Legendary Seattle bookstore Shorey's was founded by newspaperman Samuel Fernald Shorey (1851-1932) in 1890 as a small magazine and cigar store at Third and James. Sam's great-nephew John W. "Bill" Todd Jr.(1914-2007) bought the store in 1939, and it was later run by his son, Jim Todd. Shorey's maintained its huge inventory even though the store had to move several times during its history. Shorey's final move was to Fremont in 1995, where Bill could still be seen in the back room chatting with customers. The store closed its doors in 2000.

In this image of the northwest corner of Third Avenue and Cherry Street, a woman stands looking in the window of Shorey's Books at its second location, 701 Third Avenue, which it occupied from 1891-1922. At the left edge of the frame the Seattle Post-Intelligencer building can be seen on the northwest corner of Second Avenue and Cherry Street. The New York Block can be seen on the northeast corner of Second and Cherry Street. The New York Block and the Seattle Block (housing Shorey's and the Occidental Hotel) were replaced in 1922 by the Dexter Horton Building, which remains today. At the right edge of the screen Bonney & Stewart Undertakers (now Bonney-Watson) can be seen at the southwest corner of Third Avenue and Columbia Street.

Signs in image: Post-Intelligencer; Carpenter Shop; Simpson Sign Co. Signs; Occidental Hotel; Shorey's Old Book Store; Bonney & Stewart, Undertakers
Typed on verso: Seattle Block, NW corner of Third Ave and Cherry St. On Second - the New York Block, site of Dexter Horton Bldg
Photographer's number: 840

Caption information source: "John W. Todd Jr. 1914-2007" by J. Marshall, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, March 3, 2007, p. B5.
Caption information source: http://pcad.lib.washington.edu/building/5343