ca. 1914. Rhodes Brothers delivery department employees, circa 1914. The men pose on and around one of the store's delivery automobiles. In 1912, Rhodes Brothers retired their horse and wagons and replaced them with gasoline powered automobiles. (photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Department stores--Tacoma; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma);

ca. 1904. A window display of wedding dresses at the Rhodes Brothers Department Store, circa 1904. When Henry A. Rhodes opened his three story grand emporium at 950 Broadway in November of 1903, it quickly became famous for its lavish decorations and extensive window displays. Huge plate glass windows presented the most current fashions by seasons. The store employed a full time window trimmer and decorator, Herbert A. Foster, who had an office and studio on the third floor of the store. (Photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee) (TDL 11/8/1903, pg. 17)

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma; Wedding clothing & dress--1900-1910; Window displays--1900-1910;

ca. 1904. Rhodes Brothers store, circa 1904; Mezzanine with piano overlooking first floor. The mezzanine was located on a balcony between the first and second floors. The ladies' lounge was located here with comfortable chairs where shoppers could rest or visit. The restroom was also located in this area. Entertainers playing the piano here would be heard throughout the first floor. (photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Department stores--Tacoma; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma);

ca. 1904. Rhodes Brothers store, circa 1904; Millinery department. The Rhodes Brothers Department Store opened in a three story building at 950 Broadway at the end of 1903. The structure was one of the first big building projects in Tacoma after the "Panic" in the 1890's. As most women wore hats whenever they went out in the early 1900's, the store included its own millinery department. At that time, buyers for the store travelled back east once or twice a year to buy "model" hats in the latest fashion. The "models" were quite expensive and were used by local hat makers to make copies for sale to the public. (photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Department stores--Tacoma; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma);

ca. 1904. Rhodes Brothers Store, circa 1904; Art and rug departments. The Rhodes Department Store in the early 1900's, although considered well stocked by the standards of the time, appears cramped, crowded and dark by today's standards. In the back right are rugs, or rolls of fabric, on tables, as well as folded on shelves behind the tables. On the left are tables of matted art and on the right are tables piled with framed art. Larger framed landscapes hang from the walls. (photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma;

ca. 1904. Rhodes Brothers Store, circa 1904; Corsets and "white wear." In the early 1900's, the silhouette was important to fashion and the silhouette was formed by the garments underneath the outfit, primarily the corset. The Rhodes Department Store had a sign for Kabo corsets, one of the major brands. The back shelves contain boxes with various styles of corsets. In the same department was "white wear," lingerie for use with the corset, namely corset covers, chemises, pantaloons and petticoats. Also on the pillar is a sign, "We give buyers green stamps." Speery & Hutchinson (S& H) introduced green stamps in 1896. They were given to reward loyalty to a merchant and were redeemable for merchandise. Photo damaged lower center. (photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma; Clothing & dress--1900-1910;

ca. 1904. Rhodes Brothers Store, circa 1904; Pillows and housewares. This department is believed to be located on the first floor of the store. It is crowded with pillows, mats, lace scarves or napkins (displayed on a grid.) The fine china can be seen up one floor. Tassels hang down from the ceiling. (photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma;

ca. 1904. Rhodes Brothers store- wooden barrels in the china department stockroom, circa 1904. (Photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma;

ca. 1904. Rhodes Brothers staff, circa 1904. The Rhodes Brothers Department Store opened at 950 Broadway late in 1903 with a staff of 100 clerks. The clerks were well screened and trained in efficiency and courtesy. The female clerks wore dark dresses with white collars and cuffs in the winter and fall and dark skirts with white blouses in spring and summer. The men dressed in suits. Photograph damaged at corners. (Photograph donated by the Rhodes Reunion Committee)

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma)--Employees--1900-1910; Department stores--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;

ca. 1939. Rhodes Department Store, advertising for three day sale. Two young women carrying packages are receiving assistance from two sales clerks in the knit (sweater) department of the store.

Sales personnel--Tacoma; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma);

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;

Rhodes department store offered their customers a wide selection of everything they might need to look their best. Rhodes received new merchandise on a daily basis. View of men's socks and shirts section at Rhodes Bros, Easter sales signs in center of sock fixtures.

Department stores--Tacoma; Hosiery; Merchandise displays--Tacoma; Men--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1940-1950; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma);

A look at the boys clothing section of Rhodes Department Store on April 19, 1946. Piles of shirts, socks and other accessories await customers.

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Rhodes Department Store had everything a customer could want or need for their home. Rhodes had recently finished a remodeling and modernization of their departments. View of unidentified woman looking at a refrigerator in the appliances department. A stove and an automatic washing machine are in foreground, Bendix home laundry advertisements in background.

Refrigerators; Washing machines; Stoves--Tacoma; Department stores--Tacoma; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma);

Rhodes Department Store fabric section.

Business Enterprises - Department Stores - Tacoma - Rhodes Brothers - Fabric Department

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);

In June of 1945 three unidentified women prepared to send Father's Day messages to servicemen from the special Post Yarns mailing center in Tacoma's Rhodes Department Store; an unidentified clerk working in the booth took their addressed messages. Rhodes joined with the Saturday Evening Post magazine in a special wartime Father's Day offer. The Saturday Evening Post made copies of Post Yarns, a pocket size version of their magazine, available at the department store; Rhodes provided free delivery for the miniature magazine - with a personal note from the sender.

World War, 1939-1945--Social aspects--Tacoma; Women--Tacoma--1940-1950; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Fathers & children;

Maurice P. Gribbon, in charge of the shoe department at Rhodes Department Store, fitted T/3 Gertrude E. Totten with a new pair of sling pumps in October of 1945. T/3 Totten had been chosen to receive a complete new civilian outfit from Rhodes Department Store because she was the high point WAC aboard the USS General William Mitchell which had just returned from New Guinea. The only thing Rhodes could not provide was a pair of nylon stockings. As luck would have it, Miss Totten still had one pair that she had saved through the war while she served in the Pacific. (T.Times, 10/31/1945, p.6)

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); World War, 1939-1945--Peace--Tacoma; Womens Army Corps; Totten, Gertrude E.; Awards;

A small group of children eye the stuffed Santa standing outside the toy department of Rhodes Brothers Department Store in late November, 1952. Behind them, a large sign with a cutout of a smiling monkey proclaims the store to have the city's biggest toyland. Rhodes also offered miniature train rides for the little tykes. Left to right are Jimmy Newkirk being held by Lawrence Walker, Santa, Kathy Hall, Brenda Newkirk, and Santa's helper, Donna Walker. The Independent Order of Foresters would be holding a Christmas party at Normanna Hall on December 20th; Santa is expected to attend. Photograph ordered by Independent Order of Foresters. (TNT 12-12-52, C-5) TPL-8109

Christmas--Tacoma; Children--Tacoma--1950-1960; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Signs (Notices); Independent Order of Foresters 327 (Tacoma); Newkirk, Jimmy; Newkirk, Brenda; Hall, Kathy; Walker, Donna; Walker, Lawrence;

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 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;

Tacoma News Tribune's 1951 "Christmas Gifts" layout. Nelson Davis' daughters, Diana, 10, and Jill, 8, looking at vases and figurines at Rhodes Department Store's Gift Department to get ideas for the Christmas season. The girls, with braids, are dressed in matching coats and hats.

Davis, Diana; Davis, Jill; Davis, Nelson--Family; Shopping--Tacoma--1950-1960; Gifts; Children--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1950-1960; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1950-1960;

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;

This group of second grade students from Whitman school were literally put on display for National Education Week during November of 1939. Their library class was held in a display window of the Rhodes department store at 950 Broadway. The students being watched by proud parents and curious shoppers are (l to r): George Mills; Dorothy Powell; Dolores Duncan, writing her name on the blackboard; Ann Truitt, with her back to the camera; Richard McCulloch; and Allyn Hultman with back to camera. (T. Times, 11-10-1939, p.18)

School children--Tacoma--1930-1940; Children reading & writing--Tacoma; Duncan, Dolores; Mills, George; Powell, Dorothy; McCulloch, Richard; Truitt, Ann; Hultman, Allyn;