Belgium-born Camille M. Pessemier (1863-1947) first appears in a Seattle City Directory in 1891, living with his family above his shoe store at 912 Second Avenue. In 1905, "C. M.," as he was known, opened another shoe store in Tacoma with his brother, Henry J. Pessemier (1869-1940), a grocer. The Pessemier Bros. shoe stores grew to six locations in Seattle, Portland, and Tacoma, operating into the 1970s.
In this image C. M. Pessemier stands in the doorway of his first shoe store in Seattle, likely shortly after its opening, flanked by two unidentified employees.
Caption information source: Voelpel, D. (2008, Oct 03). The News Tribune, Tacoma, Wash. A lucky glimpse leads to piece of family history.
ID Number: Lib1990.9.1
Date: Circa 1891
Physical Description: 1 photographic print : b&w ; 3.75 x 5.25 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.
