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Photograph

John Doyle Bishop in his store, Seattle, March 1967

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Fashion designer and retailer John Doyle Bishop (1913-1980), known as "Seattle's most colorful Irishman," opened his first store in 1950 when he purchased Helen Igoe's exclusive women's apparel shop at 1331 Fifth Avenue in downtown Seattle. In 1954 Bishop moved the shop to 1334 Fifth Avenue, where he sold his and other designs to a wealthy clientèle. A flamboyant gay man in an era when that was not acknowledged publicly, Bishop's big personality was also a generous personality. He helped young people on their way up the ladder and was active in supporting St. James Cathedral and Seattle University.

This image of John Doyle Bishop was taken in his store at Fifth Avenue and Union Street in Seattle. At the time, Bishop's impeccable style had won him a spot on the 1967 Harper's Bazaar list of the world's hundred best dressed men. The jacket Bishop is wearing is in the collection of the Museum of History & Industry.

Caption information source: http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/John-Doyle-Bishop-Irishman-put-Seattle-fashion-4381050.php
Caption information source: The Seattle Times, October 22, 1980, page 47
ID Number: 1986.5.19083.2
Date: 1967
Creator(s): Tolman, Cary W., Photographer
Physical Description: 1 negative : color ; 2.25 x 2.25 in.
Additional Information: Digital copy of this item available thanks to funding from a 2016 Institute for Museum and Library Services grant.
Credit: MOHAI, Seattle Post-Intelligencer Collection, 1986.5.19083.2, photo by Cary W. Tolman
Copyright: All Rights Reserved