Downtown Pacific Avenue was home to large retail and financial institutions. Side-by-side in the 1100 block of Pacific was Peoples department store, Puget Sound National Bank, and National Bank of Washington with the installment credit loan department of N.B.W. in the 1200 block next door. Schoenfeld's enormous sign can be spotted further down the street. The National Bank of Washington had an elevated, possibly rotating clock, on the top of the credit loan building. Passerbys could also tell time by the Puget Sound National Bank Time & Temperature sign; it indicates that it was 74 degrees at the time of this August 19, 1958, photograph. Photograph ordered by Electrical Products Consolidated. TPL-9294
Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960; Clocks & watches; Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); National Bank of Washington (Tacoma);
Both Puget Sound National Bank and the National Bank of Washington had large vertical signage on the exteriors of their buildings. Attached to the PSNB sign was a Time & Temperature electric sign; the bank was the first in this area to erect a device giving both the time and current temperature. View of Pacific Avenue, looking toward Old City Hall with bank signage prominently displayed. The National Bank of Washington building was smaller than Puget Sound National Bank; it was built in 1921 in the Italian Renaissance style and used Wilkeson sandstone. Photograph ordered by Electrical Products Consolidated.
Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960; Clocks & watches; Signs (Notices); Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); National Bank of Washington (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma;
ca. 1927. St. Clair Ranges Advertisement on billboard in front of Cooney Transfer Company. The ranges were sold exclusively in Tacoma by Craig Furniture Company, 1137 Broadway. (Argentum)
The Towers, at 6805 Sixth Avenue, had their grand opening on December 28, 1946. The restaurant quickly became one of Tacoma's most popular night spots for both food and entertainment. Owned and managed by the Radonich family, the Towers went out of business in the late 1960s. After extensive remodeling, it reopened in 1971 as the Empress Gardens Restaurant.
Electric signs--Tacoma--1940-1950; Nightclubs--Tacoma; Restaurants--Tacoma; Towers--Tacoma; Towers Restaurant (Tacoma);
The Towers, at 6805 Sixth Avenue, had been open for less then a month when this photograph was taken in January 1947. The Towers featured dancing to the music of the "Sky Lighters" in its circular Rainbow Room, and the Rose Room could be booked for private parties and banquets. Owned and managed by the Radonich family, the Towers went out of business in the late 1960s. After extensive remodeling, it reopened in 1971 as the Empress Gardens Restaurant. (Photo ordered by Dohrmann Hotel Supply.) TPL-9279
Electric signs--Tacoma--1940-1950; Nightclubs--Tacoma; Restaurants--Tacoma; Towers--Tacoma; Towers Restaurant (Tacoma);
Several shots of illuminated neon signs. Batsford, Constantine & Gerdner, Mr. Haverly. This neon sign spells out, "Olympia, It's the Water." Olympia Brewing Co. was located in Tumwater, Washington, just south of Olympia. Located at the southernmost tip of Puget Sound, by the waterfall on the Deschutes River, the brewery was proud of their good water. Tumwater is an Indian name that means "strong water," or "falling water." The brewery was built by Leopold F. Schmidt. The battle of the beers between Olympia and Rainier beer began early and lasted through the advertising schemes where wild Rainiers took on the Artesians during the 1980s. TPL-9327
Electric signs--Tacoma--1940-1950; Olympia Brewing Co. (Olympia); Brewing industry--Olympia--1940-1950;
Neon highlights the Mirror Room at the Olympus Hotel, 815 Pacific Ave. The newly remodeled Mirror Room was very modern with its gleaming bandstand reflected at every turn in mirrored pillars. The evening began with dinner music from 6 - 8 p.m., followed by dancing nightly at 9p.m. The dining room remained open until 2 a.m. for the late night crowd and reopened the next day for the businessman's lunch group. The Olympus Hotel was one of the most luxurious hotels in Tacoma.
Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960; Eating & drinking facilities--Tacoma--1950-1960; Nightclubs--Tacoma--1950-1960; Olympus Hotel (Tacoma);
ca. 1925. Foster & Kleiser billboard advertising church attendance. The billboard reads "Our churches cordially invite you to attend their services. A hearty welcome awaits you." Notes indicate that the billboard was located on Division Ave. (WSHS-negative A671-0)
A large, freestanding neon sign directed shoppers to Parkland's Park-N-Shop supermarket at 9662 Pacific Avenue in December, 1952. A clock was mounted near the base of the sign. The Park-N-Shop store joined the trend of multi-line grocery stores in offering a variety of services including prescription drugs, dry goods, groceries and meats. Its meat department offered a self-service section where fresh and smoked meats were pre-packaged for customer convenience. Ample parking was provided. (Photograph ordered by Park-N-Shop, Inc.) TPL-9966
Electric signs--Parkland; Clocks & watches; Park-N-Shop, Inc. (Parkland); Parking lots--Parkland;
In January of 1953, workers got a good grip on the giant cutout of a woman's head as they prepared to hoist it into place on the Foster & Kleiser billboard at Puyallup and Winthrop Streets. The giant cutout was intended to focus the passerby's attention on the virtues of saving at the National Bank of Washington which began business in Tacoma in 1885 as the Pacific National Bank. Photograph was taken on January 14, 1953; copy ordered by Merchandising Factors, Inc., San Francisco.
Billboards--Tacoma--1950-1960; Advertisements--Tacoma; Signs (Notices); Foster & Kleiser Co. (Tacoma); National Bank of Washington (Tacoma); Merchandising Factors, Inc. (San Francisco);
A worker appears to be peering into a woman's head on a Foster & Kleiser billboard in January, 1953. The giant cutout focuses the passerby's attention on the virtues of saving at the National Bank of Washington. The billboard was placed at the corner of Puyallup and Winthrop Streets. Photograph ordered by Merchandising Factors, Inc., San Francisco.
Billboards--Tacoma--1950-1960; Advertisements--Tacoma; Signs (Notices); Foster & Kleiser Co. (Tacoma); National Bank of Washington (Tacoma); Merchandising Factors, Inc. (San Francisco);
Night exposure Heidelberg Brewery. The highway along Pacific Avenue near 30th St. appears surreal as it was photographed at night on August 26, 1954. Highlighted billboards extolling the virtues of Burgermeister Beer, Best Foods Mayo, Chevron oil changes, Connie's Cafe and CH Sugar dot the landscape. Wavy, seemingly-neon stripes decorate the roadway. The Heidelberg Brewing Co.'s buildings, off in the distance, stand out like lighthouses in the night. Photograph ordered by Heidelberg Brewing Co.
ca. 1925. Movie posters listing coming attractions decorate the entrance to this unidentified theater in the mid-1920's. For a mere dime, customers could watch Ernst Lubitsch's "Kiss Me Again" or Joe Rock in "Aladdin." Arriving shortly were "No Man's Law" starring Bob Custer and on March 1-4, Lon Cheney's "Phantom of the Opera." Moviegoers could be assured of rapidly changing programs in the 1920's and 30's as most films only stayed in theaters for a few days before moving on. This particular theater apparently did not show matinees except on Sundays as the motion pictures started at 6:15 p.m. on week days.
ca. 1925. Two men flank placard announcing the upcoming arrival of Lon Cheney's "Phantom of the Opera" ca. 1925. They are standing outside the entrance of an unidentified theater that was currently showing Ernst Lubitsch's "Kiss Me Again" and "Aladdin" starring Joe Rock. The men appear proud to present a four-day showing of the advertised Universal masterpiece which featured a cast of 5000+. Price of a ticket was a mere 10 cents, a relative bargain. TPL-1427
A large wooden sign announces to the public that natural gas is piped into all stores in the new Villa Plaza Shopping Center. Newly opened in the spring of 1957, Villa Plaza would serve the growing population of suburban Lakewood with many of the same stores found in Tacoma. View overlooking the shopping center's massive 4,000 car parking lot; Rhodes, Leed's and Lerner Shops exteriors visible. Photograph ordered by Washington Natural Gas Co.
Signs (Notices); Parking lots--Lakewood; Shopping centers--Lakewood--1950-1960; Villa Plaza Shopping Center (Lakewood);
An enormous diamond shaped sign with the letter "H" dangled from the porch ceiling at the Eric Hayes Nursery. The nursery, located in Purdy, had celebrated its grand opening on March 22, 1958. It was situated on a narrow segment of land apparently between two one-lane roads in this rustic community. A large free-form tiled pond, home to water lillies and the occasional bird, provided a welcome atmosphere of tranquility. Photograph ordered by Eric Hayes Nursery.
Signs (Notices); Nurseries (Horticulture); Eric Hayes Nursery (Purdy); Lily ponds--Purdy;
Large signs greeted customers to the new Eric Hayes Nursery in Purdy in early May, 1958. A diamond shaped sign is planted firmly among a new growth of trees. A 15' X 30' white "greenhouse" filled with hanging and potted plants is close to the customer parking lot. The greenhouse was heated by propane gas furnace which kept the temperature perfect for cultivating anthuriums and geraniums. A larger 40' X 72' building, next to the elevated "N-u-r-s-e-r-y" sign, is the main unit containing garden equipment and supplies and additional plants. Eric Hayes, whose nursery bears his name, was a professional English gardner and a member of the Royal Horticultural Society of England. Photograph ordered by the Eric Hayes Nursery. (TNT 3-21-58, A-9)
Signs (Notices); Nurseries (Horticulture)--Purdy; Greenhouses--Purdy; Eric Hayes Nursery (Purdy);
The local Kiwanis clubs provided courtesy cars for dignitaries during the Kiwanis convention held in August, 1958. It appears that a Tacoma police officer was designated as chauffeur for the courtesy car of District Governor Jack H. Murton during the Owen Beach festivities. Seated in the convertible are believed to be Gov. and Mrs. Murton. Photograph ordered by Kiwanis International.
This two-story building would be put up for public auction by the William C. Johnston Realtor firm on March 28, 1960. Richards Studio notes indicate that this is the former Pierce County Health Department location at 24th & Pacific. Built originally for the Sears, Roebuck & Co. in 1928, the building was bought in 1943 by Pierce County first as use for the welfare department. The structure, made of reinforced concrete, had 42,000 square feet of floor space. No bids were made in the public auction on March 28th which left the Pierce County Commissioners pondering what to do next. The building had an insurable value of $250,000. Finally in May, 1960, it was decided to sell the building to Leo Gallagher per his bid of $100,000. Photograph ordered by William C. Johnston Realtor. (TNT 3-28-60, p. 20, 5-4-60, A-18)
Signs (Notices); Pierce County Health Department--Tacoma;
In April of 1961 the distinctive neon double 88 sign of the Giant 88 discount store glowed in the evening sky of downtown Tacoma. Mr. and Mrs. Dirk DeLeve opened the Giant 88 store, at 1129 Broadway, in February of 1960. It was located next to the new escalade that carried shoppers on a "moving sidewalk" from Broadway to Commerce Street. The store was the first of its kind in Tacoma; nothing in the store was priced over 88 cents. They carried a stock of over 20,000 items - from ceramics and children's apparel to toys, gifts and cooking utensils. (TNT 2/15/1960 p.6)
Electric signs--Tacoma--1960-1970; Giant 88 (Tacoma); Signs (Notices);
ca. 1962. Stock footage. A man is standing behind a large sign promoting the city of Tacoma. The 1962 photograph indicates that Tacoma is a growing city, perhaps trying to lure people from the Seattle area. It states that Tacoma is 30 miles south (of Seattle) and has America's lowest power rates. An illustration of the new downtown moving sidewalks, called "escalades" in the local newspaper, may have been there to dispell any notions that Tacoma was behind the times in technology. The Tacoma totem pole, Narrows Bridge, Mount Rainier and boats sought to identify the city as a viable, vibrant location in which to live.
ca. 1963. The giant red neon Bank of California sign on top of the Washington Building could be seen from five miles away in April of 1963. It used more than half a mile of high-intensity 60 milli-amp hot tubing and a newly designed pressure pump. The sign was created by the Heath Sign Company which had been established in 1948. The Bank of California National Association was adjacent to the taller Washington Building on Pacific Avenue. The neon sign was scheduled to be formally lit up on Saturday, April 27, 1963. (TNT 4-24-63, A-22)
Electric signs--Tacoma--1960-1970; Washington Building (Tacoma); Bank of California National Association--Associated objects;
A clearly marked sign planted in the gravelly roadside points the way to the Kapowsin Lake boat launching area, courtesy of the St. Regis Paper Co., which is apparently beyond the tall trees. St. Regis had recently built a 35-acre yard for dry-land log-sorting and storage in place of using Kapowsin Lake as a storage unit. This freed up the lake for public recreation use. St. Regis owned great stands of timber in the foothills of Mount Rainier, including old-growth Douglas fir and hemlock in the Kapowsin Tree Farm. (1964 St. Regis Annual Report, p. 25)
Weyerhaeuser advertising. A model in graduate's cap and horn rimmed glasses perched low on her nose points with a ruler to a cartoon drawing touting the merits of Weyerhaeuser's drier, lighter products. There is a wooden toy freight car by her side.
Garrett Freightlines sign. An enormous "G" stands on top of a Garrett Freightlines sign on company property in July, 1965. A view of Mount Rainier is framed between the sign poles. Garrett Freightlines was listed in the 1965 City Directory as being in the transportation business; it was located on Port of Tacoma Rd. It was a family-run business with C.A. Garrett as president and Wain Garrett as vice-president. Photograph ordered by Garrett Freightlines.
Before pictures of sewer project showing ground condition. A small sign indicates the vicinity of an upcoming sewer project on the Kent-Des Moines Road @ 16th Place in November of 1968. The area is sprinkled with bare trees, bushes and ground cover. A few mailboxes are in the background. Photograph ordered by Wilson Construction.
Before pictures of sewer project. This suburban area of homes on the Kent-Des Moines Road @ 16th Place would soon have a new sewer project. A small sign dated November 1, 1968, leans against a split rail wood fence. It is possible that the sewer lines will run through the lot enclosed by the fence. Photograph ordered by Wilson Construction.
Sign. A large curved sign invited potential buyers to "Westway" in Federal Way in the spring of 1969. The residential development was located at approximately 21st Ave. S.W. and S. 334th. The neighborhood is still in existence in 2005; earlier in 2005, two new homes were built by Habitat for Humanity to revitalize the aging area. Photograph ordered by McMullen Marketing Associates, Bellevue.
A giant electric arrow points to a Fife shopping center featuring the IGA Topper supermarket, Dean's UDS (United Drug Stores) and Herron's, on April 3, 1969. A Goodwill deposit box is located under the freestanding sign. Photograph ordered by Riconosciuto Advertising.
Electric signs--Fife--1960-1970; Drugstores--Fife; Dean's UDS (Fife);
ca. 1943. A large pig looks at a sign held by two men and a woman :"You will help--won't you?" The pig was slated for the War Chest. Photograph was taken circa 1943.
