A large orchid and corresponding ribbon is draped over the silver anniversary invitation to a party commemorating the union of Mr. and Mrs. Irvin Novotne. The partially handwritten invitation sets December 23, 1950, as the date of the party, which is to be held at the Polish Hall at 30th & "R" Sts. A spotlight focuses attention to the invitation which is displayed on a ribbed mat.

Orchids--Tacoma; Invitations; Anniversaries--Tacoma--1950-1960; Novotne, Irvin J.--Associated objects;

Peeler log being rotated in a lathe and cut into veneer at Bellingham Plywood Company. In an effort to get the most from a stand of timber, select peeler logs are used in the production of plywood; less perfect logs are used for lumber. After barking, the peeler log is rotated in a lathe. The log "unwinds" against a knife in a continuous strip of veneer. The strips are then held temporarily in multi-decked storage trays 150 feet long or more. After the veneer has been sorted, a 150 foot steam heated oven brings its moisture content down to a uniformly low level. ("The Plywood Age" by Robert M. Cour)

Plywood; Lumber industry--Bellingham--1950-1960;

Family passport portrait of Mrs. W. C. Strum, son and daughter, of 37 Nevada, in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood of Tacoma. The studio portrait was taken on December 27, 1950.

Strum, W.C.--Family; Families--Tacoma--1950-1960; Mothers--Tacoma--1950-1960; Children--Tacoma--1950-1960; Children--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1950-1960;

William D. Hopping Sr., president of the Tacoma Savings and Loan Association and State Chairman for the National Thrift Campaign, dropped a coin into the savings bank of seven year old Bonnie Jean Will to kick off Thrift Week, Jan. 17-23, 1951 while Gerrit VanderEnde, Pierce County Chairman of the Thrift Drive, looked on approvingly. The campaign, with the slogan "Save...It's the American way to success," was designed to place emphasis on the old time philosophy of Benjamin Franklin which encouraged thrift and savings to build up individual security and the nation. Thrift Week began on Jan. 17th, the national birthday of Ben Franklin "the Apostle of Thrift." The nation wide campaign was being pushed as an all-out effort to help hold down post-war inflationary forces which were threatening the economy. (TNT 1/16/1951, pg.1 & 8-11)

Tacoma Savings & Loan Association (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Girls--Tacoma--1950-1960; Coin banks; Hopping, William D.; Will, Bonnie Jean; VanderEnde, Gerrit; National Thrift Week (Tacoma);

Chapin D. Foster served as secretary-director of the Washington State Historical Society from 1943 until his retirement in 1958, having succeeded W.P. Bonney in that position. He was formerly a reporter with the Tacoma Daily News and subsequently became publisher of the Grandview World and the Chehalis Advocate. Mr. Foster was the director of the Washington Territorial Centennial and completed a work on the History of the Methodist Church in the Pacific Northwest prior to his death in 1966. He was an active layman in the Methodist Church and was president of the Tacoma-Valley Methodist Union.

Washington State Historical Society (Tacoma); Foster, Chapin D.;

Frances Marie Barnum and Paul Frederick were married December 30, 1950, in Peace Lutheran Church, Puyallup. The bride stands at the altar with her flower girl, Paula Haush. Miss Barnum's gown was white satin with a lace bodice. The train was long and her veil of illusion, three-quarter length, was fastened to a coronet of seed pearls. She carried red rosebuds and ivy tied with white ribbon. The bride was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Barnum of Puyallup. (TNT, 1/14/1951/ p.D-9)

Weddings--Puyallup--1950-1960; Brides--1950-1960; Altars--Puyallup; Barnum, Frances Marie--Marriage; Haush, Paula; Wedding costume--1950-1960; Peace Lutheran Church (Puyallup);

This photograph of Janet Williams and Earl Johnsen was taken by the Richards Studios on January 5, 1951 shortly before their engagement announcement was published in the News Tribune. The two College of Puget Sound seniors were graduates of Lincoln High School and planned a fall wedding. Janet was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Stockton, and Earl was the son of Mrs. and Mrs. Enoch S. Johnsen. Miss Williams relied on the popular custom of announcing her engagement to her sorority sisters by passing around a decorated box of chocolates at a sorority meeting. (TNT 1/14/1951, pg. D-3)

Williams, Janet; Johnsen, Earl; Televisions--1950-1960; Marriage proposals;

Irvin J. and Lydia O. Novotne, of 1438 E. Morton, with another couple, perhaps sister and brother, behind cake, at Silver (25th) Wedding Anniversary party held at Polish Hall, 30th and R Streets. Mrs. Novotne worked as a cabinetmaker.

Tacoma Civil Defense group at Red Cross Headquarters building. Large group of men and one woman with Civil Defense banner as backdrop.

This photograph of the recently completed million dollar F.W. Woolworth Co. building, 955 Broadway, was taken from across Commerce St., for the Roy T. Earley Co., engineers in January of 1951. The Woolworth store replaced the Fidelity Building that had stood at the corner of 9th and Broadway from 1890 until it was demolished in 1949. The News Tribune called the new building "the most up-to-date beautiful store of its kind in the world." After the store closed in 1993, it was sold and transformed into a giant telephone switching station with no public access, and its people-oriented uses limited to the art gallery space created in its street level windows.

Commercial facilities; F.W. Woolworth Co. (Tacoma); Variety stores--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Exposure of the completed Grosvenor Apartments in Seattle. Photograph for Bethlehem Steel taken on January 24, 1951.

Grosvenor House Apartments (Seattle); Construction--Seattle; Apartment houses--Seattle; Progress photographs--1950-1960;

Bread delivery truck outside of Jordan's Bakery, the state's largest independent bakery, serving Tacoma and surrounding areas. Arthur K. Jordan began his company in 1937 when he purchased the Bert Nichols plant in Old Tacoma and opened it under the Jordan name on May 16 with six employees and one delivery truck. The bakery quickly outgrew this location and opened at 54th and Washington in 1939. The company expanded in 1941 when it purchased Apex Bakery in Bremerton. In 1950, the company won the "First Prize for Quality" in the Better Bread contest staged by the Quality Bakers of America. The competition featured bread baked by over 100 bakeries nationwide. By 1950, the company employed 131 people in Tacoma with a payroll of a half million a year. The bakery bought and used a million dollars worth of ingredients a year. Art Jordan maintained ownership and control of the company.

Jordan Baking Co. (Tacoma); Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The outside of a wooden demonstration case with a leather handle and metal clasps is shown. The lower corners have been protected with metal corners. A logo for St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. has been painted on the side. Ordered by St. Paul and Tacoma Lumber, Corydon Wagner, Jr.

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma); Showcases;

The master bedroom in Nelson Perkins' home. The large room has been papered with floral-on-wide-stripes wallpaper. The solid color draperies have been pulled open. A chaise lounge has been placed in the corner between the two sets of windows. The bed is covered with a chenille bedspread and a crochet coverlet has been folded and placed on the cedar chest at the end of the bed. A rocking chair stands out from the wall where a dressing table sits. Ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Perkins, Nelson--Homes & haunts; Dwellings--Lakewood; Bedrooms--Lakewood; Dressing tables; Wallpapers; Bedspreads;

Exterior remodeling on the Rhodes Brothers Department store budget annex, photo for Roy T. Earley Co., engineers. The annex was designed to fulfill the demand for lower priced quality merchandise for the budget shopper.

Rhodes Brothers Department Store Budget Annex (Tacoma); Construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Scaffolding--Tacoma; Department stores--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The completed College of Puget Sound Memorial Field House for Roy T. Earley Co., engineers. The fieldhouse was designed by Mock and Morrison, architects, to accommodate 5,000 people. Since its erection, it had been the home to many exhibitions, such as the Tacoma Home Show.

Sports & recreation facilities--Tacoma; Memorial Field House (Tacoma); College of Puget Sound (Tacoma)--Buildings; Roy T. Earley Co. (Tacoma);

This wallboard saw makes a vertical cut. A frame has been built to allow a sheet of wallboard or plywood to be placed in it and provide a straight cut along the shorter side. The sign for the saw includes the name, "Whipples Lumber Yards". Ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association, Margie Chaloner.

Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Saws;

The interior of a ballroom with a wooden floor, a balcony, large, square columns and open beams on the ceiling stands empty with streamers hung decoratively across the floor. The is a copy of a print ordered by St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber, Corydon Wagner, Jr.

Ballrooms; Columns--Tacoma; Coffers (Ceilings)--Tacoma;

The interior of a bedroom with bunk beds and a desk under windows with venetian blinds. The walls have been covered with natural-finish West Coast hemlock and even the venetian blinds have been manufactured of the same material. The furnishings provide a nautical theme with port hole mirrors, a lantern hung from the ceiling and a model ship on the desk. An even bigger model airplane is being built. A calendar with a calendar girl is hanging by the lower bunk. Copy of customer's prints ordered by St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber, Corydon Wagner, Jr. (Tree Life Hemlock, St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co.)

Bedrooms--Tacoma--1950-1960; Model airplanes; Model ships; Paneling--Tacoma; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

The banquet meeting of the Washington Retailers' Club convention, March 19-20, 1951, in the Wedgewood room at the Winthrop Hotel. The convention was attended by the 30 Washington state member clubs, totaling over 200 high school age prospective retailers, who attended meetings to hear experienced businessmen discuss sales, merchandising and advertising methods.The banquet on Monday evening was the highlight where Eugene Ruffner, executive of the J.C. Penney Co., spoke on the subject "Opportunities for the student in retailing." The high school study program was intended to give interested students the opportunity to attend classes in the morning and then get on the job training at Tacoma stores. The program was offered in conjunction with Tacoma's vocational school program and most members were high school seniors. Mayor John Anderson is second from right on the front row. (TNT 3/15/1951, pg. B-12 & TNT 3/20/1951, pg. 10)

Anderson, John H.; Washington Retailers Club (Tacoma); Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

Interior exposure of the recreation room at 1254 So. Fairview Dr., designed and built by Tietz Construction, and its built in bar. The bar front is upholstered vinyl or leather and has bar stools. In back of the bar are well stocked shelves that appear to be backed by mirrors and a refrigerator. Wood panelling and bold floral drapes are conspicuous in the room.

Bars (Furniture)--Tacoma--1950-1960; Recreation rooms--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Mack Jepsen, perched on a stack of books, reaches for a card while his brothers Michael and Mark and friend Gary Thompson carefully ponder their next move in an intense game of canasta. The boys were photographed on February 8, 1951 for a News Tribune layout on kids playing dress-up; hence, the oversized shirts, hats and ties worn. From left to right: Michael Jepsen, Mark Jepsen, Gary Thompson and Mack Jepsen. The Jepsen brothers are sons of Mr. and Mrs. G. Robert Jepsen while Gary Thompson is the son of the Roy E. Thompsons. Photograph ordered by Helen Rogers, News Tribune. (TNT 2-18-51, p. D-1)

Children playing adults--Tacoma; Playing cards; Card games--Tacoma; Jepsen, Michael; Jepsen, Mark; Jepsen, Mack; Thompson, Gary;

The Comus Club dance committee met in February 1951 to plan its annual Sweethearts Ball. The romantic soiree was held in the Winthrop Hotel's Wedgewood Room on February 17, 1951. Mr. and Mrs. Russ Michael, who chaired the event, and other members of the dance committee are dressed in formal attire with the women wearing fresh gardenias in their hair. From left to right are: Richard Bevington, Mrs. Richard Bevington, Mrs. Russ Michael, Russ Michael, Betty (Mrs. Charles) Wolf, Fred Marr, Mrs. Fred Marr and Charles Wolf. Valentine's Day theme with hearts and arrows was repeated in decorations about the room. (TNT 2-20-51, p. 8)

Comus Club (Tacoma); Clubs--Tacoma--1950-1960; Dance parties--Tacoma--1950-1960; Michael, Russell H.; Michael, Russell H.--Family; Bevington, Richard; Bevington, Richard--Family; Wolf, Charles; Wolf, Betty; Marr, Fred; Marr, Fred--Family;

New home under construction at No. 46th & Cheyenne. Holroyd Co. Commencement Bay and Asarco visible in the background.

Construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Holroyd Co. (Tacoma);

Informal engagement picture of Dorthea Dea Parker and Robert W. Johnson. Miss Parker was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. O.D. Parker of Tacoma and attended the College of Puget Sound where she was active in music. Mr. Johnson was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Johnson of Puyallup and was an apprentice seaman in the U.S. Coast Guard. The couple married on August 18, 1951. (engagement picture and announcement TNT 4/8/1951 pg D-4, wedding TNT 8/26/1951, pg. D-6)

Couples--Tacoma--1950-1960; Parker, Dorthea; Johnson, Robert W.;

Thomas J. Porro, president of the Tacoma Public Library Board of Trustees, addresses the crowd on the occasion of groundbreaking for the new central building at the Main Library. The March 20, 1951, event began at 4 p.m. and included speeches by Mr. Porro, Mayor John Anderson, and Silas E. Nelsen, library architect. In attendance were members of the city council, library board of trustees, library employees and building contractors. Behind the speaker's podium was an oversized billboard expressing how the library's resources could be used by patrons of all ages and interests. The public service message is a timeless one which still resonates in today's culture. The new portion of the Main Library, built with a concrete frame with Walker-cut stone facing, would be officially dedicated on November 2, 1952. (TNT 3-18-1951, A-6-article on new library)

Ground breaking ceremonies--Tacoma--1950-1960; Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Public libraries--Tacoma--1950-1960; Porro, Thomas J.; Billboards--Tacoma--1950-1960; Public speaking--Tacoma--1950-1960;

This house at the corner of North 27th and Tyler was built in 1907 not as a private residence but as a grocery store. From 1908 through 1918 it was the Andrew Larson Grocery. In 1919 the store was taken over by Boe Pederson. Shortly after that, Mr. Pederson opened a grocery at 313 So. 9th. He remodeled his store at 4202 No. 27th into a single family home. This photograph was taken in February of 1951. TPL-9485

Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Arbors (Bowers)--Tacoma;

On February 26, 1951 Bill Brouillet, left, and Jerry Huggins, both students at the College of Puget Sound, posed on Broadway in clothes from Kloppensteins for the Tribune Spring fashion layout. Bill wore a checked topcoat in light summer worsted. Jerry was in a suit of pale, silken smooth garbardine. (TNT 2/28/1951, pg. C-18)

Huggins, Jerry; Brouillet, Bill; Suits (Clothing); Men--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1950-1960; Men--Tacoma--1950-1960; Students--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The home of Harold R. and Anne M. Johnson at 2205 No. Union Ave. in snowy splendor with a friendly, frosty snowman, captured in this photograph for their 1951 Christmas card. March of 1951 roared in with freezing weather. By the morning of March 9th, 1951, 1.9 inches of snow had fallen in 24 hours, bringing the monthly total to 10.2 inches of the white powder. The morning temperature hovered at a frosty 28 degrees. (story TNT 3/9/1951, pg. 1)

Johnson, Harold R.--Homes & haunts; Snow--Tacoma--1950-1960; Snowmen;

Ship construction at Peterson Boat Building Company, for DFPA. A hull of a new boat can be seen under construction in the left rear of the photo. Two men work with a plywood ship panel in the foreground. Plywood became an important ship building material after the discovery in the forties of the waterproof glue that holds the plys together.

Laborers--Tacoma; Fishing boats--Tacoma--1950-1960; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Peterson Boat Building Co. (Tacoma); Plywood;