This photograph was taken during construction for the Century 21 Exposition (Seattle World's Fair). The 74-acre Exposition site was a mile north of Seattle’s downtown business area. The fairground construction and renovation projects involved years of city planning, but several projects, including the Space Needle, Monorail and Washington State Coliseum were completed in a relatively short 18-month time frame. More than half the structures built for Century 21 were torn down when the fair ended in October 1962, but the fair left behind numerous public works, including the Coliseum, Monorail, Space Needle, Opera House, Center House and Science Pavilion. As originally planned, the new “Seattle Center” became a lasting cultural heritage for the region.
The image depicts a row of young women in bathing suits near the Coliseum construction site, holding letters which spell "Century 21 World's Fair."
Stamped on verso: Exclusive Photo by Forde Photographers, 306 Fairview N. - Seattle 9, Wash. MA3-4100. Gateway to the World, Century 21 Exposition, April 21 - October 21, 1962
Physical Description: 1 photographic print : b&w ; 8 x 10 in.
Additional Information: Digital copy of this item available thanks to funding from a 2016 Institute for Museum and Library Services grant. Metadata updated as part of a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the Library Services and Technology Act, through the Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State. View the finding aid for this collection at https://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:80444/xv77471
Credit: MOHAI, Kathy Dockins Collection on the Century 21 Exposition, 2010.82.11
