Interior beauty shop. Ladies having their hair done at Eva's Styling Room could observe the procedures in the large rectangular mirror. Closed drapes provided privacy from passing pedestrians on Saint Helens Avenue. Hair drying equipment was located behind the wooden cabinet, not visible in this picture. Eva's Styling Room was owned by Eva Andersen. Photograph taken on September 14, 1954; ordered by Tacoma Beauty Supply Co.

Eva's Styling Room (Tacoma); Beauty shops--Tacoma--1950-1960; Chairs; Mirrors; Tacoma Beauty Supply Co. (Tacoma);

The Boedecker Chimney Construction Co. was owned and operated by Fred R. Boedecker and built many chimneys for industrial plants, among other customers. Workers are photographed on July 27, 1954, near the top of a new chimney constructed for Bethlehem Steel in Seattle. Power lines cross the nearby rooftop. Photograph ordered by Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corp., Seattle.

Chimneys--Seattle; Boedecker Chimney Construction Co. (Tacoma); Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corp. (Seattle);

Five new International Harvester school buses are lined up beside the Peninsula side entrance to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge on July 25, 1954. They were purchased by the Peninsula School District #401 to transport the district's students. Each bus is lettered with the school district's name; in addition, each has a separate bus number labeled next to the doorway. Photograph ordered by International Harvester. TPL-2544

School buses--Tacoma; International Harvester Co. (Tacoma); Tacoma Narrows Bridge (Tacoma); Bridges--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The Peninsula School District purchased five new International Harvester buses to transport their students in July, 1954. The buses are parked outside the massive multi-storied brick building housing the Peninsula High School. A field of tall grass adjoins the parking lot. Photograph ordered by International Harvester.

School buses--Gig Harbor; Peninsula High School (Gig Harbor); Public schools--Gig Harbor; International Harvester Co. (Tacoma);

The National Lead Co. opened a new store at the corner of South "M' St. and Center in July, 1954. An ad in the News Tribune dated August 20, 1954, welcomed shoppers to the Dutch Boy Paint Store; the store may have changed its name after that date. It specialized in a full line of quality Dutch Boy Paints, wallpaper, and painting supplies. Floyd Chapman was listed as manager in the 1955 City Directory; he had previously been listed as the manager of the Dutch Boy Paint Store on A Street in the 1954 City Directory. View of exterior of paint store with neon sign, large plate glass windows allowing customers to see store's merchandise of brushes and paint cans. Special events at the grand opening included a home decorating show, free drawings for prizes, gardenias for the ladies and balloons for the kids. (TNT 8-20-54, p. 21- Ad)

National Lead Co. (Tacoma); Dutch Boy Paint Store (Tacoma); Paint industry--Tacoma; Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Workers are pictured in this July 28, 1954, photograph installing a new radiant heat system at the Buckley Custodial School (Rainier School). The state school had been rapidly expanding with high enrollments; new construction had to keep pace. Photograph ordered by A.M. Byers Co. TPL-8259

Radiators; Equipment; Western State Custodial School (Buckley);

ca. 1926. A group of guests practices their putting on the miniature golf link of the Tacoma Hotel. The nine hole course was part of a $150,000 renovation completed in 1925. It was located on the east side of the hostelry on the lawn overlooking the bay. The Tudor hotel was renowned all up and down the Pacific Coast for its beauty. It was built in 1884 and was designed by Stanford White. It was destroyed by fire on October 17, 1935. (TNT 5/13/1925, pg. 4; TDL 4/12/1927, supplement pg. 6) (WSHS- negative A843- 0)

Hotels--Tacoma; Tacoma Hotel (Tacoma); Putting (Golf); Golf--Tacoma--1920-1930; Golfers;

Smoke billows out of three smokestacks at one of Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel's Seattle plants on July 27, 1954; two other smokestacks are quiet. Bethlehem Steel produced much of the steel used in well-known landmarks: the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and the Alaskan Way Viaduct. They had several locations in Seattle including a Rolling Mill, Bolt & Nut Dept., Tank Farm, and Mill Depot. Photograph ordered by Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corp., Seattle.

Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corp. (Seattle); Smokestacks--Seattle;

Two long strings of Armour freight cars extend as far as the eye can see on July 27, 1954. This photograph was taken in Seattle; these freight cars, on separate tracks, are possibly loaded with Armour meats ready for delivery. The cars are refrigerated so that perishables could be transported without fear of spoilage. Photograph ordered by Armour Packing Co. TPL-10069

Armour & Co. (Seattle); Railroad freight cars--Seattle;

ca. 1925. A group of law officers, dressed in uniforms with badges and topped off with straw skimmers, pose in front of the B.P.O.E. (Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks) lodge. The man to the left is possibly Pierce County Sheriff John Bjorklund. The picture is probably related to the celebration of Straw Hat Day circa 1925. (WSHS- negative A844-0)

Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Tacoma Lodge No. 174 (Tacoma); Fraternal organizations--Tacoma--1920-1930; Straw Hat Day (Tacoma); Hats--1920-1930; Law enforcement officers--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Sears, Roebuck held a summer appliance sale on the rooftop parking area of their parking center at 1140-50 Court C in August of 1954. During the summer clearance sale customers could save up to $72 on a Kenmore washer and $81 on a Kenmore dryer. Wringers, refrigerators and chest freezers were also on sale. Beyond the parking garage further up the South 13th Street hill can be seen: the Dewey Hotel, 1308 Market Street; the Coliseum Bowling Alley, 407 South 13th; and (top right, just beyond the bowling sign) the Crescent Ballroom, 1308-10 Fawcett Avenue. The brick building at top center is the Eagles Hall, 1305-07 Fawcett Ave.; it was demolished in April of 2007 several days after its roof collapsed.

Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Tacoma); Washing machines; Appliances;

A cleverly titled package of English holly, "Holly-day Pak," was promoted by the Washington State Holly Growers in 1954. Each package contained from ten to twelve full berried selected sprays of holly and buyers were warned to care for the holly as they would fresh cut flowers. A large rectangular shape was cut in the top of the box to allow the prospective buyer to examine the actual holly, which had been dipped in "hormones" to preserve freshness. Holly-day Paks could then be shipped out of state so that holly-less areas might enjoy the vibrant greenery and berries. Photograph ordered by North Pacific Bank.

Holly--Tacoma; Packaging;

Tacoma Bread Co.'s main product appeared to be their Kream Krust Bread. It was heavily advertised on both the wholesale bakery's building and on their fleet of delivery trucks. Employees of Tacoma Bread stand proudly alongside the neatly aligned row of trucks on a foggy August, 1954, morning. The company was owned and operated by the Manthou family, with Mrs. Irene Manthou listed as president-treasurer in the 1954 City Directory. They had been at their (then) Center St. location for over 20 years. Begun as a small one-man shop by owner Chris Manthou, Tacoma Bread had expanded to a 37-employee bakery by 1954. It was Tacoma's oldest bakery. (TNT 8-30-54, p. 9) TPL-9774

Tacoma Bread Co. (Tacoma); Bakeries--Tacoma--1950-1960; Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Signs (Notices);

ca. 1925. A float cruises in front of the Elks Lodge. The truck chassis has been covered with straw-like material and sports a straw skimmer hat and carries a Dixieland band, also wearing straw hats. A banner on the float reads "Park your new straw- under a seat at the Colonial and see 'A Kiss in the Dark'." "A Kiss in the Dark" was a silent film adaptation of the comic play "Aren't We All." It was released April 6, 1925 and starred Adolphe Menjou, Lillian Rich and Aileen Pringle, with a cameo appearance by Herbert (Zeppo) Marx. The float was possibly intended for the Straw Hat Day celebrations. Straw Hat Day in Tacoma was the date that gentlemen officially put away their heavy winter hats and donned straw ones for the warmer weather. (WSHS- negative A845-0)

Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Tacoma Lodge No. 174 (Tacoma); Parades & processions--Tacoma--1920-1930; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1920-1930; Celebrations--Tacoma; Straw Hat Day (Tacoma); Hats--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1954. Close-up view of product display. The American Biscuit & Cracker Co. baked several varieties of tasty snacks in the 1950's. Samples of their products are displayed on a white tablecloth; these include Graham Crackers, Oyster Crackers, Vanilla & Whole Wheat Fig Bars, Iced Animals, Jelly Tarts, Maid Crackers, Penguin Cremes, Chocolate Eclairs and Sugar Wafers. Most are packaged in see-through bags so the customer can clearly see and almost taste the mouth-watering goodness. The American Biscuit & Cracker Co. was located at 1461-71 Elliott Avenue West in Seattle but had opened a large plant on Durango Street in South Tacoma in 1954. It is possible that these cookies and crackers were baked in the Tacoma plant. The Durango Street location had a 280 foot band oven which could roll, stamp and bake 3.5 million crackers in an eight hour shift or 650,000 cookies during eight hours. (TNT 9-3-54, C-6)

American Biscuit & Cracker Co. (Seattle); Bakeries--1950-1960; Merchandise displays;

Saturday August 21, 1954 marked the grand opening of the Narrows Drive-In at 6602 Sixth Avenue. Under the co-ownership and management of Norris Telling and James Slopak, it employed the latest in modern fixtures and equipment to provide speedy service with less effort. The menu included complete dinners, short orders and fountain service. Open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m Sunday through Thursday, and 11 to 3 on Friday and Saturday, they offered curb service at all hours to those who wanted to stay in their car.

Narrows Drive-In (Tacoma); Drive-in restaurants--Tacoma; Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Allen Lehman, master brewer, and Neil Andrews, kettle man, employees of the Silver Springs Brewing Co. are possibly doing some product testing on August 23,1954. Enormous brew kettle #1 is in the picture's foreground; it could brew over 150 barrels in one-eight hour shift. The Silver Springs Brewing Co. was located at 105 E. 26th and managed by Lyle L. Lane. They were listed as brewers of Old Style Pilsener Beer in the 1954 City Directory. Photograph ordered by the Condon Co, advertising. (TNT 9-3-54, C-14) TPL-8590

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Silver Springs Brewing Co. (Tacoma); Lehman, Allen; Andrews, Neil; Kettles;

Savings and Loan Convention. Large group on Winthrop Hotel roof, gathered for Washington "Golden Jubilee", marking 50 years of Statehood. (filed with Argentum)

Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma;Conventions--Tacoma;

Long view exterior brewery. This photograph of the Heidelberg Brewing Co. was taken from down the street on August 26, 1954, and shows that the brewery's shipping & receiving department was apparently separated from the main buildings by the J.E. Bunker Co., a dealer in bicycles. Heidelberg had purchased the well-known Columbia Breweries in 1949 and changed its name formally in 1953. By 1954, it had tripled its size. The building between the bicycle store and the shipping department was the new three-story cellar building which was used for storage and fermentation. Costing $700,000, it had three floors full of storage tanks with enough beer to fill 45 million bottles. (TNT 9-3-54, C-16) TPL-6499

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

Exterior brewery. The Heidelberg Brewing Co. occupied most of the 2100 block of South C Street in the 1950's, with only the J.E. Bunker Co., dealers in bicycles, between its buildings. A sign on the receiving department's exterior indicates that a three-story cellar building was under construction; Heidelberg continued to grow along with Tacoma, expanding and rebuilding, tripling in size in seven years. It would also install in the summer of 1954 a second brewing line which doubled brewhouse capacity. The company, which had purchased Columbia Breweries in 1949, finally changed its name to Heidelberg in 1953. It was later purchased by Carling Brewery in 1959 and closed its doors twenty years later. The above photograph was taken on August 26, 1954. (TNT 9-16-54, C-16)

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

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);

Night exposure Heidelberg brewery. The lighted buildings of the Heidelberg Brewing Co. appear as beacons in the night in an August 26, 1954, photograph. The company's name stands out in stark relief on the water tower and main facility. The photograph was taken from below the brewery's "C" Street location from the viewpoint of Chester Hauge's Hauge's Gateway Service at 25th & Pacific Avenue. Photograph ordered by Heidelberg Brewing Co.

Heidelberg Brewing Co. (Tacoma); Signs (Notices); Hauge's Gateway Service (Tacoma);

ca. 1925. A number of men in costumes and makeup suggesting clowns pose on a truck and one or two automobiles that have been decorated as floats. Over it all is suspended a giant straw hat on a pole. The floats are possibly part of the Straw Hat Day celebrations, the day when gentlemen officially put away their winter hats in favor of straw summer hats. The group is posed in front of a billboard. (WSHS- negative a846-0)

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1920-1930; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1920-1930; Celebrations--Tacoma; Straw Hat Day (Tacoma); Hats--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Eastern Star Convention in Tacoma, June 23, 1939. Eighteen women wearing formal dresses, some holding large bouquets of flowers. For John D. Morris. (filed with Argentum)

Order of Eastern Star (Tacoma); Fraternal organizations--Tacoma--1930-1940; Women--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Interior Dravis Engineering. A photograph of the shop interiors of Dravis Engineering & Marine Works was taken on August 22, 1954. Almost lost amidst the large, machine-scattered interior is one man, possibly owner Frederick Dravis, pulling a lever on the right side of the picture. Formerly known as Hicks-Bull Machine Co., Inc., the firm was established in 1912 and was registered with the State of Washington as licensed mechanical engineers. They were located at 1107 Dock St. near the City Waterway.

Dravis Engineering & Machine Works (Tacoma); Equipment; Machinery industry--Tacoma;

On August 22, 1954, the Dravis Engineering & Marine Works company was located in two buildings on Dock Street, 1107 Dock St., almost underneath the 11th Street (now the Murray Morgan) Bridge over the City Waterway. Owned and operated by Frederick Dravis, they handled marine and general machine design, construction and repair. Established in 1912, they were formerly known as Hicks-Bull Machine Co., Inc. The State of Washington had licensed them as mechanical engineers but they were also machinists and surveyors.

Dravis Engineering & Machine Works (Tacoma); Machinery industry--Tacoma;

Interior Dravis Engineering. A man stands alone before a large piece of machinery in the Dravis Engineering & Machine Works shop on August 22, 1954. This could possibly be the owner of the business, Frederick Dravis. The large shop is crammed full of machinery; Dravis Engineering was a licensed mechanical engineering concern who dealt in marine and general machine design, construction and repair. They were a long-time Tacoma business, formerly known as the Hicks-Bull Machine Co., Inc., and had been located on Dock Street since 1912. They may have moved into their present address in 1920.

Dravis Engineering & Machine Works (Tacoma); Machinery industry--Tacoma; Equipment;

Rose's Hi-Way Inn grand opening. Modern in every way with indirect lighting, a white cellutex interior marbelized in blue, and chromium and bronze trim. A large banner hanging from the roof states the restaurant would open on June 30th of 1939. Manager Rose Wilcox was famous for her chicken and steak dinners. She sold the roadside dinner house in the 1970s with the condition that the once modern restaurant retain its old-fashioned appeal. (T.Times, 6/30/1939, p. 9) (filed with Argentum)

Rose's Hi-Way Inn (Des Moines); Restaurants--Des Moines;

Hidden spotlights give the wooden Nativity scene a warm glow as this night exposure taken on September 19, 1954, shows. Lights also illuminate the church behind the creche; it is believed to be the Little Church on the Prairie in Lakewood. The Nativity figures are painted in muted tones as they all acknowledge the birth of baby Jesus. Hay is spread on the church lawn to give the scene an additional authenticity. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Creches (Nativity scenes)--Lakewood; Churches--Lakewood--1950-1960; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);