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;

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;

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. 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;

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);

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;

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;

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);

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. 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 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);

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;

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;

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);

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;

Condon Co. was an advertising company, Roscoe A. Smith is the President and Victor Kaufman is the Vice-President. The Condon Co. was working on an advertising campaign for Mobilgas. Close-up view of neon Mobilgas sign on Washington Building. TPL-8460

Electric signs--Tacoma--1940-1950; Business districts--Tacoma--1940-1950; Office buildings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Condon Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Washington Building (Tacoma); Petroleum industry; Advertisements;

Electrical Products Consolidated manufactured signs. They also manufactured street lights in the downtown Tacoma area. View of Mobilgas sign above the Washington Building, Pacific Avenue and street lights can be seen on right side.

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

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);

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);

Puget Sound Auto Electric is hosting a "Delco" batteries and automotive parts sales convention at the New Yorker Cafe. Delco celebrates its 20th Anniversary this year. An unidentified man, possibly a "Delco" sales representative, stands behind an advertisement for "Delco" automotive radios. The circle of a "Pigskin Pete" sign surrounds six men. Delco Battery Dealers, Tacoma News Tribune and Tacoma Recreation Commission sponsored the event. Ordered by Puget Sound Auto Electric Company.

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

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);

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;

Night exterior of IGA Foodtown with neon signage.