Carl L. Phillips, Bank President, and Mayor Harold Tollefson, left, pose with a mannequin depicting banking one hundred years ago in the lobby of the National Bank of Washington. As the city of Tacoma prepared for the week long celebration of the 100 year anniversary of the Northwest Territory, centennial displays went up all over town. Tacoma's main connection with the centennial was that in 1853 Tacoma's DeLin mill shipped the first lumber from Commencement Bay.

Banks--Tacoma; Banking--Tacoma--1950-1960; National Bank of Washington (Tacoma); Lobbies--Tacoma--1950-1960; Tollefson, Harold M., 1908-1985; Centennial celebrations--Tacoma;

1971 color Richards stock footage. Hundreds of Tacoma art lovers attended the grand opening of the Tacoma Art Museum's permanent home on May 25, 1971. Thanks to the generosity of longtime members, Helen Murray and her late husband, Lowell T. Murray, Sr., the museum was able to be relocated to the former headquarters of the (National) Bank of Washington, 1123 Pacific Ave. Museum director Jon Kowalek assembled paintings from ten museums and private collections which included works by Renoir, Boudin, Gainsborough, Matisse, Pollock and Tobey. No velvet ropes or glass enclosures barred visitors from an up-close-and-personal view of the exhibits, as evidenced by the couple above. (TNT 5-26-71, A-1 - article)

Tacoma Art Museum (Tacoma); Paintings; Building dedications--Tacoma--1970-1980;

ca. 1938. National Bank of Washington, South 12th and Pacific Avenue. Sandstone renaissance style building designed by Sutton, Whitney and Dugan, Architects in 1920 for National Bank of Tacoma on site previously occupied by the Rudolph Knabel Bakery. The structure is listed on the National Registry. (filed with Argentum)

National Bank of Washington (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma;

ca. 1938. National Bank of Washington, South 12th and Pacific Avenue. Sandstone renaissance style building designed by Sutton, Whitney and Dugan, Architects in 1920 for National Bank of Tacoma on site previously occupied by the Rudolph Knabel Bakery. (filed with Argentum)

National Bank of Washington (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma;

Apple display at National Bank of Washington. Elevated view of bank lobby, shows two women with baskets of apples dispensing them to customers, also apple posters suspended overhead. Saturday, November 4th, 1939 was designated as "Apple Day" and the month of November as "Apple Month" in a state and national campaign to advertise the Washington apple and dispense of surplus apples. Foreign markets for apples had dried up due to the war in Europe, causing an over-abundance of apples available domestically. All retail stores were asked to display apples and serve them to their customers on Apple Day. (T. Times 11/2/1939, pg. 18)

National Bank of Washington (Tacoma); Apples;

Apple display at National Bank of Washington. People lined up on either side at tellers. Two women in matching pants outfits are giving out apples from a basket. November 4th, 1939 was designated as "Apple Day" in a state and national campaign to advertise Washington apples. Washington was also trying to dispose of a surplus of apples, caused by the loss of foreign markets due to the war. Shipping apples to Europe was impossible and Washington was glutted with apples. Retailers were asked to display apples and serve them to their customers on Apple Day, with the admonition to "eat more apples." (T. Times 11/2/1939, pg. 18)

National Bank of Washington (Tacoma); Apples;

Portrait of Goodwin Chase. Mr. Chase was the longtime president and Chairman of the Board of (National) Bank of Washington. This formal photograph was taken in Mr. Chase's office at the Bank of Washington's main office, 1123 Pacific Ave., on August 16, 1968. Color photograph ordered by the Bank of Washington.

Chase, Goodwin; National Bank of Washington (Tacoma); Bankers--Tacoma;

1941 exterior view of National Bank of Washington. Sandstone building for National Bank of Tacoma by Sutton, Whitney and Dugan, Architects, 1920. Thirty years later in 1971, the Tacoma Art Museum moved into the former bank building.

National Bank of Washington (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Facades--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Tulip display in lobby of National Bank of Washington. Building designed by Sutton, Whitney and Dugan, Architects, 1920.

Banks--Tacoma; Banking--Tacoma--1940-1950; National Bank of Washington (Tacoma); Tulips;

Two unidentified young women handed out free apples at the National Bank of Washington, 1123 Pacific Ave., on Saturday November 4, 1939, which had been designated "Apple Day" by Mayor Joseph J. Kaufman. In the fall of 1939, the war in Europe had almost completely stopped sales of Washington state apples to overseas markets. November was declared "Apple Month"; all retailers were asked to display apples, and Tacoma residents were asked to consume apple pies, applesauce, baked apples and other apple treats as part of their daily diet. (T. Times 11/2/1939, pg. 18)

National Bank of Washington (Tacoma); Apples;

National Bank of Washington, building exterior, for sign purposes. Shot from across Pacific Avenue, the National Bank of Washington is shown on the corner of 12th and Pacific. This building would later house the Tacoma Art Museum through the year 2000. Puget Sound National Bank Building is next door on Pacific Avenue and the Federal Building is behind on the right.

Banks--Tacoma; Banking--Tacoma--1940-1950; National Bank of Washington (Tacoma);

In May of 1952, two news hungry Tacomans, Mrs. Lindquist & Mr. McIntyre, picked up news bulletins, provided by the news room of KTNT, in the lobby of the National Bank of Washington at 1123 Pacific Avenue. On the morning of April 12, 1952, the pressmen employees of the News Tribune struck Tacoma's only daily newspaper and posted pickets around the plant. The strike shut down the paper from mid-April until August 12, 1952. This was Tacoma's first major newspaper strike in more than 30 years. The KTNT news bulletins, published by the news division the Tribune's radio station, and the Tacoma Reporter, which was published from June-August of 1952, helped provide news to the community during the strike.

Banks--Tacoma; Banking--Tacoma--1950-1960; National Bank of Washington (Tacoma); Lobbies--Tacoma--1950-1960;

This view of the main floor of the National Bank of Washington at 1123 Pacific Avenue was taken in December, 1949 from the bank's mezzanine. The Italian Renaissance style building, with its gracefully arched ceiling, was designed by Sutton, Whitney & Dugan, architects. Construction started in 1920, and the bank, known then as the National Bank of Tacoma, opened in June, 1921. The tellers cages were spaced around the exterior of the large open floor separated from the public by a horse-shoe shaped partial wall that echoed the shape of the tall windows which provided light to the large interior. Desks and card catalogs were kept behind the partition. The name of the bank was changed to the National Bank of Washington in 1937. The Tacoma Art Museum took over the building in 1971. In 2007 it became home to Sound Inpatient Physicians, which provides "hospitalist" physicians to hospitals. TPL-9259

Banks--Tacoma; Banking--Tacoma--1940-1950; National Bank of Washington (Tacoma); Lobbies--Tacoma--1940-1950;

N.C. Garrison sat on a ladder as he helped prepare the display of 30 of his model ships in the lobby at the National Bank of Washington, 1123 Pacific Ave., for World Trade Week in May of 1950. Mr. Garrison had been building ship models since 1929 and this was the first complete display of his models. Among the models on display were "Old Ironsides," the "Pocahontas" and the "Beaver," which was the first steamship on the Pacific Ocean and was seen on Puget Sound for 50 years. (TNT, 5/24/1950, p.26) Ordered by Mrs. Lindquist. TPL-5044

Banks--Tacoma; Banking--Tacoma--1940-1950; National Bank of Washington (Tacoma); Lobbies--Tacoma--1940-1950; Model ships; Garrison, N.C.;

National Bank of Washington offered their customers full banking services. In 1949 Ashley M. Gould was an Assistant Vice President and Trust Officer; Harry Anderson was an Assistant Trust Officer; and S. Pritchard Miller was an Assistant Cashier and Assistant Trust Officer. Interior view of the National Bank of Washington, a customer is at the transaction window and another customer is standing on the left side.

Banks--Tacoma; Customer relations; Banking--Tacoma--1940-1950; Bankers--Tacoma; National Bank of Washington (Tacoma)--People;