ca. 1973. 1973 Richards stock footage. The former Winthrop Hotel gets a good scrubbing by Allied Mobile Powerwash in 1973 as powerful streams of water remove dirt and grime from its exterior. This view is of the Winthrop's back. A glimpse of the Pantages Theater is on the extreme left edge. The Winthrop ceased operations as a hotel in August of 1971 and was converted into senior/elderly housing in 1973.
Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Cleaning--Tacoma--1970-1980;
ca. 1973. 1973 Richards stock footage. An Allied Mobile Powerwash truck is parked outside the Winthrop in 1973 as it prepares to clean the exterior of the former landmark hotel. The Winthrop, built in 1925, had closed its doors in early August of 1971. It was converted into senior/elderly apartments to be opened in August of 1973.
Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Cleaning--Tacoma--1970-1980;
ca. 1964. Hardy stalks of bamboo are examined by three unidentified men outside the new Kokura restaurant located on the Broadway level of the Winthrop Hotel. The Kokura, named after Tacoma's sister-city on the island Kyushu, Japan, opened in the summer of 1964. The bamboo plant was probably destined for the restaurant's interior whose furnishings were either directly from Japan or associated with that culture. TPL-5022
Exterior of the Kokura Restaurant. Located on the Broadway level of the Winthrop Hotel, the Kokura restaurant opened in the summer of 1964. It featured the finest Japanese cuisine which was prepared and served by those of Japanese descent. The restaurant was named after Tacoma's city-sister, Kokura, Japan. The Winthrop would later be sold in 1970 and rooms converted to senior housing. TPL-5021
Kokura Restaurant (Tacoma); Restaurants--Tacoma--1960-1970; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);
This is what the exterior of the Kokura Restaurant looked like in October of 1964. It had opened during the past summer in the Winthrop Hotel with its entrance on Broadway. The restaurant specialized in fine Japanese cuisine served in an atmosphere reflecting its origins. Kokura was named in honor of Tacoma's city-sister in Japan. It would remain open until about 1970 when the hotel was sold.
Kokura Restaurant (Tacoma); Restaurants--Tacoma--1960-1970; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);
Winthrop Hotel executive William R. Conant, Sr., and Sonia Fowler (now Sonia Gray) watch as their kimono-clad waitress in the Kokura Restaurant pours a small cup of tea on July 13, 1964. The Kokura was the Winthrop Hotel's latest major improvement, an authentic Japanese restaurant located on the Broadway level. Named after Tacoma's sister-city in Japan, the Kokura served only Japanese food. To add to the atmosphere, the chef and waitresses were of Japanese descent. Customers entered the Kokura through a torii, an orange-red gate, and were directed to small private dining rooms separated by shoji screens. Tables were low and customers sat on padded cushions resting on tatami mats, much as they would in Japan. Bamboo-covered walls and hanging paper-like lighting fixtures added to the dining experience. The Kokura closed in 1971. (Photograph ordered by the Winthrop Hotel.) (TNT 5-10-64, B-10, TNT ad 10-14-64, A-8) TPL-9851
Kokura Restaurant (Tacoma); Restaurants--Tacoma--1960-1970; Dining rooms--Tacoma--1960-1970; Waitresses--Tacoma; Kimonos; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Conant, William R.; Fowler, Sonia;
Interior of Kokura restaurant. The next major improvement to the Winthrop Hotel would be the Kokura restaurant in the summer of 1964. Named after Tacoma's sister-city, Kokura, Japan, it would serve only authentic Japanese food prepared and served by Japanese. Located on the Broadway level of the Winthrop, there was seating for 40. Shoji screens would divide the dining areas, providing both privacy and atmosphere. As a glimpse into a dining room shows, customers would sit on thick padded cushions placed on tatami mats. Stone lanterns and simplistic naturalistic decor would add to the serene environment. Photograph ordered by the Winthrop Hotel. (TNT 5-10-64, B-10)
Kokura Restaurant (Tacoma); Restaurants--Tacoma--1960-1970; Dining rooms--Tacoma--1960-1970; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);
Winthrop Hotel. Large bedroom suite at the Winthrop Hotel. By 1963, the Winthrop was 38 years old and new management undertook the renovation of the downtown hotel. This room, along with other refurbished rooms, was photographed on August 7, 1963. It contained two double beds, a pair of comfortable arm chairs, large mirror and writing desk. Modern lighting helped to brighten the room. Photograph ordered by the Winthrop Hotel. BU-12178
Hotels--Tacoma--1960-1970; Beds; Mirrors; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);
Dining at the Winthrop Hotel. Four diners are enjoying a beautifully served meal at the Winthrop Hotel in April of 1963. Two waiters attend their table; one is preparing to pour from a bottle of wine while the other carefully displays a platter of onions, mushrooms and beef. The Winthrop had several banquet rooms, the Sabre Room, a coffee shop, and the remodeled and renamed Three Keys main dining room. Photograph ordered by the Winthrop Hotel.
Hotels--Tacoma--1960-1970; Restaurants--Tacoma--1960-1970; Waiters--Tacoma--1960-1970; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);
Six employees of the Winthrop Hotel's Sabre Room pose for a group picture on November 12, 1958. The waitresses are dressed in Old English costume as the restaurant featured Elizabethan dishes, focusing on beef. Heavy wooden beams and panels and plain furniture accentuated the Old World atmosphere. The women stand before an Oak Room sign; this may have been a separate dining room contained within the Sabre Room. The Winthrop Hotel was now part of the Western Hotels, Inc., chain. This, and other photographs taken that day, were scheduled to be published in a magazine. Photograph ordered by the Winthrop Hotel.
Dining rooms--Tacoma--1950-1960; Waitresses--Tacoma; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);
Interior of Sabre Room, Winthrop Hotel. The Sabre Room had been extensively remodeled in 1955 but kept its Old World atmosphere. It featured a predominately Old English menu with plenty of roast prime rib. Flaming shish kebab and English pastries were new dishes added. View of the Sabre Room shows a heavily wooded decor with sturdy beams and an open cooking area. Two crossed swords and a breastplate of armor hang on the wall. Customers could dance to the tunes of the Mary Van Trio on Fridays and Saturdays without worry about feeding the meter; the restaurant allowed two hours of free parking. Dinners ranged from $2.10 upward. This, and other photographs taken that day, were scheduled to be printed in an unidentified magazine. Photograph ordered by the Winthrop Hotel. (TNT 10-14-58, p. 22- Ad)
Dining rooms--Tacoma--1950-1960; Daggers & swords; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);
Winthrop Hotel, new sample furniture on display in rooms 505, 522 & 525. The room has been decorated for the discriminating traveler with a patterned embossed carpet, floral drapes, full bed with chenille bedspread, dresser, a desk/vanity and a variety of tables and chairs with numerous lamps. A bench has been placed at the end of the bed to hold an open suitcase or for sitting. A long coffee table, however, has been placed blocking a door.
Hotels--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Furniture;
Card rack at Winthrop Hotel, Rust Craft Publications. Since Christmas trees, fir boughs and pine cones decorate the back wall over the many rows of Christmas cards and the photograph is dated in July, this must have been an advertising set up, possibly for a catalog.
Hotels--Tacoma--1950-1960; Greeting cards; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);
The Daffodil Room at the Winthrop Hotel provides a less formal luncheon and dining area. Semi-circular booths line the left side of the room while a long bench with seats on both sides runs through the center of the room with tables and chairs on either side of it. A counter with swivel seats can be seen in the right-hand corner. Tables are provided in the rear of the room. The draperies and the carpet have a daffodil pattern to match the theme of the room. Chandeliers provide lighting.
Hotels--Tacoma--1950-1960; Restaurants--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);
W.L. Stoddard designed the Winthrop Hotel and it was built in 1924 and dedicated May 15, 1925. It was named for explorer and writer Theodore Winthrop, author of "The Canoe and the Saddle" which helped popularize the Northwest. The hotel was to be a civic center.
Hotels--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);
Banquet tables have been prepared in the Cystal Ballroom at the Winthrop Hotel. Tables that would seat ten have been covered with white table cloths and set with table ware, cups and saucers and napkins. The room is lit with daylight coming in through the tall windows, chandeliers and sconces. The head table has been set on a dais along the right side with flags behind it. An American flag hangs at the far end of the room.
Hotels--Tacoma; Ballrooms--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);
The wide lobby and lounge at the Winthrop Hotel has been decorated in a grand style. The windows have been draped with light-colored fabric, pulled back with braid and tassels to allow plenty of daylight into the room. Several large sofas have been placed below each window and in the center of the room. Desks have been placed near columns on the left and a few side chairs have been spaced around the edges of the room to allow plenty of open space for people to congregate. Chandeliers hang from the ceiling and a figured carpet covers the floor.
Lobbies--Tacoma; Hotels--Tacoma; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);
Jordan Baking Company banquet at the Winthrop Hotel. The bakery was introducing a new and improved loaf of bread, "Sunbeam Bread". The new trademark showed a little blonde girl eating a slice of bread and butter. "Sunbeam Bread was an achievement of many years experimentation to produce a truly superior loaf of bread," according to Arthur K. Jordan, owner of the bakery. The new wrapper design was executed in a light blue and white with a floral border and a picture of the girl eating a slice of bread and butter. Arthur K. Jordan is seated in the middle of the front row wearing a lei. (TNT, 3/6/1952, p.16)
Jordan Baking Co. (Tacoma); Bakeries--Tacoma--1950-1960; Jordan, Arthur K.; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);
Two men present information about injury frequency rates using a graph during the Pacific Coast Association of Pulp and Paper Manufacturers banquet at the Winthrop Hotel.
Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Pacific Coast Association of Pulp & Paper Manufacturers (Tacoma); Safety; Charts;
An estimated 500 automobile dealers and their wives were assembling on June 1, 1951 for the annual convention of the Washington State Auto Dealers Association at the Winthrop Hotel. The convention began on Thursday with a golf tournament and an evening dinner and entertainment. During Friday's session M.R. Darlington, Jr., from the Inter-Industry Highway Safety committee spoke on "The Dealer's Stake in Highway Transportation", followed by a forum on state laws and regulations. Dealers were supplying driver training cars to 5,700 high schools, 125 of them in Washington state. The session concluded on Sunday. (TNT, 6/1/1951, p.C-7)
Washington State Auto Dealers Assoc. (Tacoma); Meetings--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);
The Ladies' Musical Club sponsored a concert by Hildegarde, a New York supper club singer who was on a concert tour across the continent, at Temple Theater. She would perform a 2 1/2 hour concert with her 12-piece orchestra. Her program included not the classics but favorites such as, "The Last Time I Saw Paris". She traveled with 35 evening costumes packed in specially built 6-foot trunks but would only be wearing two for her Tacoma appearance. She is seen here looking from the window of her room at the Hotel Winthrop. Tacoma's City Hall can be seen through the window. (TNT, 4/18/1951, p.12)
Two men were inducted into the Quarter Century club of Standard Brands, Inc., at the annual dinner for the Northwest area at Winthrop Hotel. They were Walter A. Logan, a machinist in the maintenance deparment of the Sumner Fleischmann's yeast plant, and Clarence H. Romnes, who worked in the vinegar department. Acme News, Ronald Schaad. (TNT, 11/15/1950, p.27)
Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Standard Brands, Inc. (Tacoma);
Broiled steak dinner set up at Winthrop. The Hotel Winthrop was well known for their delicious meals. This photograph shows an elegant place setting with a New York cut sirloin steak with french fried potatoes, garden salad and toasted garlic rolls on display. Additional items on the table include a small pitcher of cream, bowl of sugar, salt and pepper shakers, and gravy boat. This particular dinner special cost a hungry diner $3.50 in 1950.
Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Table settings & decorations; Silverware; Meat;
Two gentlemen who were present at the Chicago-Milwaukee Railroads board of directors luncheon on July 13, 1950, at the Hotel Winthrop, gaze at an enlarged photograph of the newly completed Tacoma Narrows Bridge. The first Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapsed during high winds on November 7, 1940. The man seated at left is C.H. Buford, president of the Milwaukee Road.
Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Co. (Tacoma); Railroad companies--Tacoma--1950-1960; Buford, C.H.; Tacoma Narrows Bridge (Tacoma);
Two gentlemen who were present at the Chicago-Milwaukee Railroads board of directors luncheon on July 13, 1950, at the Hotel Winthrop, gaze at an enlarged photograph of the newly completed Tacoma Narrows Bridge. The first Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapsed during high winds on November 7, 1940. The man seated is C.H. Buford, president of Milwaukee Road.
Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Co. (Tacoma); Railroad companies--Tacoma--1950-1960; Buford, C.H.; Tacoma Narrows Bridge (Tacoma);
The Hotel Winthrop on Broadway is the location for a luncheon honoring the board of directors of the Chicago-Milwaukee Railroads on July 13, 1950. The nine men are posed under the Rotary Club's banner. Seated second to the left is C.H. Buford, president of the Milwaukee Road. According to the Northwest Room's clipping files, this railroad was the first with improvements in transportation: owning and operating its own sleeping and dining cars, installing electric lighting and radio-phones in passenger trains, and being the only road to operate its own through tracks on its own tracks from Chicago to Puget Sound.
Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Luncheons--Tacoma; Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Co. (Tacoma); Railroad companies--Tacoma--1950-1960; Buford, C.H.;
This photograph from December 1949 of the Sabre Room in the Winthrop Hotel shows the popular Tacoma restaurant three months after its official opening in September. Created by Trader Vic to look like an authentic old-English tap room, the Sabre room was decorated in authentic English style and featured open hearth food service where you could see expert chefs prepare the food. The menu included roast beef cooked in rock salt, barbecued ribs, and steak and kidney pie - desert included trifle. The room could seat 110 persons, including the ladies' cocktail lounge. (TNT, 9/24/1950, p.6)
Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Lounges--Tacoma; Buffets (Cookery)--Tacoma; Cooks; Waitresses--Tacoma; Bartenders--Tacoma; Bars--Tacoma;
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;
Group of approximately 30 at Winthrop Hotel, Pacific Northwest District of Kiwanis, R. Ralstad. It was reported earlier in the month that Edward A. Lane had been elected president of the North-West Tacoma Kiwanis Club for 1950. (TNT, 11/10/1949, p.C-11)
Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Kiwanis Club (Tacoma); Business people--Tacoma--1940-1950;
