Columbian Optical occupied the colonial-styled brick building at 2701 Main Ave. E. in Puyallup. A large sign at the parking lot's entry also indicated that the Puyallup Elks were located further down the road. According to the 1974 Puyallup City Directory, Lloyd Sass was the firm's owner. Photograph ordered by Columbian Optical.

Signs (Notices); Columbian Optical Co. (Puyallup); Opticians' shops--Puyallup;

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);

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.

Signs (Notices); Neighborhoods--Federal Way;

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.

Signs (Notices); Houses--1960-1970; Sewers;

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.

Signs (Notices); Mailboxes; Trees; Sewers;

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.

Signs (Notices); Garrett Freightlines (Tacoma);

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.

Signs (Notices); Measuring; Eyeglasses; Advertising; Toys; Weyerhaeuser Timber Co. (Tacoma);

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)

Signs (Notices); St. Regis Paper Co. (Kapowsin);

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;

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.

Signs (Notices); Publicity photographs;

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);

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;

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.

Signs (Notices); Kiwanis International; Convertible automobiles--Tacoma--1950-1960;

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;

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);

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;

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);

View of unpaved road or alley featuring "private property" sign. On February 27, 1956, a section of South 15th and Pine Streets was photographed on behalf of the National Sales Co. A large 3' by 2' sign clearly stating "Private property. right to use may be revoked at any time" was hammered into the ground of a lot near the edge of an unpaved muddy alley. Small oil tanks and a barrel for burning rubbish are also located in the same yard. Photograph ordered by National Sales Co.

Signs (Notices); Alleys--Tacoma; National Sales Co. (Tacoma);

The completed neon National Bank of Washington sign in billboard format looms high above the Union & South Tacoma Way area in December, 1955. Three men and one woman stand dwarfed below the enormous sign which was 56 feet above street level and over 60 feet wide. The bank wanted to wish all its customers best wishes for the holiday season and for the year to come. To assure customers of its long-time presence, the billboard also indicates that the bank had been in existence since 1885 and that deposits would be insured under the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. See also D94618-3 for another view of the giant sign. Photograph ordered by National Bank of Washington. (TNT 11-13-55, A-18)

Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960; National Bank of Washington (Tacoma); Signs (Notices);

Workmen are putting the finishing touches on the new National Bank of Washington sign at Union and South Tacoma Way on November 11, 1955. The neon signage would be visible many blocks away. The giant billboard was as tall as a four story building; it was 56 feet above street level and over 60 feet wide. It was made of steel, Wilkeson stone and roman brick. A large painting of Mount Rainier is positioned above the bank logo; the same painting has been used on N.B.W. checks for 40 years. The National Bank of Washington had been serving customers since 1885; their customers could be assured that their money was safe as the bank was a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. A reminder to join the Christmas Club was noted on the changeable message board placed against the stone facing. Photograph ordered by Epcon Neon Sign Co. (TNT 11-13-55, A-18)

Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960; Epcon Neon Sign Co. (Tacoma); National Bank of Washington (Tacoma);

Site of the new ten million dollar US Oil and Refining Co. on the Tideflats. The plant will be located on a 120 acre site south of Lincoln Ave. The site was an old fishin' hole for Tacoma, as well as a place to beat the summer heat by swimming and a duck hunting area. The soon to be completed dredging of the Port Industrial Waterway will make it possible for large ships to reach the plant. Photo ordered by Howard K. Smith, Advertising. Left hand leg on sign is actually a vertical cut on the photograph. The groundbreaking will take place on July 22, 1955 as part of the 3 day Fun Fair celebration. The target date for full operation of the plant is 12/1/1956; projected peak operating capacity is 15,000 barrels a day of crude oil. The plant's main products will be gasoline, diesel, stove and fuel oil and aviation fuels. The plant will employ 150 people. (TNT 7/8/1955, pg. 1)

Signs (Notices); Petroleum industry--Tacoma; US Oil & Refining Co. (Tacoma); Ground breaking ceremonies--Tacoma;

Heidelberg Brewery sign at Puyallup Ave. & So. J St., ordered by Electrical Products Consolidated. This billboard is probably above 1002 Puyallup Ave. that housed the R.W. Williams Trucking Co. The billboard features the familiar student prince logo of Heidelberg Brewing and a bottle of Heidelberg beer. It invites all who pass to visit the Brewery and "enjoy that velvet tang."

Signs (Notices); Billboards--Tacoma; Advertisements--Tacoma--1950-1960; Publicity; Brewing industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Heidelberg Brewing Co. (Tacoma)--1950-1960;

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.

Billboards--Tacoma--1950-1960; Heidelberg Brewing Co. (Tacoma); Signs (Notices);

Plywood traffic sign at 11th & Pacific, for DFPA, "Turn front wheel against curb." The parking sign is to remind people to position their vehicles so they cannot roll down the hill. Peoples and the Perkins Bldg can be seen on the right, the Eleventh street bridge in the center and Kegle's Furniture on the left. Downtown streets are busy with shoppers and cars. TPL-9621

Signs (Notices); Traffic signs & signals--Tacoma; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1950-1960; Business districts--Tacoma--1950-1960;

New directional plywood sign for the DFPA. The 30 foot sign entreats visitors to come to Tacoma for the boating, fishing, golfing and beaches. These signs were to be erected on state highways to publicize Tacoma's recreational advantages and to help Tacoma get a share of the estimated $134 million generated in the state by tourism. Each sign was to have a different design in the circle, for example, Mt. Rainier, the Narrows bridge, Pt. Defiance, Fort Nisqually or the Washington State Historical Society. The number of signs was to be determined by the number of sponsors. The sign was possibly sponsored by the Brewery since the bottom half invites guests to visit the Heidelberg Brewery weekdays from 10 to 4. (TNT 7/5/1953, pg. A-4) TPL-9486

Signs (Notices); Billboards--Tacoma; Advertisements--Tacoma--1950-1960; Publicity; Brewing industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Heidelberg Brewing Co. (Tacoma)--1950-1960;

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);

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 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;

A banner at the end of the well lit portion of casino-lined Fremont Street in Las Vegas, Nevada, reminded locals to "Be Sure to Vote" in October, 1952, while the tall cowboy welcomed everyone to the Pioneer Club. The 40 feet tall "Vegas Vic" remains a downtown Vegas landmark; efforts are underway to refurbish the aging structure constructed in 1951. Bingo was available across the street at the Las Vegas Club. There may not be any room to park along the street but there is no traffic moving. An arched steel canopy now covers the entire four blocks of Fremont Street where an animated electric light show is presented nightly; traffic has been diverted to side streets and pedestrians can roam freely. Photograph ordered by Cheney Lumber Co.

Casinos--Las Vegas--1950-1960; Electric signs--Las Vegas--1950-1960;