The Trianon Ballroom, located at Third Avenue and Bell Street, was an important entertainment venue in Seattle's musical history. One of several large dance clubs in the area which drew national Big Band talent, it was founded in 1927 by hotelier John Edward Savage (1879-1958) and had a 30 x 135-foot dance floor that accommodated more than 5,000 dancers. Operating under Jim Crow-era policies of racial exclusion, African Americans weren't allowed entrance until 1940, when black community leaders convinced management to book a second performance by black drumming star Lionel Hampton (1908-2002) and his orchestra. After that, segregated shows were held on Monday nights. The Trianon closed in 1956 when Mr. Savage moved to California amidst pending tax liens, and the building now houses office space at 222 Wall Street.
The image here shows a KVI Radio announcer (left) standing on the Trianon stage next to orchestra leader Bob Young (b. 1912). Begun in Tacoma in 1926, KVI continues to air both local and nationally syndicated shows in the Puget Sound region, as of 2019.
Caption information source: "Lionel Hampton Orchestra (with Quincy Jones) rocks Seattle's Trianon Ballroom on August 31, 1951," by Peter Blecha, HistoryLink.org Essay 10356. Caption information source: "At Trianon," The Seattle Daily Times, June 18, 1938, p. 4; "Calling All Who Have Fond Memories of The Trianon Ballroom," The Seattle Daily Times, May 25, 1956, p. 30; and "Tax Lien Filed Against John E. Savage," The Seattle Daily Times, February 26, 1957, p. 19.
ID Number: Lib1988.27.8
Date: Circa 1938
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.
