Electrical Products Consolidated manufactured signs. They also manufactured street lights in the downtown Tacoma area. View of Mobilgas sign above the Washington Building, lights through building windows.

Electric signs--Tacoma--1940-1950; Electric lighting--Tacoma; Electrical Products Consolidated (Tacoma); Mobilgas;

View from the top of the Tacoma Drug Co. building looking down onto Pacific Avenue. Eagle Loan Company, Pessemier Brother's Shoes, The Anchor Tavern, J. & M. Cafe, the Rust Building and the Fisher Company building and Old City Hall in background. A pedestrian is crossing the intersection on Pacific Avenue, on what appears to be a rather calm day in downtown Tacoma, photo ordered by Electrical Products Consolidated, a sign manufacturer.

Electric signs--Tacoma--1940-1950; Business districts--Tacoma; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1940-1950; Electrical Products Consolidated (Tacoma); Tacoma Drug Co. (Tacoma);

Puget Sound Auto Electric Company was hosting a "Delco" batteries and automotive parts sales convention. "Delco" battery signs are advertising the many uses and advantages for choosing "Delco". "Delco" products are ideal for tractors, cars, buses, trucks and diesel operated vehicles. View of "Delco" Battery sales representatives at New Yorker Cafe, photo ordered by Puget Sound Auto Electric Company.

Signs (Notices); Electric batteries; Automobile equipment & supplies; Automobile equipment & supplies stores--Tacoma; Puget Sound Auto Electric Co. (Tacoma); New Yorker Cafe (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;

New outside bulletin board at University Place School as pictured on February 12, 1940. Large group of adults and children gather around walk-through sign board for posted school events. Board reads: "Built by co-operation." School building in background. The University Place Improvement Club was responsible for the handsome new board. Donated materials included sheet metal provided by the Carl Anderson Sheet Metal works, lumber from the Hampton Lumber Co. and lettering from the Cliff Sign Co. (T.Times 2-12-1940, p. 5-article & other photograph)

Signs (Notices); University Place School (University Place);

In this photograph from 1949, a recently erected neon Olympia "It's the Water" beer sign towers over the Ingleside Cafe located on 12914 Pacific Highway Southwest in Lakewood, Washington. Other electric signs are also visible, including: the restaurant name sign, "EAT", "Fish and Chips", and a portion of the drugstore sign in foreground. The Ingleside Cafe was built on the site of the Ingleside Sunken Gardens which was destroyed by fire in 1936. The Ingleside Cafe closed in 1960. Photo ordered by Electrical Products Consolidated. TPL-2469

Electric signs--Lakewood; Diners (Restaurants)--Lakewood; Automobiles--Lakewood--1940-1950; Hogan's Rexall Drugs (Lakewood); Ingleside Cafe (Lakewood); Electrical Products Consolidated (Tacoma);

View of recently erected Olympia "It's in the Water" beer electric sign at the Ingleside Cafe located on 12914 Pacific Highway Southwest in Lakewood, Washington; Hogan's Rexall Drugs is on left side foreground. The beer sign was manufactured by Electrical Products Consolidated, they also manufactured street lights in the downtown Tacoma area. TPL-2455

Electric signs--Lakewood; Diners (Restaurants)--Lakewood; Automobiles--Lakewood--1940-1950; Hogan's Rexall Drugs (Lakewood); Ingleside Cafe (Lakewood); Electrical Products Consolidated (Tacoma);

May 2, 1949 exterior view of house built by the Welch Construction Company; sign indicates a "Sandberg Heating" system was installed by the Stoker-Lad Company, heaters and furnace dealers located in Tacoma. This house was constructed with Douglas Fir plywood panels. Photo ordered by Harold Dixon, Publicity Director of Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Signs (Notices); Houses--Tacoma--1940-1950; Plywood; Construction industry--Tacoma; Building construction--Tacoma--1940-1950; Welch Construction Co. (Tacoma); Stoker-Lad Co. (Tacoma); Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

Night exterior of IGA Foodtown with neon signage.

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);

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;

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);

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;

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;

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;

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;

Copy of customer's print. This display on the back of a truck urgently implored potential customers to purchase products made of alder timber, readily available in Washington state. This would help the state's economy by keeping residents' money in-state. Buffelen Lumber & Mfg. Co. advised that they would "show you here how valuable it is." Hardwood doors, veneer and panels could all be made from alder. Photograph ordered on March 8, 1979, by Paxport Mills of Tacoma. The original Boland photograph was probably taken sometime in the 1920's. Boland - B3037

Signs (Notices); Lumber industry; Merchandise displays;

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);

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;

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;

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;

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;

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);

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);

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)

Billboards;

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)

Billboards--Tacoma; Signs (Notices)--Tacoma;

New outside bulletin board installed at University Place School. The sign says "Built by Co-Operation." The University Place Improvement Club is responsible for the erection of the sign that will advise the community of activities at the school. Neon tubing will be installed on the inside of the board so that the interchangeable letters can be seen at night. Pictured, left to right, are Ruth (Mrs. Bud) Bolstad, "Bud" Bolstad, Anne Leland, George Curtis (school principal), Lester Morgan (designer of the board) and Pauline (Mrs. Mark) Bryant. University Place School was located on Bowman Ave. SW at the corner of Grandview. UP's Curtis Junior and Senior Highs were named after George Curtis, who later became district school superintendent and was an area educator for over 30 years. (T.Times 2/12/1940 p.5)

Signs (Notices); University Place School (University Place); Bolstad, Ruth; Bolstad, Bud; Leland, Anne; Curtis, George; Morgan, Lester; Bryant, Pauline;

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