A Sears, Roebuck employee demonstrates a new television console to a young Tacoma family in August, 1951. A similar television with rectangular screen is on sale for $259. Sears was having a sale on household appliances and furnishings with low down payments advertised. A sign on the wall indicates that a 15% down payments would be accepted. Several refrigerators are lined up just a few short steps away. TPL-5046

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Televisions--1950-1960; Children watching television; Refrigerators; Selling--Tacoma; Sales personnel--Tacoma;

Sears Roebuck and Company Department Store, Automotive Department. This elevated view of the automotive department, taken on September 5, 1951, shows tires on right, four tables with oil, seat covers, auto accessories, batteries and mufflers on right back wall. The automotive section seemed to be set next to appliances, including stoves.

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Automobile equipment & supplies; Stoves--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Elevated view of Sears, Roebuck & Co.'s parking lot taken in summer of 1951. The Sears parking lot is nearly full; this was the top of a multi-tiered parking garage recently built by Sears. Angled parking provides most efficient use of parking space as many of Sears' customers take advantage of the free parking while shopping. Craig Furniture and Schoenfeld's buildings are visible in photo.

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Parking garages--Tacoma; Parking lots--Tacoma--1950-1960; Craig Furniture, Inc. (Tacoma); L. Schoenfeld & Sons (Tacoma);

The pillars in the new parking garage at 13th and Market create a forest of concrete trees in this photograph from August of 1951. In 1951 Sears, Roebuck & Co. built a parking garage to help provide inexpensive, plentiful parking for their downtown customers. Sears offered one hour of free parking. Thirty years later, in 1981, Sears moved their store to the Tacoma Mall. This garage, which stands across from the downtown YMCA, became the Cornerstone Building.

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Parking garages--Tacoma; Parking lots--Tacoma--1950-1960; Signs (Notices);

As publicity for the Retail War Bond drive held in July of 1942, Madlyn Piper, clad in a white dress and wearing a military type "overseas" cap marked "I'm Selling Stamps and Bonds," is pictured selling bonds to Harry Satterlee, right, an officer of the Teamsters Union, on the roof of Sears Store. The man on the left is unidentified. Members of four of Tacoma's Unions purchased a total of $21,000 of war bonds on the first day of the sale, July 1st. They were the Machinists, Retail Clerks, Cooks & Waiters and Teamsters. (TNT 7/1/42, pg. 11- picture (cropped); T. Times 7/1/1942 p.9)

Piper, Madlyn; Satterlee, Harry; War bonds & funds; World War, 1939-1945--Economic aspects of war--Tacoma;

As part of the publicity for the War Bond drive held in July of 1942 by the retail stores in Tacoma, Madlyn Piper, dressed in white and wearing a military type "overseas" cap marked "I'm Selling Stamps and Bonds," was photographed selling war bonds to Harry Satterlee, an officer of the Teamsters Union, on the roof of Sears Store. On the first day of the sale, July 1st, $21,000 worth of bonds were purchased by the members of four unions, Machinists, Retail Clerks, Cooks & Waiters and Teamsters. On the kickoff day, for 15 minutes (12-12:15p.m.) nothing was sold city wide except bonds. (T. Times 7/1/1942 p.9)

Piper, Madlyn; Satterlee, Harry; War bonds & funds; World War, 1939-1945--Economic aspects of war--Tacoma;

Six women wearing military type "overseas" caps marked "I'm Selling Stamps and Bonds" with a "Tacoma Retail Stamp and Bond Sales - July" chart outside Sears, Roebuck and Company. The Tacoma salesgirls were posing for publicity pictures announcing the kickoff July 1, 1942 of the Tacoma Retail Stores Bond and Stamp Sale. The sales goal for July was $1,723,693. Pictured left to right are Rose Colombini, Madlyn Piper, Arline Keller, Nancy Carlson, C lella McElroy and Radie Cramer. (T. Times 6/30/1942, pg. 1; 7/1/1942 p.9)

World War, 1939-1945--Economic aspects of war--Tacoma; War bonds & funds--Tacoma--1940-1950; Colombini, Rose; Piper, Madlyn; Keller, Arlene; Carlson, Nancy; Cramer, Radie; Department stores--Tacoma; Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma);

Sears Window, Mr. Moor. Toys fill the window display including a fantasy model train, PT boat, tank, toy soldier and sailor, dolls, stuffed animals, Dumbo, and a clown. A poster of animals playing table tennis and others line the back of the display.

Commercial facilities--Tacoma; Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Window displays--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Sears, Roebuck and Company style show on main floor. Eight children, two boys and six girls, dressed in spring outfits. Group portrait taken with children atop a cabinet and in front of spring decorated column.

The Sears store, ordered by Fairchild Publications. The entrance to the service station can be seen at the rear of the building. Elevated parking center at 1140-50 Court C.

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The Sears, and Roebuck Company took over the Owen Woods building at the corner of So. 13th and Broadway in 1935. This photograph from 1952 shows the completely remodeled building. The new facade was based on the Sears building at the Chicago Century of Progress Exposition. In 1981, after over 45 years at this address, Sears moved to the Tacoma Mall, leaving the Peoples Store at So. 11th and Pacific as the last major department store in downtown Tacoma. The Peoples Store closed three years later, in 1984. After Sears moved to the Mall, the building at 1148 Broadway was remodeled yet again, restoring much of the look of the original Owen Woods Building.

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Parking garages--Tacoma; Silas E. Nelsen Architects (Tacoma);

Interior exposure of mannequin and refrigerator for Sears and Roebuck. A mannequin in an apron and fold out penguins advertise the newest Coldspot refrigerator at Sears. The refrigerator has a serve shelf- bonus space in the door to store small foods, a chiller- extra cold storage for meats and a crisper and "vegedrator"- to keep fruits and vegetables firm and flavorful. All three innovations are still used on modern refrigerators.

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Refrigerators--1950-1960; Mannequins;

Sears Roebuck and Company's Credit Department has a display on the back wall which includes rifles, pans, an Allstate tire, an automobile visor, a garden hose and silverware, all items carried by Sears. The credit counter is on the left and nine desks, chairs and other equipment are seen lined up throughout the room. A large bouquet of flowers stands near hanging files on the right.

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Offices--Tacoma--1950-1960; Office furniture;