Coy's Hardware Store, North End Buildiers' Supply. Interior view. Owned by Edwin L. Coy. Shelves hold glassware, small rugs, lamps, gifts, stuffed animals, paints, and housewares. Chairs, hampers and small tables are also for sale.

Hardware stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Coy's Hardware Store (Tacoma); North End Builders' Supply (Tacoma);

ca. 1943. Rudder Club, Mr. Avge. Two cooks in the kitchen, one at the griddle. Large pots, baskets, bowls, and utensils are also shown.

Restaurants--Tacoma--1940-1950; Restaurant workers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Rudder Club, Inc. (Tacoma); Kitchens--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Spotting brush for MacDonald & Dawn. Unidentified man carefully cleaning an article of clothing with a MacDonald & Dawn spotting brush.

Cleaning establishments--Tacoma; Laundry--Tacoma;

This view of the South Tacoma Business District was taken from just north of South 54th Street looking south on South Tacoma Way. To the left can be seen: (l to r) the Washington Electric Company, 5235 So. Tacoma Way; Herman Dier's furniture store, 5239 So. Tacoma Way; and the Crabb Drug Company, 5243 So. Tacoma Way. The buildings on the west side of the street include (center to r): the Safeway Store, 5402 So. Tacoma Way; John W. Bowlby's Richfield gas station, 5248 So. Tacoma Way; Steve's Tavern, 5238 So. Tacoma Way; and the West Coast Grocery, 5236 So. Tacoma Way. A stoplight hangs over the center of the street at the corner of South 54th and South Tacoma Way.

Grocery Stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Business districts--South Tacoma; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1940-1950; Safeway Stores, Inc. (Tacoma);

Interior of Broadway Branch, Puget Sound National Bank. View of vault..

Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Vaults (Strong rooms);

Interior of Safeway Store on Market Street in Downtown Tacoma.

Safeway Stores, Inc. (Tacoma); Grocery stores--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Interior of Safeway Store on South Tacoma Way as photographed on September 28, 1942. Taken at night, two ceiling lights highlight the produce/fruit displays.

Safeway Stores, Inc. (Tacoma); Grocery stores--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Safeway Store at 1108 South K Street in Mottau Building, Russell and Lance, Architects, 1934. Elaborate Art Deco style building with Virolite detailing.

Safeway Stores, Inc. (Tacoma); Grocery stores--Tacoma--1940-1950;

In October of 1942, the Railway Express Agency office on the track level of the Union Depot was swamped as motorists complied with the Office of Price Administration (OPA) and turned in all tires in excess of 5 per vehicle. F. W. Steere, left, foreman of the Agency and B.A. Benton, superintendent of the agency, compare two tires. One is almost new and the other good only for scrap. About 5% of the over 500 tires turned in the last few days were new, 70 % were usable and 25% were good only for scrap. (T. Times 10/19/1942, pg. 1)

Tires--Tacoma--1940-1950; Railway Express (Tacoma); Union Station (Tacoma); Railroad stations--Tacoma--1940-1950; Steere, F.W.; Benton, B.A.;

Pianist Bert Kool (far right) led the distinctive quartet of musicians who provided dance music at the grand opening of the Olympus Cafe and Supper Club in August of 1944. The new club opened on August 12, 1944, and was located directly below the Olympus Hotel, 815 Pacific Avenue, in what was then the heart of Tacoma's civic center. Bert Sundgren, the new owner, stated it was "Tacoma's newest and Washington's finest" restaurant and pledged dance music nightly with no cover charge. The saxophone player has been identified as Gus DeBock, a lifetime member of the Musicians Union. The last dance he played was with his band, Gus DeBock and the Fabulous 4, on August 9, 1991, two months before his death. (T. Times, 8/11/44, p. 11-article; T.Times, 8-12-44, p. 3-photograph used in ad). (Additional identification and information provided by a reader) TPL-10200

Restaurants--Tacoma--1940-1950; Olympus Cafe (Tacoma); Kool, Bert; DeBock, Gus; Musicians--Tacoma--1940-1950;

The newly opened "Olympus Cafe" and Supper Club, located in the Olympus Hotel, is celebrating their grand opening. Lettering on the column at the back of the room reads, "Activian Room". Draperies are open showing another room beyond. TPL-6422

Restaurants--Tacoma--1940-1950; Olympus Cafe (Tacoma); Olympus Hotel (Tacoma);

Standard Oil service stations - Dravis Service Station, for Mr. Evans. This side view of the garage (the side away from the street) shows a second set of garage doors. Three gasoline pumps stand in the front of the one story building. A two-door automobile is parked next door. Dravis Service Station was located at 5602 South Park Avenue. It was formerly McCoy's Park Avenue Garage. TPL-1885.

Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1940-1950; Standard Oil Co. of California (Tacoma); Dravis Service Station (Tacoma); Automobiles--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Standard Oil service stations - Dravis Service Station, for Mr. Evans. This side view of the garage shows the garage doors boarded up and the grass overgrown. Three gasoline pumps stand in the front of the one story building. TPL-1884.

Automobile Service Stations--Tacoma--1940-1950; Standard Oil Co. of California (Tacoma); Dravis Service Station;

Central Bank Anniversary Banquet. Central Bank was located at 2816 6th Avenue, they started in the banking business back in 1925 with only three employees. Central Bank is a member of the Washington Banker's Association. View of seven Central Bank employees at the 20th anniversary personnel dinner.

Bankers--Tacoma; Banking--Tacoma--1940-1950; Commemoration--Tacoma; Central Bank (Tacoma);

The Park Hotel stood at the corner of South 8th and A Street in downtown Tacoma for just short of 70 years. It was built in 1908 from plans by the architectural firm of Heath & Twitchell. The reinforced concrete building was the only structure in Tacoma included in the article "The Architecture of the Pacific Northwest" published by The Architectural Record in September, 1909. In its last years it had become a residence hotel for low income, elderly men and women. Considered to be "undistinguished as old buildings go," it was torn down in 1977 to make room for an 18-car parking lot.

Hotels--Tacoma; Park Hotel (Tacoma); Concrete construction;

General Petroleum exterior of 3 plants. V. A. Bellman, Resident Manager of General Petroleum Corp. and H. D. Maxwell of Maxwell Petroleum Co. announced in January 1944 the merger between these two companies. Headquarters will be at the Maxwell office at 721 Alexander Ave. Exterior view of Maxwell Station, said to be one of the most modern gasoline retail outlets on the Pacific Coast.

Automobile service stations--Tacoma; General Petroleum Corp. (Tacoma); Maxwell Petroleum Co. (Tacoma);

Furniture at Overland Furniture Co. damaged by water. Located in the Milton building, on the ground floor of the Hotel Lansing, the store fronted on 1138-40 Commerce. The large furniture store was owned by Thomas Overland.

Furniture stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Overland's (Tacoma); Furniture;

Group for Christmas ad in newspaper, Tacoma Auto Sales, Llewellyn Advertising Agency, Mr. Van Meter. A group portrait of 22 of the administrative and sales personnel from Tacoma Auto Sales. The men all wear business suits and the women wear either suits, or a sweater and skirt or blouse and skirt. This photograph was used in a Tacoma News Tribune ad December 26, 1949. (TNT, 12/26/1949, p.10)

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma; Tacoma Auto Sales Co. (Tacoma)--Employees; Sales personnel--Tacoma--1940-1950; Office workers--Tacoma--1940-1950;

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;

The Sabre Room, Winthrop Hotel, Mr. Boyd. A well-dressed gentleman sits at a desk talking on the telephone. He is looking at a card pulled from a small, metal card file. The desk has a day calendar open at the back edge and a lamp with a carved head base is lit. Another lamp is lit in the background. The man's cuff-link shines in the light. The Sabre Room opened in September 1950. Trader Vic, who specialized in designing unusual spots, had a personal hand in creating the new addition to the Hotel Winthrop. (TNT, 9/24/1950, p.6)

Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Telephones; Calendars; Cuff links--Tacoma; Desks; Lamps;

Cup awarded for best loaf of bread, Jordan Baking Company, Art Jordan. Jordan Baking Company's name has been engraved on the base of the trophy for the month of November 1949. A company in Jacksonville, Florida, has won for the month of October. The trophy was presented by the Quality Bakers of America. A female fiqure with wings holding a loaf of bread over head tops the cylindrical trophy.

Jordan Baking Co. (Tacoma); Awards; Bakeries--Tacoma;

Tacoma Athletic Commission, Square dancing and style show, Elliott Metcalf. Bob Starkey was the caller for the square dancing revue put on for the members of the Tacoma Athletic Commission at the Top of the Ocean. Couples are dancing with arms around each other and the men have crossed arms in the middle. Several couples watch from the side lines. (TNT, 12/22/1949, p.20)

Top of the Ocean (Tacoma); Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Square dancing--Tacoma--1940-1950; Couples--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Painted window, Tacoma Auto Sales, Buck Gardner. The 1950 Pontiacs went on display at Tacoma Auto Sales the last week of November 1949. The Chieftain and Streamliner lines were continued with standard and de luxe styling, six- or eight-cylinder engines (up to 108 h.p.) and Hydra-matic or Synchro-Mesh transmissions. This General Motors make was named after the intelligent and formidable leader of the Ottawa Tribe, Chief Pontiac, who united four tribes to fight against the British army during the French and Indian War in 1763.

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma; Tacoma Auto Sales Co. (Tacoma); Window displays--Tacoma--1940-1950; Advertising--Tacoma--1940-1950;

A new Chevrolet panel truck for Nalley's, Inc. was on display at South Tacoma Motor Company. This advertising car for Nalley's, Inc. carries the company logo, "If It's Nalley's, It's Good," on both sides and the rear door. This view shows advertising for Lumber Jack Syrup and Tang.

Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1950-1960; South Tacoma Motor Co. (Tacoma);Food industry--Tacoma; Nalley's, Inc. (Tacoma); Chevrolet trucks; Advertising--Tacoma--1950-1960;

A view of the produce department and apple display at the Tacoma Big Bear Store. An unidentified shopper and Produce Manager Steve Turlis stand between the rows of displayed produce. Large amounts of fresh produce are mounded into the display bins. Bananas, rhubarb, lemons, are shown, but apples are the featured fruit. Posters hang on the walls and from banners. Large sacks and cases of apples stand open in the foreground. Ordered by the Washington State Apple Commission, Jack Sharp.

Big Bear Stores (Tacoma); Grocery stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Fruit; Vegetables--Tacoma; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1940-1950; Apples--Tacoma; Advertising--Tacoma--1950-1960; Turlis, Steve;

A view of the sales room and inventory arranged carefully on rows of shelving at C & G Radio, ordered by Lloyd Norberg. The wholesale distributing company advertised industrial electronic supplies from General Electric, Everready Batteries, Scotch Recording Tapes, Stromberg-Carlson Sound, Weston Instruments and Sylvania Tubes. (TNT, 2/14/1950, p.A-14)

C & G Radio Supply Co. (Tacoma); Radios; Stores & shops--Tacoma;

In February of 1950 an unidentified stock clerk at C & G Radio Supply Company, 2502 Jefferson Ave., pulled an order for radio and television tubes from the neatly organized shelves of inventory. Before transistors and modern printed circuits, radios and televisions used glass vacuum tubes produced by manufactures such as Jensen, Philco, and Tung Sol. Still in business at the same address, C & G Electronics carries hard to find bulbs and electronic items. (Ordered by Lloyd Norberg)

C & G Radio Supply Co. (Tacoma); Radios; Stores & shops--Tacoma;

Banquet at Poodle Dog Restaurant for employees of Mannings Market. Ordered by Mac Manza. This view of the interior includes the photo mural with images of many Northwest industries. TPL-9689

Diners (Restaurants)--Fife; Poodle Dog (Fife); Banquets--Fife--1950-1960; Mannings Inc. (Tacoma);

The Parkland Branch of the National Bank of Washington was located at the corner of Pacific Avenue and South 112th. The building was recently completed. Architectural studies, ordered by Lea, Pearson & Richards, Charles Pearson.

National Bank of Washington (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Banking--Tacoma--1940-1950; Architectural drawings; Architects; Lea, Pearson & Richards (Tacoma);

Ed Lee's new Shell Oil station at Division and Yakima before opening.The station had a garage for car repairs and fuel islands with gasoline pumps. Firestone tires and automotive parts and accessories were on display in front of the station office. The station's Grand Opening was March 31- April 1, 1950 and featured prize drawings and giveaways.

Shell Oil Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1950-1960; Gasoline pumps--Tacoma--1950-1960;