Exterior of downtown Rhodes Bros. Department Store. This is the 11th & Broadway corner of the venerable Rhodes department store. The photograph was taken in late March of 1974, nine months before the flagship downtown store was to close. Liberty House/Rhodes was building a large, two-story store at the west end of the Tacoma Mall which was scheduled to open in the fall of 1974. Rhodes, which had opened in November of 1903, was well-known for its slogan, "All roads lead to Rhodes." The building staved off demolition for several years and eventually became the new location of the University of Puget Sound Law School in 1980. August 13, 1999 was the last day of the law school in Tacoma as it officially moved to Seattle. Three years before the move, the State of Washington purchased the building to house several state offices but needed to wait until the law school actually vacated the space before remodeling. The Tacoma Rhodes Center was later put up for sale by the state in February of 2007. Color photograph ordered by Liberty House/Rhodes, Oakland, CA.

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1970-1980;

Another elevated view of the downtown Rhodes department store as photographed on March 27, 1974, for Liberty House/Rhodes, Oakland, CA. A skybridge connects the upper level of the store to a massive 2000+ car parking garage. Other customers apparently have chosen this day to park on the street outside of Rhodes even though the street has metered parking. Rhodes had already begun construction of a new two-story store in the west end addition of the Tacoma Mall. Once it was completed, it would announce closure of the downtown flagship store.

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1970-1980;

Rhodes Brothers Department Store's main Broadway location would be the site of the Seventeen Magazine "back-to-school" style show on August 8, 1963. The store's window displays were artfully designed to highlight new clothing fashions for the upcoming school year. The two mannequins in the above photograph are dressed in becoming Bobbie Brooks attire. The handbags, shoes, and clothing are more upscale than those shown in D139059-1's window display.

Window displays--Tacoma--1960-1970; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1960-1970; Mannequins;

Night exposure of window display at Rhodes Brothers Department Store. Five mannequins are dressed in the latest "country look" as Rhodes Bros. promoted the Seventeen Magazine fashion show to be held on August 8, 1963. Large handbags, distinctive hats, and casual clothing are apparently geared toward the high school and older crowd. The theme of the show was "the Look of Knowledge."

Window displays--Tacoma--1960-1970; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1960-1970; Mannequins;

Capturing the attention of a full house is Suzanne (Suzy) Christel (now Fox), dressed in a plaid coat with fur collar and dark hat. Seventeen Magazine in conjunction with the Rhodes Brothers Department Store sponsored a "back-to-school" style show at Rhodes' Broadway location on August 8, 1963. The fashion show gave its audience a preliminary look at the newest clothing styles and trends. The Rhodes high school and college fashion board modeled the clothes featured in the August issue of Seventeen Magazine. The fashion board was composed of a representative from each high school in the area who worked part-time at the store and modeled in their fashion shows. (TNT Ad 8-7-63, A-20) TPL-9825

Fashion models--Tacoma--1960-1970; Fashion shows--Tacoma--1960-1970; Women--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1960-1970; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Christel, Suzanne;

Seventeen Magazine coordinated a "back-to-school" style show at the Rhodes Brothers Department Store at 950 Broadway in August, 1963. The models, all members of the Rhodes high school and college fashion board, wore dresses, coats and hats that were featured in the August issue of Seventeen Magazine. The young girl fourth from the right has been identified as Suzanne (Suzy) Christel (now Fox), who was a member of the board representing Stadium High School. (TNT Ad 8-7-63, A-20) TPL-9098

Fashion shows--Tacoma--1960-1970; Fashion models--Tacoma--1960-1970; Women--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1960-1970; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Christel, Suzanne;

On August 8, 1963, Seventeen Magazine, in conjunction with the Rhodes Brothers Department Store, sponsored a "back-to-school" style show at Rhodes' Broadway location, 950 Broadway. Entertainment was provided by Valerie Kiomoto, dressed in traditional kimono, accompanied by the Jerry Sun jazz band. In addition, the Rhodes high school and college fashion board modeled the clothes featured in the August issue of Seventeen Magazine. The fashion board was composed of a representative from each high school in the area who worked part-time at the store and modeled in their fashion shows. (TNT Ad 8-7-63, A-20)

Singers; Kiomoto, Valerie; Jazz musicians; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Jerry Sun Jazz Band (Tacoma);

The Jack Young family is being outfitted for the new school year at Rhodes Department Store on August 22, 1961. Jay is trying on a cap and jacket while Lynda and Lynette are more interested in a new warm coat. School would start in just one week so Mrs. Jack H. Young took advantage of previewing "Back to School" sales. Many downtown stores were staying open late for the school rush and were offering free two-hour parking with purchase. Photograph ordered by Rhodes. (TNT 8-29-61, B-7)

Children shopping--Tacoma--1960-1970; Children--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1960-1970; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Young, Jack H.--Family; Young, Jay; Young, Lynda; Young, Lynette;

Window display, Rhodes Bros. Department Store, ordered by Rhodes Bros. Just prior to Christmas Day, a window display at the downtown Rhodes Bros. Department Store highlights a fine selection of glassware and delicate evening wear. A small banner suggests thoughtful ideas for the last-minute shopper could be found in the Gift Department, fourth floor. Rhodes had been in business in Tacoma since 1892 and at their 9th & Broadway location since 1903. Their famous slogan was "All Roads Lead to Rhodes." Sixteen years after this photograph was taken, Rhodes closed the downtown store. It was spared the wrecking ball to become the University of Puget Sound Law School and later purchased by the State of Washington for office space. Photograph ordered by Rhodes Bros.

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Window displays--Tacoma--1950-1960; Mannequins;

Two mannequins are delicately posed in the storefront windows of Rhodes Bros. Department Store three days before Christmas, 1958. They are dressed in pink nylon gown sets whose prices apparently ranged from $14.95 to $19.95. To accessorize the gowns, soft slippers, creams, makeup and jewelry are displayed nearby. Christmas lights and gift boxes flank the window and help to illuminate the recessed display. Photograph ordered by Rhodes Bros. Department Store.

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Window displays--Tacoma--1950-1960; Mannequins;

Interior of Rhodes. Christmas time at Rhodes Bros. Department Store meant plenty of festive decorations including trees and fresh garlands to provide a merry atmosphere for its customers. View of interior featuring ladies' fine sweaters, cosmetics and assorted leather handbags taken on December 22, 1958. There was still time for the last-minute shopper to choose from a wide array of gift items. Photograph ordered by Rhodes Bros. Department Store.

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1950-1960; Christmas decorations;

A day shopping at the downtown Tacoma Rhodes Department Store in October of 1956 was not necessarily just a quick shopping junket; it could be an elegant all-day affair including a luxurious shampoo and style at the pictured beauty salon and lunch at the store's cafe. The store at 950 Broadway was elegantly appointed and intended to provide a full shopping experience with a beauty shop, restaurant and full selection of goods and services. The store's new Beauty Salon was located on the 6th floor and offered skin care, hair styling and tinting and nail care. It was open until 9 p.m. on Monday through Friday. For this publicity photograph, the stylists posed beside their stations. The men wore coats and ties and the women dresses with corsages. The Rhodes store opened in 1903 and closed in 1974, a victim of the desertion of downtown for suburban shopping. The most forward stylist on the left is believed to be Paul Faust and behind him, Bernard Natucci. The front two stylists on the right are believed to be Lee Amundson and Lorraine Hudson. (TNT 11/11/1956, pg D-11- see ad for individual stylists' pictures) (Additional identification provided by a reader)

Department stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Beauty shops--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The beauty salon at Rhodes Department Store. A day shopping at the downtown Tacoma Rhodes Store in the mid fifties was not just a quick shopping junket; it could be an elegant all day affair including a luxurious shampoo and style at the beauty salon and lunch at the store's cafe. Women would dress up in hats, gloves and dresses to peruse the latest in fashions and home apparel and enjoy the day at the store. The salon is beautifully appointed with elegant lighting, a mirrored makeup table and a receptionist stand with styling stations behind. The standing hair dryers can just be glimpsed in the background.

Department stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Beauty shops--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The beauty salon at Rhodes Department Store. A day shopping at the downtown Tacoma Rhodes Store in the mid fifties was not just a quick shopping junket; it could be an elegant all day affair including a luxurious shampoo and style at the beauty salon and lunch at the store's cafe. Women would dress up in hats, gloves and dresses to peruse the latest in fashions and home apparel and enjoy the day at the store. The salon is beautifully appointed with elegant lighting, a mirrored makeup table and a receptionist stand with styling stations behind. The standing hair dryers can just be glimpsed in the background.

Department stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Beauty shops--Tacoma--1950-1960;

A day shopping at the downtown Tacoma Rhodes Department Store in October of 1956 was not necessarily just a quick shopping junket; it could be an elegant all-day affair including a luxurious shampoo and style at the pictured beauty salon and lunch at the store's cafe. The store at 950 Broadway was elegantly appointed and intended to provide a full shopping experience with a beauty shop, restaurant and full selection of goods and services. The store's new Beauty Salon was located on the 6th floor and offered skin care, hair styling and tinting and nail care. It was open until 9 p.m. on Monday through Friday. For this publicity photograph, the stylists posed beside their stations. The men wore coats and ties and the women dresses with corsages. The Rhodes store opened in 1903 and closed in 1974, a victim of the desertion of downtown for suburban shopping. The most forward stylist on the left is believed to be Paul Faust and behind him, Bernard Natucci. The front two stylists on the right are believed to be Lee Amundson and Lorraine Hudson. (TNT 11/11/1956, pg D-11- see ad for individual stylists' pictures) (Additional identification provided by a reader)

Department stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Beauty shops--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;

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;

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;

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;

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;

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;

Window display at Rhodes Brothers Department Store. The entire window display is filled with Soap Box Derby memorabilia in a photograph taken in July, 1950. A small mannequin is dressed in racing attire and stands in front of a "Soap Box Derby Tacoma, Wash." banner. In front of the #135 Tacoma News Tribune racer is a trophy and photograph of the 1949 winner, Duane Swanson. There is a 26 piece Stanley tool board on display which is to be awarded for the best constructed racer, donated by Shell Oil Co. The 1950 Soap Box Derby is to be held on Sunday, July 23, on South 38th St. Boys 11-15 are eligible to enter and Rhodes Brothers will award each contestant a pair of "Buck-o-Brand" jeans as shown in the window.

Coaster cars--Tacoma; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Shell Oil Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Mannequins;

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;

Miss Dorothy Molund and Stanley Tiedeman try on engagement rings at Rhodes Department Store. No date had yet been set for their wedding but the world would now know their engagement was official. Ordered by the Tribune for brides' layout, Harry Lynch. (TNT, 5/3/1950, p.38)

Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma); Courtship; Rings; Molund, Dorothy; Tiedeman, Stanley; Diamonds--Tacoma; Couples--Tacoma--1950-1960; Journalism--Tacoma--1950-1960;

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;