Rhodes Millinery Mirror Room along with other departments had recently been remodeled and modernized. The room featured modern fixtures in a renovated spacious room. Rhodes offered fashionable and chic hats for the modern woman. View of Mirror Room with hat displays and comfortable areas for women to try on their favorite hat styles (T. Times, 5/16/46, p. 10).
Millinery; Hats--1940-1950; Merchandise displays--Tacoma; Department stores--Tacoma; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma);
Rhodes Baby Gift Shop along with many other departments had recently been remodeled and modernized. The room featured modern fixtures in a renovated spacious room. Rhodes offered the best selections for baby. View of Baby's Gift Shop with toys, shoes and clothing displays. Teddy bear with the letter "A" painted in corner (T. Times, 5/16/46, p. 10).
Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1940-1950; Gift shops--Tacoma--1940-1950; Department stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Children--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1940-1950; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma);
Rhodes toys and game room along with many other departments had recently been remodeled and modernized. The room featured modern fixtures in a renovated spacious room. View of toys and game room. A wide selection of model airplanes, dolls, doll furniture, games, sailboats and many other toys are displayed (T. Times, 5/16/46, p. 10).
Merchandise displays--Tacoma; Toys; Board games--Tacoma; Department stores--Tacoma; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma);
Rhodes Department Store window display, "See Your West." A mannequin models a solid color women's suit, single breasted with one button, high heels and a wide-brimmed hat in this photograph from May of 1947. Posters with photographs of the American Southwest suggest shoppers "See Your West."
Window displays--Tacoma--1940-1950; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Mannequins; Clothing stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Department stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1940-1950; Posters;
ca. 1947. Mannequin wearing man's three-piece wool suit shirt and tie in the display window of the Rhodes Brothers Department Store, 950 Broadway, circa 1947. Poster of Yellowstone is behind him alongside another suit on bodyform next to him and a display of accessories and shoes.
Window displays--Tacoma--1940-1950; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Mannequins; Clothing stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Men--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1940-1950; Department stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Posters;
Rhodes Brothers Department Store window display. Two mannequins dressed in shorts sets, two dressed in jeans and shirts, and one wearing jacket, shirt, and pedal pushers. Scenic background.
Window displays--Tacoma--1940-1950; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Mannequins; Clothing stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1940-1950;
Rhodes Department Store window display, "See Your West," photographed on May 23, 1947. A mannequin wears a striped coat and shoppers are encouraged to visit the Coat Salon. Posters with photographs from the American Southwest are shown in the display.
Window displays--Tacoma--1940-1950; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Mannequins; Clothing stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1940-1950; Department stores--Tacoma--1940-1950;
View of three piece Mitchell Luggage display at Rhodes Brothers Department Stores in June of 1948. The largest piece has two handles, which allows the suitcase to be moved around much easier; the smaller pieces allow you to conveniently pack your items for any length of travel. Mitchell Luggage was being displayed at Rhodes in downtown Tacoma; the merchandise was promoting summer travel plans and end of the school year trips.
Luggage; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1940-1950; Window displays--Tacoma--1940-1950; Department stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Mitchell Luggage (Tacoma);
View of five piece Mitchell Luggage display at Rhodes Brothers Department Stores. This set includes four suitcases and a beauty case, the open suitcase allows us to see the convenient pockets which will help keep our items organized. All pieces have double locks and are in an "Alligator skin" finish. Mitchell Luggage was being displayed at Rhodes in downtown Tacoma, the merchandise was promoting summer travel plans and end of the school year trips.
Luggage; Merchandise displays--Tacoma; Window displays; Department stores--Tacoma; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Mitchell Luggage (Tacoma);
Rhodes Brothers Department store was one of the finest stores in Tacoma, they were conveniently located in downtown Tacoma. Rhodes always had everything you and your family could need, a few years before they had completely renovated their store and modernized every department. View of Rhodes Boys' Department, featuring "Buck-O-Jeans", the display shows us western and cowboy jeans, shirts, bandannas, hats, guns and many other fun accessories for today's cowboy. TPL-9672
Cowboys--Tacoma; Jeans (Clothing)--Tacoma; Merchandise displays--Tacoma; Department stores--Tacoma; Children--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1940-1950; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma);
View of Rhodes Brothers Boys' Department, featuring "Buck-O-Jeans", the back wall is displaying western and cowboy jeans, shirts, bandannas, hats, guns, boot-shoe covers, vests and many other fun accessories for today's cowboy. The showcase has "Levi's" jeans information, bandannas, hats and western shirts on display.
Cowboys--Tacoma; Jeans (Clothing)--Tacoma; Merchandise displays--Tacoma; Department stores--Tacoma; Children--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1940-1950; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma);
ca. 1937. Rhodes Department Store, showing elaborate linoleum work around elevators. Shoe Repair and Shine station to right, vacuum cleaner in far right foreground. Dress displayed on mannequin and man working behind column at left.
Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Mannequins; Department stores--Tacoma--1930-1940; Shoe shining--Tacoma--1930-1940;
New neon sign lights up the night over the entrance to Rhodes, Tacoma's largest department store at 11th and Broadway. Rhodes was founded in 1892 by Henry A. Rhodes as a tea and coffee shop. The small shop operated in various downtown locations until it opened at its Broadway location in 1903 as a grand department store, on the model of Wanamaker's or Marshall Fields. The store continued to expand until 1925 when Henry Rhodes retired and the family business was sold. The store eventually became part of the Western Department store chain, until it closed in 1974.
Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma; Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960;
Rhodes Brothers showing new sign above doorway. Coast Neon Displays, Carl Eckstein. Rhodes Brothers Department Store was built at the corner of 11th and Broadway in 1903. Over the years the front has been remodeled several times. Here is a view of the front as it appeared in June of 1950. Coast Neon Displays of Tacoma had just installed a new neon sign above the front entrance. Note that there is a parking meter next to the right front fender of the Cadillac convertible.
Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Clothing stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960; Coast Neon Displays (Tacoma); Cadillac automobile;
Originally built as a three story building in 1903, the Rhodes Brothers Department Store at 950 Broadway had two stories and a roof garden added in 1911; the building continued to undergo considerable remodeling through the years. To modernize the front of the store, a new facade was added at the end of the 1940s. The facade was removed in 1980 when the building was bought by the University of Puget Sound and became home to the Norton Clapp Law Center. In the early days, in an effort to bring more trade into Tacoma from the outside, the Rhodes brothers came up with the idea of highway signs, Washington's first. The signs claimed "All Roads lead to Rhodes" and gave the number of miles to Tacoma. These signs were erected as far south as the Columbia river and into southwest Washington and the Grays Harbor areas. In the days when there were few automobiles, these signs became landmarks.
Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1950-1960;
ca. 1907. Copy of photograph of Rhodes Department Store, circa 1907. View of three story building by Ambrose J. Russell and Frederick Heath, Architects, 1903. Photograph was taken after repairs to building. Richards Studio copy made on 11-31-1937. (filed with Argentum)
Commercial buildings--Tacoma--1900-1910; Department stores--Tacoma--1900-1910; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma);
Children attentively listen to the "engineer" while on board the Milwaukee Railroad's toy train, the Hiawatha, on November 17, 1951. The train was set up to run in Rhodes Bros. Department Store; view of train and passengers, "engineer" and "conductor". Apparently the train stopped at Hiawatha Ville, pop. 18, which had an elevation of 63 feet. A banner above the "depot" indicated that it was a treat when you traveled east on the Olympian Hiawatha, with stops ranging from Spokane to Great Falls, Montana. TPL-1713
Miniature railroads--Tacoma; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Signs (Notices); Railroad tracks--Tacoma;
One of the best loved features at the Rhodes Brothers Department Store at 950 Broadway was the miniature Milwaukee Railroad train, the "Hiawatha". During the Christmas shopping season children could ride the "Hiawatha" to the North Pole to visit Santa. This photo from November 1951 shows a train load of children, including Janet Meyer in lead train, leaving the Hiawatha Ville station while five Rhodes employees, including the train conductor and the engineer pose for the camera. The Hiawatha train was built by the Miniature Train and Railroad Co. in Rensselaer, Indiana.
Miniature railroads--Tacoma; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Passengers--Tacoma; Railroad tracks--Tacoma; Meyer, Janet;
Children and adults are lined up at Milwaukee Road ticket booth set up in the Rhodes Bros. Department Store in order that the youngsters can catch a ride on the miniature train, the "Hiawatha", which would travel through part of the store. A blackboard indicates that the next scheduled train would depart at 10:00 am at the Hiawatha Ville station. TPL-2475
Miniature railroads--Tacoma; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Queues--Tacoma; Signs (Notices); Ticket offices--Tacoma;
Window display at Rhodes Department Store for Boys Department featuring items relating to archery champion Sonny Johns. Sonny Johns was the 1938 Washington State Jr. Archery champion and the Northwest Junior Champion. He won the Northwest title at Portland, Oregon, when he shot three "perfects," a feat never performed before in any world competition. In the display are bow and arrows, photographs and awards. Ordered by father Harry C. Johns, 4911 No. 27th. (filed with Argentum)
Window displays--Tacoma--1930-1940; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Johns, Sonny--Associated objects;
ca. 1938. Rhodes Department Store window display. Two adult and four child mannequins dressed in white rain coats. Signs read, "Wear White Rain Coats For Safety" and " White May Save Your Child's Life!" White raincoats were recommended by the Traffic Authority to help pedestrians shine through the gloom.
Window displays--Tacoma--1930-1940; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Mannequins; Clothing stores--Tacoma--1930-1940; Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1930-1940; Raincoats;
Night exposure "back to school" window at Rhodes. August is alway the month for buying school wardrobes and this window shows what the fashionable 1953 student will be wearing that first day of school. Plaid and double breasted coats were the fashion of choice. Girls are attired in dresses and the layered look appears popular. TPL-9346
Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Window displays--Tacoma--1950-1960; Mannequins; Clothing stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1950-1960;
Small window display at Rhodes department store, featuring slacks by Tacoma's Day's Tailor-D Clothing, for "Get Acquainted with Tacoma Products Week." The display mentions Day's College Cords, San Juan Slacks and the company's financial contribution to Tacoma, having one of its largest payrolls of over a million dollars. During "Get Acquainted with Tacoma Products Week", Sept. 7-12, several manufacturers had open houses and hundreds of stores donated windows for displays of goods manufactured here in Tacoma.
Window displays--Tacoma--1950-1960; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Clothing stores--Tacoma; Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1950-1960; Clothing industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Day's Tailor-D Clothing, Inc. (Tacoma); Trousers;
ca. 1925. Window display at Rhodes Department Store for Weaver Studios. Living room "set" with fireplace, mannequins, motion picture cameras and studio lights. The H.C. Weaver Productions, Inc. Studio produced motion pictures in Tacoma during this period. In 1925, Weaver filmed "Hearts and Fists" in and around Tacoma. The film was set in the lumber camps.
Motion picture studios--Tacoma; Window displays--Tacoma--1920-1930; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Mannequins; H.C. Weaver Productions, Inc. (Tacoma);
Olympic Peninsula Playground display in window of Rhodes Department Store. American flag, maps and photographs, two mannequins in summer dresses and hats. Photograph taken prior to 1940's 4th of July.
Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1940-1950; Window displays--Tacoma--1940-1950; Mannequins; Flags--United States; Maps;
In November of 1922, the two thousand year old game of Mah-Jongg was all the rage in Tacoma. With its hints of oriental mysticism and terms like dragons, the four winds and bamboo, Tacoma was mad about Mah-Jongg. Carmen Staples, Sybil Lea and Gladys Busha, left to right, play a demonstration game in the Rhodes Brothers store. The ancient game is the perfect combination of skill and chance and contains elements of modern day rummy, poker, dominos and bridge. TPL-6365 ; G25.1-034 (T.D.L. 11/5/1922, pg. 1-B)
Staples, Carmen; Lea, Sybil; Busha, Gladys; Games; Mah jong; Fads--Tacoma--1920-1930;
