Edward and Josephine Nordhoff opened Seattle’s Bon Marché in 1890. The department store moved and expanded over the years, and by 1929, it occupied an art-deco building on a full city block in downtown Seattle.

Sometime around 1953, Bob James of the Bon Marché Display Department designed a Christmas tree and star in lights for the diagonal corner of the building, at Fourth Avenue and Pine Street. By 1957, the tree had vanished, and the star had taken over the design. As of 2025, the star continues to be displayed.

This drawing, without measurements, appears to be one of James’ early star designs. The center star was to be white enamel or stainless steel, with smaller bulbs radiating out from a large central bulb.

Caption information source: The Seattle Times website: November 14, 2007; November 25, 2015.