pessemier in doorway of his shoe store, Seattle, circa 1891
Photograph

C. M. Pessemier in doorway of his shoe store, Seattle, circa 1891

Belgium-born Camille M. Pessemier (1863-1947) first appears in a Seattle City Directory in 1891, living with his family above his shoe store at 912 Second Avenue. In 1905, "C. M.," as he was known, opened another shoe store in Tacoma with his brother, Henry J. Pessemier (1869-1940), a grocer. The Pessemier Bros. shoe stores grew to six locations in Seattle,…
ID Number:Lib1990.9.1
Date:Circa 1891
Image of Toklas, Singerman & Co. employees posing, Seattle, circa 1890
Photograph

Toklas, Singerman & Co. employees posing, Seattle, circa 1890

In 1875 Polish immigrants Ferdinand Toklas (1845-1924) and Paul Singerman (1847-1915) moved to Seattle and opened what became the city's first department store. Originally located in Pioneer Square and named the San Francisco Store, it was later renamed Toklas, Singerman, & Co. In 1892 the founders sold the store to another partner, John B. MacDougall (1849-1931), who incorporated it as…
ID Number:Lib1991.5.46
Date:Circa 1890
Image of Toklas, Singerman & Co. baseball team, Seattle, 1892
Photograph

Toklas, Singerman & Co. baseball team, Seattle, 1892

In 1875 Polish immigrants Ferdinand Toklas (1845-1924) and Paul Singerman (1847-1915) moved to Seattle and opened what became the city's first department store in Pioneer Square. Originally called the San Francisco Store and later renamed Toklas, Singerman, & Co., the founders retired in 1892 and sold the store to another partner, John B. MacDougall (1849-1931), who incorporated it as MacDougall…
ID Number:Lib1991.5.48
Date:1892
Image of Glaziers Local 188 at Standard Furniture Building, Seattle, circa 1905
Photograph

Glaziers Local 188 at Standard Furniture Building, Seattle, circa 1905

Otto Langstaff (1883-1969) was a amateur photographer and a long time member of the United Glass Union 188. Either Otto or his brother Clarence photographed the union members standing with their banner, probably ready for a parade in downtown Seattle. Glaziers are skilled tradesman responsible for cutting, installing, and removing glass. The brothers Clarence R. and Otto Langstaff were prolific…
ID Number:Lib1993.8.19
Date:Circa 1905
Image of Members of the Amalgamated Glass Workers Local Union 63 posing with banner, Seattle, circa 1900
Photograph

Members of the Amalgamated Glass Workers Local Union 63 posing with banner, Seattle, circa 1900

The men in this photo are members of the Amalgamated Glass Workers, Local Union 63. Either Otto Langstaff or his brother Clarence Langstaff photographed the union members standing with their banner, probably ready for a parade in downtown Seattle about 1900. Glaziers are skilled tradespeople responsible for cutting, installing, and removing glass. Clarence R. and Otto Langstaff were prolific amateur…
ID Number:Lib1993.8.20
Date:Circa 1900
Image of Members of Glaziers Local Union No. 188 posing with banner, Seattle, circa 1900
Photograph

Members of Glaziers Local Union No. 188 posing with banner, Seattle, circa 1900

The men in this photo are members of the Amalgamated Glass Workers, Local Union 63. Either Otto Langstaff or his brother Clarence Langstaff photographed the union members standing with their banner, probably ready for a parade in downtown Seattle about 1900. Glaziers are skilled tradespeople responsible for cutting, installing, and removing glass. Clarence R. and Otto Langstaff were prolific amateur…
ID Number:Lib1993.8.22
Date:Circa 1900
Image of Log pond at Weyerhaeuser mill, Snoqualmie, 1950
Photograph

Log pond at Weyerhaeuser mill, Snoqualmie, 1950

Lumber was one of the Puget Sound's main exports in the 1890s. In 1899, 200,000 board feet of milled lumber left Seattle every day by rail or ship for the eastern United States and various Pacific ports. Snoqualmie Falls Lumber Company began operations in 1917. The company, starting with some houses and a mill store, built a small community atop…
ID Number:Lib1993.20.62
Date:1950
Image of Man jumping floating logs, Kenmore, 1952
Photograph

Man jumping floating logs, Kenmore, 1952

Photographer Josef Scaylea (1913-2004) worked for 35 years as chief photographer for the Seattle Times, winning over 1000 awards for his photographs highlighting the scenery and people in the Pacific Northwest. He donated a collection of his photographs and photography equipment to MOHAI in 1993.Scaylea took many photos of the lumber industry, including this photograph of a "boom man" jumping…
ID Number:Lib1993.20.73
Date:1952
Image of Crew of first Japanese ship to dock in Seattle after World War II, 1948
Photograph

Crew of first Japanese ship to dock in Seattle after World War II, 1948

In the late 1800s, Seattle began regularly shipping routes with East Asia, including China, Japan, and the Philippines. This regular trade would continue through the early 1900s, dipping in World War I, but then halting almost entirely during World War II, as the port shifted to support the U.S. war effort. According to photographer Josef Scaylea, this 1948 photo shows…
ID Number:Lib1993.20.86
Date:1948
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