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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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771 results for: Transportation

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Image of Railroad Avenue and Puget Sound Machinery Depot, Seattle, circa 1905
Photograph

Railroad Avenue and Puget Sound Machinery Depot, Seattle, circa 1905

The brothers Clarence and Otto Langstaff were prolific amateur photographers in Seattle. Clarence worked as a carpenter and also spent time at Mt. Rainier as a guide. Otto worked for W.P. Fuller Company as a glazier and was a member of United Glass Union 188. Because most of their photos are not signed, it is often difficult to discern which…
ID Number:Lib1993.8.13
Date:Circa 1905
Image of Steamships
Photograph

Steamships "Indiana" and "Richard Holyoke" at dock, Seattle, circa 1905

This photograph shows ships docked at the waterfront, with men in the foreground. The Richard Holyoke was an early steam-powered tugboat, and the Indiana was a large cargo-passenger liner. The brothers Clarence and Otto Langstaff were prolific amateur photographers in Seattle. Clarence worked as a carpenter and also spent time at Mt. Rainier as a guide. Otto worked for W.P.…
ID Number:Lib1993.8.16
Date:Circa 1905
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
Image of Ferry Kalakala in Puget Sound, Seattle, 1948
Photograph

Ferry Kalakala in Puget Sound, Seattle, 1948

The ferry "Kalakala" began service in 1935. Its streamlined design made it internationally famous and popular with visitors and residents alike. The ferry made six daily runs between Seattle and Bremerton, and made summer evening excursions around Puget Sound. Unfortunately, the ferry vibrated badly; it was difficult to handle and expensive to repair. Service ended in 1967, and the ferry…
ID Number:Lib1993.20.188
Date:1948
Image of Seattle's Automobile Show advertisement, April 1916
Ephemera

Seattle's Automobile Show advertisement, April 1916

In 1916 the third annual Seattle Automobile Show was held downtown, hosted by the Seattle Auditorium Company, and featured thirty-three passenger models of twenty different makes, and eight motor trucks produced by six different manufacturers. Some of the standouts included a white six-cylinder Paige, a maroon eight-cylinder Oakland, and a Marmon with an aluminum engine. Also on display were the…
ID Number:MS.COLL.872
Date:1916
Image of My First Trip to Seattle, by Nora Leonard Vandeventer, circa 1938
Manuscript

My First Trip to Seattle, by Nora Leonard Vandeventer, circa 1938

In her story "My First Trip to Seattle," Nora Leonard Vandeventer (1863-1944) recounts the trip she made with her family, as a child of around 10, when they moved from Tumwater to Seattle. She recounts the perilous January trip on the Zephyr, a sternwheel steamer of the Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet. Nora traveled with her parents Amy and Thomas Austin…
ID Number:MS.COLL.1523
Date:Circa 1938
Image of Aerial view of Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, March 1963
Photograph

Aerial view of Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, March 1963

Washington's Evergreen Point Floating Bridge carries State Route 520 across Lake Washington, connecting Seattle with the growing area east of the lake. When it opened, the bridge's 7,578 foot floating span was the longest in the world. This was the second floating bridge to cross Lake Washington, and both bridges are overcrowded daily with commuters in their automobiles.//This photo shows…
ID Number:PI20478
Date:1963
Image of Girl Scouts on the ferry
Photograph

Girl Scouts on the ferry "Kalakala," August 1938

Girl Scouting started in Seattle in 1921. By 1997, the area's Girl Scout Council was serving nearly 17,000 members in ten western Washington counties. Troops of girls meet regularly to learn about health and handicrafts as well as science and technology, careers and leadership. During the summer, many of the scouts attend camp or go on outdoor field trips.This August…
ID Number:PI21221
Date:1938
Image of Western Union messengers on bicycles, Seattle, 1937
Photograph

Western Union messengers on bicycles, Seattle, 1937

Before long-distance telephones, fax machines and the internet became so widespread in the late 20th century, the quickest way to send a message was by telegraph. Messages came in by wire to the local Western Union telegraph office, and uniformed messengers delivered written or printed copies to homes and businesses. In Seattle and other cities, Western Union messengers generally delivered…
ID Number:PI21632
Date:1937
Image of Group in front of school for children with disabilities, Seattle, 1948
Photograph

Group in front of school for children with disabilities, Seattle, 1948

Written on original envelope: Seattle - schools - spastic, with Charles A. Lawless, Mrs. Norman CleinSubject headings for envelope group: Handicapped children - educationWritten on negative: Spastic SchoolSubject headings for individual negative: TaxicabsOriginal title: Handicapped, Taxi cab drivers and children in front of school for handicapped, SeattleDate photograph was filed at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (date of photograph and file date…
ID Number:PI23207
Date:1948
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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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