Cascading streamers add a festive mood to the College of Puget Sound fieldhouse in preparation for the 1956 Greater Tacoma Home Show, May 11-20th. Booths are being set up, featuring goods and services of interest to home owners. An added plus this year will be the Broadway style revue playing nightly and included in the ticket price. The revue featured songstress Helen O'Connell, the tap dance duo Clark Brothers, the Kurtis Marionettes manipulated by Kurtis Wollgien and Frank Brown, singer and wit Monte Ballou and Bill Dungan as the Master of Ceremonies. (TNT 5/10/1956, section C)

Greater Tacoma Home Show (Tacoma); Exhibitions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Exhibit booths--Tacoma;

Balcom & Vaughan of Tacoma exhibit booth at the 1959 Tacoma Home Show. Balcom & Vaughan had recently opened at their new location, 747 Broadway. They sold Wurlitzer pianos and organs. A group of four men speak into a microphone for the benefit of the KTVW Television camera. The company was one of over 100 exhibiting wares for the discriminating home owner at the eleventh annual home show. The attendance at the '59 Home Show was a record breaking 40,016 for the shortened 6 day run.

Greater Tacoma Home Show (Tacoma); Exhibitions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Exhibit booths--Tacoma; Balcom & Vaughan of Tacoma (Tacoma); Organs; Keyboard instruments;

The S & S Builders booth at the 1956 Home Show features their new residential development at Tyee Park. Tyee Park was a new million dollar suburban residential community being developed in Lakewood. The new homes had five basic designs and were designed to be the epitome of indoor/outdoor living. The developers planned a community of 99 homes with curving roadways designated with Indian names. Over 15,000 people showed up to view the new homes on their Grand Opening. The 1956 Greater Tacoma Home Show was held May 11-20th at the College of Puget Sound Fieldhouse. The 8th annual exhibition was sponsored by the Tacoma Master Builders. Over 100 local and national firms participated, setting up booths and displays of interest to the home owner or buyer. (TNT 5/10/1956, section C)

Greater Tacoma Home Show (Tacoma); Exhibitions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Exhibit booths--Tacoma; S & S Builders (Tacoma); Houses--Lakewood--1950-1960; Housing developments--Lakewood--1950-1960;

Song stylist Helen O'Connell at the May, 1956, Greater Tacoma Home Show exhibit booth sponsored by John E. Amberg Co., distributors for Admiral-Hamilton appliances. Miss O'Connell holds open the door to an Admiral dual temperature refrigerator. To her right is a 1956 Admiral television set. The TV is topped by an Admiral portable radio. Helen O'Connell was an internationally known chanteuse who had recently returned to the music business after retiring to become a homemaker and mother of three daughters. She would be headlining the Broadway style revue at the Home Show. After her father's death while she was still a young teen, she had supported her family by singing in clubs and shows. She sang with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra and their recording of "Green Eyes" sold over 3 million copies. (TNT 5/10/1956, pg. C-2-article)

Greater Tacoma Home Show (Tacoma); Exhibitions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Exhibit booths--Tacoma--1950-1960; O'Connell, Helen, 1921-1993; Singers--1950-1960;

Booth sponsored by the Honolulu Conservatory of Music at the 1956 Greater Tacoma Home Show held May 11-20th.The Honolulu Conservatory was a franchise opened by Karolyn & Floyd Piper in their home at 617 No. 2nd St. They specialized in Hawaiian music, teaching ukulele, guitar and accordion. They taught music lessons by the Conservatory method with numbers diagrammed inside notes, sold instruments, music and accessories and ran a studio in their home. At the exhibit booth, a posed mannequin band strikes up a tune on banjo, accordion, clarinet and guitar. Instruments are displayed, including accordions, a guitar and a triple neck steel guitar. Another guitar is available to the right to deposit entries for the free drawing for a ukulele, guitar and accordion.

Greater Tacoma Home Show (Tacoma); Honolulu Conservatory of Music (Tacoma); Musicians--Tacoma--1950-1960; Stringed instruments; Ukuleles;

Members of the Tacoma Master Builders Association annually sponsored the Tacoma Home Show for many years. It was a good opportunity to acquaint Tacomans with the newest in home styles and conveniences and good advertising for local contractors and businesses. Here, Tacoma Home Show princess Jackie Durant of Lincoln High School models a strapless evening gown adorned with daisies on May 19, 1954; she is gazing at photographs of homes constructed by various Master Builders, including the Peltier Construction Co. (TNT 5-20-54, C-2)

Greater Tacoma Home Show (Tacoma); Exhibit booths--Tacoma; Women--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1950-1960; Durant, Jackie;

Instead of cutting the traditional ribbon, Mayor John Anderson saws through a foil-wrapped board on Opening Day of the 1957 Tacoma Home Show. Norman Jardeen, general Home Show chairman for the Tacoma Master Builders Association, smiles broadly as does General J.W. Schwartz, commanding officer of the Madigan Army Hospital. Mayor Anderson is ably assisted by four Tacoma candidates for Daffodil Parade queen in this March 19, 1957, photograph. The four young women pictured wearing hats were (L-R): Joan Weller, Sherry Holmes, Debbie Dean and Janice Methven. Miss Methven would be later chosen queen. Not identified was the woman without a hat who was standing next to Mayor Anderson. Photograph ordered by National Home Show, Inc. (Additional information provided by a reader)

Greater Tacoma Home Show (Tacoma); Dedications--Tacoma--1950-1960; Anderson, John H.; Jardeen, Norman; Schwartz, J.W.; Weller, Joan; Holmes, Sherry Lee; Dean, Debbie; Methven, Janice; Beauty contestants--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Two men are being interviewed in front of the Cascade Electric exhibit booth at the 1959 Home show. The KTVW television camera looks on as the man to his right counts off to air time for the interviewer. Cascade Electric were electrical contractors located at 217 S 38th. Projects for 1959 for the team of Henry and Henry Hofner were the new south end high school, the legal arts building and a proposed 75 unit luxury apartment building. The booth is located next to the one of Rainier Lumber Co.; roofing, siding and remodeling. TPL-9642

Greater Tacoma Home Show (Tacoma); Exhibitions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Exhibit booths--Tacoma; Cascade Electric Co. (Tacoma); Rainier Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

The College of Puget Sound fieldhouse is being readied for the 1956 Tacoma Home Show. Booths are being set up, featuring goods and services of interest to home owners. A truck with an extended ladder is being used to set the cascading streamers and the lights. More than 100 local and national companies would participate in the 8th annual show held on May 11-20th at the CPS Fieldhouse. A special stage was being erected for a new feature- a complete Broadway style variety revue headlined by Helen O'Connell that would perform twice nightly with an added matinee on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. (TNT 5/10/1956, section C)

Greater Tacoma Home Show (Tacoma); Exhibitions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Exhibit booths--Tacoma;

The Tacoma Master Builders were the sponsors for the Greater Tacoma Home Show. The Master Builders were a group of contractors that banded together and operated by a set of guidelines that assured quality control. Each year, one contractor was selected to build the Home Show model home. The TMB also participated in the annual Parade of Homes. The display is a "translite" display, where light shines through transparencies of photos of interiors and exteriors of local homes built by TMB members. (TNT 5/10/1956, section C)

Greater Tacoma Home Show (Tacoma); Exhibitions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Exhibit booths--Tacoma; Tacoma Master Builders Association (Tacoma);

Alsco Northwest, Inc. booth at 1957 Tacoma Home Show. Storm doors and windows were the speciality of Alsco Northwest, Inc., located at 2704 Sixth Avenue. Their booth at the March, 1957, Tacoma Home Show exhibited samples of their products. Signs on the booth indicated that Alsco was the world's largest all aluminum storm window and door manufacturer and was the only manufacturer recommended by Parents Magazine, Good Housekeeping and Today's Health. They were sponsoring a drawing for a free Starlighter picture storm screen door, installation included, with the lucky winner to be picked on March 24th. Photograph ordered by Alsco Northwest, Inc.

Greater Tacoma Home Show (Tacoma); Exhibitions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Exhibit booths--Tacoma; Alsco Northwest, Inc. (Tacoma); Windows--Tacoma; Aluminum; Signs (Notices);

1957 Tacoma Home Show exhibit. A model comfortably sits on the attractive tile and stone bench adjacent to the open stone fireplace during the 1957 Tacoma Home Show. The Georgia Pacific Plywood Corporation supplied the massive wall unit which holds a set of Compton's encyclopedias and various curios. The last shelf was designed to slant, displaying magazines which would be highly visible and convenient to reach. The Tacoma Home Show was held March 19-23, 1957, at the College of Puget Sound Fieldhouse. Photograph ordered by Georgia Pacific Plywood Corporation.

Greater Tacoma Home Show (Tacoma); Bookcases--Tacoma--1950-1960; Fireplaces--Tacoma--1950-1960; Georgia Pacific Plywood Co. (Olympia);

Branham Stereo High Fidelity exhibit booth at the 1959 Home Show, held at the College of Puget Sound fieldhouse. The store was located at 1422 Tacoma Ave. So. and sold stereo equipment and speakers. Covers from stereo LPs surround the sign for the company, including the 1812 Overture, Carmen and Patti Page.

Greater Tacoma Home Show (Tacoma); Exhibitions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Exhibit booths--Tacoma; Branham Stereo High Fidelity (Tacoma);

The Hires Root Beer booth at the 1959 Home Show, photograph ordered by the 7 Up Bottling Co. Two men propose a toast to Hires, an "adventure in refreshment." Free samples are being handed out at the booth decorated with the Hires logo and replicas of the Hires bottles. The eleventh annual Home Show was again taking place at the College of Puget Sound fieldhouse. Over 100 exhibitors were displaying over a half million in goods. Record crowds were expected.

Greater Tacoma Home Show (Tacoma); Exhibitions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Exhibit booths--Tacoma; Carbonated beverages;

Earl Conklin poses with a sample cup of recently blended Vitene Shake at his booth at the annual Greater Tacoma Home Show in March of 1959. Earl Conklin was the owner of Conklin's Nutrition Center at 403 So. 11th. The company sold high protein foods for weight control, allergy alleviation and dietary food supplements. Vitene was a protein powder with vitamins and minerals that could be mixed with milk or juice for a delicious, healthy shake. The special Home Show price was $3.50 for a 1/2 pound or $6.50 for a full pound, both came with a complimentary trademark "rocket" bottle.

Greater Tacoma Home Show (Tacoma); Exhibitions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Exhibit booths--Tacoma; Conklin, Earl; Conklin's Nutrition Center (Tacoma); Nutrition--Tacoma--1950-1960;