Exterior of General Paint Corporation at 102 So.10th, Tacoma. Rolls of wallpaper are displayed in the store windows, beckoning passerbys to redecorate with the latest styles. A large sign of a uniformed toy soldier at attention, the emblem of General Paint, outlined with neon adorns the building. Above the retail space is the second floor office of O'Connell-Ragan Advertising.

Buildings--Tacoma--1950-1960; Stores & shops--Tacoma--1950-1960; Paints & varnishes; General Paint Corp. (Tacoma);

Interior of General Paint Corporation retail store at 102 So. 10th, Tacoma. Paint cans, brushes and supplies line the shelves. A Clarke floor sander available for rent rests in the foreground of the picture. Bold wallpaper samples hang on the walls and decorate panels. Wallpaper books rest on stands with chairs available for comfortable perusing. Home ownership was a realistic goal in the fifties, and remodeling and decorating was a favorite pastime.

Buildings--Tacoma--1950-1960; Stores & shops--Tacoma--1950-1960; Paints & varnishes; General Paint Corp. (Tacoma);

A house and shed perch atop a cliff where dirt has been removed for construction near Puyallup Ave. in Tacoma. This is possibly the site being prepared for the construction of the new sanitation plant.

Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Alleys--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Before shot of 5643 So. Birmingham St., home of Harry Good, for Linwood Sales. Photograph taken on March 27, 1950.

Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Good, Harry--Homes & haunts; Then & now comparisons; Linwood Sales Co. (Tacoma);

After shot of 2104 So. 8th St., siding and roofing remodel by Economy Roofing and Siding.

Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Then & now comparisons;

Before shot of Bungalow style house at 1022 No. Prospect St. for a Seattle remodeling company.

Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Then & now comparisons;

Before shot of 8437 So. Park Ave., home of H.P. Myers, for Linwood Sales Co.

Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Linwood Sales Co. (Tacoma);

Exterior of ranch style home. Contractors: Witte & O'Flyng, Inc. A housing boom had taken over Tacoma in the 1950s, with the influx of GI home loans. In 1950, 64% of all dwellings in Tacoma were owned by the occupants.

Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The home of Lyle and Alva K. Abrahamson at 12321 Interlaaken Blvd. S.W. Mr. Abrahamson was the manager of Foster & Kleiser Co. This larger home features two stories and two fireplaces.

Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Abrahamson, Lyle;

Before shot of 5643 So. Birmingham St., home of Harry Good, for Linwood Sales

Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Good, Harry--Homes & haunts; Then & now comparisons; Linwood Sales Co. (Tacoma);

Before shot of 3217 E. Grandview Ave, home of R.R. Beaumont, for Linwood Sales Co.

Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Then & now comparisons; Linwood Sales Co. (Tacoma); Beaumont, R. R.--Homes & haunts;

Exterior view of two story home. Contractors: Witte & O'Flyng Inc.

Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Colonial style home after siding and roofing work by Home Improvement Co., Seattle Washington. Nicely trimmed lawn and well-kept shubbery. Photograph of completed job taken on April 4, 1950.

Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960;

After shot of 5643 So. Birmingham St., home of Harry Good, for Linwood Sales. The wood framed bungalow has been painted a grayish-blue including the steps leading to the front entrance. There may be a garage to the home's rear. ALBUM 15.

Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Good, Harry--Homes & haunts; Then & now comparisons;

After shot of 2104 So. 8th St., siding and roofing remodel by Economy Roofing and Siding.

Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Then & now comparisons;

Before shot of 3217 E. Grandview Ave, home of R.R. Beaumont, for Linwood Sales Co.

Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Then & now comparisons; Linwood Sales Co. (Tacoma); Beaumont, R. R.--Homes & haunts;

Exterior of unidentified new fifties style ranch home, Rex Harrington, contractor, built by Kendall Construction. The rambler has a one car garage, a chimney indicating the presence of a fireplace and steps leading up to the front door. A brick surround flowerbed in front of the house remains empty until landscaping is complete.

Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Exterior of the home of Clarence W. and Evelyn Todd at 226 Del Monte Ave., Fircrest. R.N. Harrington was contractor for this fifties ranch style home. C.W. Todd was the executive secretary and manager of the Tacoma Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America. The home had an unusually large two car garage. Landscaping had not been installed.

Houses--Fircrest--1950-1960; Todd, Clarence W.--Homes & haunts;

Family poses outside their new ranch style home with the family dog. Wood for the fireplace is stored to one side of the home. Contractors: Witte & O'Flyng Inc.

Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Apartment house under construction. Piles of concrete block building materials are stored in front of what will be an under living unit parking structure. A pickup truck is parked in front. Photo ordered by Holroyd Co., manufacturer of cement blocks.

Apartment houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Holroyd Co. (Tacoma);

The interior of the Berk Apartments, 702 1/2 Saint Helens Ave., showing the stairway to the double exterior doors. This apartment building was demolished in 1967 after a fire.

Apartment houses--Tacoma; Berk Apartments (Tacoma); Stairways--Tacoma;

Modernistic living room or waiting room of the combination home & dental office of Dr. William R. Taylor. The recently complete Lowell School, located in the next block to the west, can be seen through the large wall to wall windows. The room has very high ceilings with recessed lighting and a rectangular fireplace. A built-in unit has a bookcase and desk on one side, and a radio built into the short side. Another built-in unit encloses houseplants. The furniture is very angular and stark.

Taylor, William R.--Homes & haunts; Health care facilities--Tacoma; William R. Taylor Clinic (Tacoma); Dental offices--Tacoma; Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The living room or waiting room of the combination home & dental office of Dr. William R. Taylor. The walls appear to be wood panelling. The large built-in unit of wood has a bookcase and desk on one side, and a flat surface on the other (shown in this picture) where two long necked lamps protrude for reading comfort on the couch. This same built-in unit also has a radio and controls on the side. The ceilings are very high with ceiling level windows and recessed lighting. The furniture is very square and utilitarian.

Taylor, William R.--Homes & haunts; Health care facilities--Tacoma; William R. Taylor Clinic (Tacoma); Dental offices--Tacoma; Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Four year old Christa Taylor and her sister two year old Randie in their bedrooms in the combination home & dental clinic of their father Dr. William R. Taylor. Accordion doors separate the girls' quarters for sleep and open up for joint play. Built in storage units on the wall have a shelf that folds down and can be used as a desk. The girls' bedrooms appear to be on the second floor. They have high windows for light and privacy.

Taylor, William R.--Homes & haunts; Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Taylor, Christa; Taylor, Randie; Bedrooms; Folding doors--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The living room or waiting room of the combination home & dental office of Dr. William R. Taylor. This photo shows the tiled entry to a door to either the outside or another room, possibly the dental office. The bookcase/desk side of the built-in cabinet is also seen. Large picture windows line the opposite wall, with a baseboard heating unit underneath. The home had excellent views of Vashon Island, Puget Sound and Dash Point to the north. The small chairs are very modern and spare in design.

Taylor, William R.--Homes & haunts; Health care facilities--Tacoma; William R. Taylor Clinic (Tacoma); Dental offices--Tacoma; Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960;

In April of 1951, Buford L. Payson of Wire Electric demonstrated their new device for the efficient installation of TV antennas. Wire Electric, located at 1115 Center Street, used this photograph to advertise their new antenna installation service. The company used an antenna attached to a 50 foot extension mast that was operated by air pressure and mounted on a service truck. The truck mounted antenna was used to determine the best height and direction before a roof mounted antenna was installed. They claimed that this method eliminated expensive guesswork and saved half the time and cost of installation. (TNT 4/16/1951, pg. 17)

Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Television antennas; Payson, Buford L.; Wire Electric Co. (Tacoma);

Exterior of Pacific First Federal Building, home of the Savings and Loan Association, at the corner of 11th and Pacific Ave. Gerrit Vander Ende, President. This Romanesque style building was originally built in 1891 and designed by Proctor & Dennis, Architects. It was demolished and replaced by the current First Federal Building in the sixties.

Pacific First Federal Building (Tacoma);

The bedroom of four year old Christa Taylor in the combination home & dental office of Dr. William R. Taylor. The twin bed sports a chenille bedspread. Built in floor to ceiling cabinets have lots of storage space for the young girl's treasures.

Taylor, William R.--Homes & haunts; Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Taylor, Christa; Bedrooms--Tacoma--1950-1960; Beds; Bedspreads;

The dental office of the combination home & dental clinic of Dr. William R. Taylor. The dental office appears to be on the bottom floor of this two story structure. The office is equipped with two dental chairs and a sink, plus cabinets for instruments.

Taylor, William R.--Homes & haunts; Health care facilities--Tacoma; William R. Taylor Clinic (Tacoma); Dental offices--Tacoma; Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Dental equipment & supplies;

The exterior of the reconditioned General Paint store. This nighttime view shows the illuminated neon sign in the shape of a toy soldier. O'Connell-Regan company is located on the second floor of the building.

Buildings--Tacoma--1950-1960; Stores & shops--Tacoma--1950-1960; Paints & varnishes; General Paint Corp. (Tacoma); Window displays--Tacoma--1950-1960; Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960; O'Connell-Ragan Co. (Tacoma);