Mr. and Mrs. Harold M. Buckner were celebrating their son's third birthday; little Frank Buckner was having a big birthday bash at his home located in the Lakeside Club in Lakewood, Washington. View of Frank Buckner getting ready to blow out his birthday candles on his cake; his party guests are enjoying candy and other fun birthday party activities.

Cakes--Lakewood; Children's parties; Birthday parties--Lakewood--1940-1950; Birthdays--Lakewood--1940-1950; Lakeside Club (Lakewood); Buckner, Harold M.--Homes & haunts; Buckner, Frank--Commemoration--Lakewood;

In the June 12th, 1949, News Tribune, Mrs. Hazel B. Gundstrom, owner of the Fircrest Gift Mart, demonstrated how easy it was to use the new Polaroid "Land Camera," named after the inventor of instant photography and Polaroid founder Edwin Land. The revolutionary camera was introduced in November of 1948, and sold for $89.75 at Weisfield Jewelers. Advertising extolled the camera; "Takes, makes, finished permanent pictures in one minute" and "No Liquids...No Dark Rooms...No Fuss...No Delays." By 2008, the Polaroid company had discontinued manufacture of the instant analog camera and all instant film products. (TNT, 6/12/1949, p.A-4)

Cameras; Photographs; Women--Fircrest--1940-1950; Gundstrom, Hazel B.;

View of duplex home in Tacoma, this house is built in the American Foursquare style. Many of the architectural features in American Foursquare are similar to Colonial style houses, including: two stories, symmetrical facade, doric style columns, second story overhang and wood siding exterior. Photo ordered by Fred L. Wilvers, co-owner of Western Builders roofing company.

Columns--Tacoma; Roofs--Tacoma; Building materials; Maintenance & repair--Tacoma--1940-1950; Houses--Tacoma--1940-1950; Automobiles--Tacoma--1940-1950; Neighborhoods--Tacoma; Western Builders (Tacoma);

Holroyd Co. was a concrete block and building material manufacturing plant. The company had concrete blocks and bricks, masonry units, sand and gravel and many other building materials available on site. Exterior view of recently built building located on North 1st Street and Tacoma Avenue North. Building materials were provided by the Holroyd Company, and the building glass is from Tacoma Glass Company; photo ordered by Holroyd Company.

Commercial facilities--Tacoma; Building materials industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Construction industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Concrete--Tacoma; Reinforced concrete construction--Tacoma--1940-1950; Automobiles--Tacoma--1940-1950; Holroyd Co. (Tacoma);

Eagles. Twelve men, believed to be members of the Eagles, stand around a shiny, new-looking Chrysler four-door sedan on May 18, 1949. No names were provided.

Eagles Club (Tacoma); Chrysler automobile;

Tacoma's first annual home show in 1949 was a great success; the local businesses provided Pierce County residents with a wide array of displays and home building and improvement information. View of Washington Hardware Company demonstrating their modern equipment and tools for do-it-yourself home improvement and professional contractors; a crowd of men and women are viewing the demonstration.

Exhibitions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Exhibit booths--Tacoma; Signs (Notices); Merchandise displays--Tacoma; Spectators--Tacoma; Hardware; Washington Hardware Co. (Tacoma); College of Puget Sound (Tacoma)--Buildings;

View of the Charles H. and Marian Edwards family standing in front of Northwest Airlines equipment. The Edwards family may be taking a trip or they may be saying farewell or welcome to one of the family members; photo taken at Bow Lake Airport, now known as the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Families--Tacoma; Arrivals & departures--SeaTac--1940-1950; Group portraits; Air travel; Airline industry; Airplane equipment; Clothing & dress--SeaTac--1940-1950; Edwards, Charles H.--Family; Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SeaTac);

View of William Gorman relaxing in his living room while enjoying the company of a teenage girl, possibly his daughter, and "True: A Men's Magazine". The girl appears to be writing a letter or possibly working on homework. William M. Gorman was married to Elaine; they lived at 220 South 116th Street in Pierce County's Parkland area.

Fathers & children--Tacoma; Children & adults--Tacoma--1940-1950; Gorman, William M.--Family; Gorman, Elaine N.--Homes & haunts; Children reading & writing--Tacoma--1940-1950; Living rooms--Tacoma;

Manson-Osberg Company appear to have been doing some work in the Tacoma tideflats area, this is likely the Puyallup Waterway (River) where the company is deepening the waterway with a dredger. View of "Husky" a dredging machine owned and operated by Manson-Osberg Company; Shaffer Terminals in background and East 11th Street Bridge on left side (not the Murray Morgan Bridge which is west of this bridge).

Harbors--Tacoma; Barges--Tacoma; Underwater drilling--Tacoma--1940-1950; Dredging--Tacoma; Dredges--Tacoma; Hoisting machinery; City Waterway (Tacoma); Manson-Osberg Co. (Tacoma);

Exterior view of house located in northeast Tacoma's Brown's Point area; view of beautiful Commencement Bay on left side. Two unidentified people are possibly deciding whether they would like to buy the lovely home. Fred C. Hofstetter, realtor, was the developer of the new Beverly Heights View Property; this house is possibly one of the model homes being shown to interested home buyers.

Houses--Tacoma--1940-1950; Real estate development--Tacoma--1940-1950; Housing developments--Tacoma--1940-1950; Suburban life--Tacoma; Commencement Bay (Wash.); Fred C. Hofstetter, Realtor (Tacoma);

J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding, sea trials of the Mary S. Three men stand beside the new tuna clipper, the Mary S. TPL-629

J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp. (Tacoma); Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Ship trials--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fishing boats--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Spring picnic, Junior League, Country Club, Tribune Sociely, Barbara Dana. Ninety active and sustaining members of the Junior League gathered at the Country Club home of Mrs. Lida Peterman to greet new provisionals for the coming year. Six of the provisionals are seen with American Lake in the background, L-R, Esther H. (Mrs. George) Gagliardi, Miss Margaret Snyder, Kathryn W. (Mrs. Richard) Haley, Miss Janet Saxton, Miss Jane Duncan, and Mary J. (Mrs. Emil) Krisman. (TNT, 6/12/1949, p.D-4)

Junior League (Tacoma); American Lake (Wash.); Picnics--Lakewood; Snyder, Margaret; Saxton, Janet; Duncan, Jane; Haley, Kathryn W.; Gagliardi, Esther H.; Krisman, Mary J.; Clubwomen--Tacoma--1940-1950;

The brand "Douglas Fir" plywood is known as the "wood of 1,000 uses." This plywood undergoes a series of laboratory and field tests. The Douglas Fir Plywood Association has helped establish and maintain Tacoma as the plywood center of the world, by setting up a industry maintained quality control laboratory here. View of U. S. Senator, Harry P. Cain (right) with a DFPA representative at the annual DFPA conference, being held at the Winthrop Hotel on May 13, 1949.

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Business people--Tacoma--1940-1950; Meetings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Plywood; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma); Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Legislators--Washington--1940-1950; Cain, Harry P., 1906-1979;

The patrons and staff of "Louie" Mondau's Tug Boat Restaurant & Tavern, at 1205 Pacific Avenue, raised a toast on May 19, 1949. Luzon "Louie" Mondau was a restaurateur in Tacoma for over 40 years. He operated the Tug Boat Restaurant, the Columbia Confectionery and the Army-Navy Service Restaurant, and was part-owner of Luigi's, which later became Honan's and is now Club Silverstone. TPL-8852

Mondau's Tug Boat Restaurant & Tavern (Tacoma); Bars--Tacoma--1940-1950; Bartenders--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Monday Civic Club, Rhododendron Breakfast, Tribune, Mr. Lockerby. The Monday Civic Club paid tribute to Mrs. Percy Creath Smith for her 40 years' service to the work of her club during their annual rhododendron breakfast May 23, 1949. Mrs. Smith was presented with a bouquet of 40 rhododendrons symbolic of each year's work on behalf of the women of Tacoma. Georgianna W. (Mrs. Emmett O.) Oursler, club president, presented Mrs. Smith with a tiara and Mr. Smith holds a bundle of memoirs. (TNT, 5/24/1949, p.3)

Monday Civic Club (Tacoma); Smith, Percy Creath--Family; Rhododendrons; Oursler, Georgianna W.; Aged persons; Anniversaries--Tacoma;

Church members working on new church, Latter Day Saints, L.C. Seal. The volunteers who worked over Memorial Day on their new church take a break on the steps to the building which was estimated to cost $177,000. Most of the exterior work was completed and a tentative completion date for the building was set for October 1, 1949. (TNT, 6/1/1949, p.1)

Mormon churches--Tacoma; Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Tacoma); Church membership--Tacoma;

City of Tacoma was kicking off their annual clean-up, paint-up and fix-up week in early May of 1949. Mayor C. Val Fawcett (right) and Charles Griffith, Committee Chairman for the annual city clean-up, were getting ready to ask all citizens of Tacoma for 100% participation. City officials were stressing that a clean city helped decrease health hazards (T.N.T., 5/10/49, p. 21).

Municipal services--Tacoma--1940-1950; Urban beautification--Tacoma--1940-1950; Events--Tacoma--1940-1950; Municipal government--Tacoma; Mayors--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fawcett, Clarence Valdo, 1900-1965; Griffith, Charles H.;

Ceremony at Grove, New Tacoma Cemetery, Wm. B. Reed. A memorial to the memory of the soldier dead of all wars was dedicated on Memorial Day, May 30, 1949, at the New Tacoma Cemetery where 300 war veterans were buried. The American flag was raised over the memorial and a wreath was placed upon it by Wellesley Bell, father of Captain Gordon Bell who was killed in Italy in 1944. Others in the picture are William B. Reed, manager of the cemetery, Mrs. Bell, and Ruth, Kathleen and Janice Bell, sisters of the captain. (TNT, 5/31/1949, p.7)

New Tacoma Cemetery (Tacoma); Cemeteries--Tacoma; Monuments & memorials--Tacoma--1940-1950; Flags--United States; Bell, Wellesley; Bell, Wilhelmina V.; Bell, Ruth; Bell, Kathleen; Bell, Janice; Memorial rites & ceremonies--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Engine round house at Northern Pacific Railway, Elwin Barker. The Northern Pacific Railroad was created by Congress on July 2, 1864. Actual construction got underway in 1870 near Carlton, Minnesota. The railroad closely followed the route of Lewis and Clark. Then, after 13 years, the last spike was driven at Gold Creek, Montana, on September 8, 1893. (Pacific Northwest Railroads of McGee and Nixon, Richard Green)

Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma); Railroad companies--Tacoma--1940-1950; Railroad locomotives--Tacoma--1940-1950; Railroad roundhouses--Tacoma;

Northern Pacific locomotive No. 1783 rested on the turntable at the Northern Pacific Railway round house at 2211 East D St. in May of 1949. The round house was built in the late 1890s to service Northern Pacific's fleet of steam locomotives. Over the years, as the railroad companies switched from steam to diesel-electric engines, work at the round house dropped off. In the early 1970s the round house was closed down, and eventually demolished. The Reliance Lumber Company at 323 Puyallup Avenue can be seen behind the railroad facilities.. (TNT 11/30/1971 p.1) TPL-4421, TPL-3728

Northern Pacific Railway Co. (Tacoma); Railroad companies--Tacoma--1940-1950; Railroad locomotives--Tacoma--1940-1950; Railroad roundhouses--Tacoma;

St. Joseph's Nursing School had 13 students graduate from their three-year program; students received their diplomas from Rev. John A. Dalgity, S.J. on May 8, 1949. Dr. Arthur P. O'Leary, President of the St. Joseph's Hospital Medical staff, presented the commencement address. Left to right: graduating nursing student James Wallace Donovan; unidentified; and Sister Maryanna Diederich, O.P. (T.N.T., 5/9/49, p. 3).

Nuns--Tacoma; Diederich, Maryanna; Nursing--Tacoma; Graduation ceremonies--Tacoma--1940-1950; Donovan, James Wallace; Nurses--Tacoma--1940-1950; St. Joseph's Hospital & School of Nursing (Tacoma);

St. Joseph's School of Nursing was having graduation for thirteen of their students. View of graduating nursing students, and first through third year nursing students participating in the commencement exercises; ceremony was held at St. Leo's auditorium (T.N.T., 5/9/49, p. 3).

Nursing--Tacoma; Medical students--Tacoma--1940-1950; Graduation ceremonies--Tacoma--1940-1950; Nurses--Tacoma--1940-1950; St. Joseph's Hospital & School of Nursing (Tacoma); St. Leo's Parochial School (Tacoma)--Buildings;

May Day festivities at Pacific Lutheran College, Pacific Lutheran College, Miss Helen Hedine. Four sets of four young women each perform a folk dance wearing dark skirts and white blouses during the May Day festivities at Pacific Lutheran College in 1949. Queen Catherine Breum, seated on her throne on a dais, and her court watch from one end of the gymnasium.

Pacific Lutheran College (Parkland)--1940-1950; Folk dancing--Parkland--1940-1950; Celebrations--Parkland--1940-1950; Students--Parkland--1940-1950;

May Day festivities in 1949 at Pacific Lutheran College, Pacific Lutheran College, Miss Helen Hedine. May Queen Catherine Breum and her court are shown on the dais at one end of the qymnasium. The young women and girls are dressed in floor-length, light-colored gowns and the crown bearer, Tom Tommervik, also wears a light-colored shirt and slacks. The two seated flower girls have been identified as Margaret Ronning and Judy Leraas, daughters of PLC professors. The little girl standing next to Queen Catherine has been identified as Anne Malmin Berg. The dais has been decorated with potted palms and blooming boughs. (Additional identification provided by a reader)

Pacific Lutheran College (Parkland)--1940-1950; Students--Parkland--1940-1950; Celebrations--Parkland--1940-1950; Evening gowns--Tacoma--1940-1950; Ronning, Margaret; Leraas, Judy; Berg, Anne Malmin; Tommervik, Tom;

Crust breaking machine at Permanente, Bill Gorman. Workmen are using a new machine to break the crust that developed on the molten aluminum in the reduction pots at the Permanente aluminum plant. This had been a manual process before development of the specialized machine.

Permanente Metals Corp. (Tacoma)--Employees; Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Laborers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Machinery;

Tribune. Joseph V. Brosamer, credit manager for the Tribune Publishing Company, was elected to head the dual organizations of the Tacoma Association of Credit Men and the Wholesalers Association of Tacoma. (TNT, 5/18/1949, p.A-12)

Portraits; Brosamer, Joseph V.; Tacoma News Tribune Publishing Co. (Tacoma); Tacoma Association of Credit Men (Tacoma); Wholesalers Association of Tacoma (Tacoma); Business people--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Standing straight and tall are Anita Hale and the thirteen "posture duchesses" who made up her court for the 1949 Annual May Festival at Stewart Junior High School, 5010 Pacific Avenue. Anita, eighth from the left, the daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Louis Hale, had been named Queen of the Festival; Shirley Crayton, fifth from the left, was Grand Duchess of the fete. Festival activities included a performance by the Stewart 68- piece band, dancing on the school lawn, a traditional Maypole, and the May Queen's Ball. (The names of the other girls appeared in the News Tribune on May 1, 1949 p.D-13.) (T.N.T., 5/1/49, p. D-13). TPL-8860

Public schools--Tacoma; School children--Tacoma--1940-1950; Beauty contestants--Tacoma--1940-1950; Beauty contests--Tacoma--1940-1950; Events--Tacoma--1940-1950; Holidays--Tacoma--1940-1950; Stewart Junior High School (Tacoma);

Interior and exterior of restaurant and tavern, Rainbow Tavern, Mr. Howe. The exterior of the Rainbow Tavern showing the painted sign over the entryway. Neon signs also advertise the tavern in both front windows. TPL-4493

Rainbow Tavern (Tacoma); Bars--Tacoma--1940-1950; Electric signs--Tacoma--1940-1950; Facades--Tacoma--1940-1950;

View of the beautiful and scenic Tacoma's Brown's Point area where realtor, Fred C. Hoffstetter, was planning an extensive residential housing development. This real estate development would be called Beverly Heights View Property.

Real estate business--Tacoma; Real estate development--Tacoma--1940-1950; Housing developments--Tacoma--1940-1950; Suburban life--Tacoma; Land subdivision--Tacoma; Waterfronts; Brown's Point (Tacoma); Fred C. Hofstetter, Realtor (Tacoma);

Tacoma was celebrating the annual Jefferson-Jackson Day with a dinner party at the Winthrop Hotel; Tennessee Senator Estes Kefauver would be speaking at the event. Left to right: George Sheridan of Tacoma, State Chairman of the Jefferson-Jackson Day affair; Senator Estes Kefauver; and Harry Henson, Executive Secretary of the Democratic State Committee (T.N.T., 5/1/49, p. A-14).

Receptions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Legislators--Tennessee--1940-1950; Dinner parties--Tacoma--1940-1950; Events--Tacoma--1940-1950; Men--Clothing & dress--1940-1950; Jefferson-Jackson Day (1949 : Tacoma); Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);