ca. 1979. Interior of unidentified beauty shop, circa 1979.

Beauty shops--Tacoma--1970-1980;

ca. 1979. The gaily striped awning decorates the exterior of Tutor Craft Interiors at 1531 Market St. In 1979, a newly remodeled store had opened following a disastrous fire in Jan. of 1978. The business had opened in 1944 and specialized in custom draperies.

Fabric shops--Tacoma; Draperies; Textiles; Tutor Craft Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1979. View from the intersection of 13th St. and Tacoma Ave So. of the Bacon Building, 1151-55 Tacoma Ave. So. The structure was built in 1888 and has been home to many businesses; most recently, the Tux Shop (2000-2003) and Aster Technology Institute.

Tux Shop (Tacoma); Clothing stores--Tacoma--1970-1980;

ca. 1979. The gaily striped awning decorates the exterior of Tutor Craft Interiors at 1531 Market St. In 1979, a newly remodeled store had opened following a disastrous fire in Jan. of 1978. The business had opened in 1944 and specialized in custom draperies.

Fabric shops--Tacoma; Draperies; Textiles; Tutor Craft Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1979. Photograph taken in 1979 from Market St. looking east of the newly remodeled Tutor Craft Interiors at 1531 Market. The skyline of Tacoma decorates the background of the photograph, comprised of left to right: the Rust Building (950 Pacific,) the Washington Building (1019 Pacific,) Puget Sound Bank Building (1117-19 Pacific,) Bank of Washingon Plaza (1201-23 Pacific) and Schoenfelds (1423 Pacific.) The Washington Plaza Building at 24 stories was Tacoma's tallest building.

Fabric shops--Tacoma; Draperies; Textiles; Tutor Craft Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1979. The newly remodeled Tutor Craft Interiors at 1531 Market. Photograph taken in 1979 from Market St. looking east.

Fabric shops--Tacoma; Draperies; Textiles; Tutor Craft Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1979. Unidentified barber shop circa 1979. The shop is believed to be the Asako Barbershop, 1552 Market St.

Barbershops--Tacoma--1970-1980;

ca. 1979. A hand-lettered sign in the window above a boarded up pane advertises the location as "Kurt's Carpet," address unknown, while a more substantial sign notifies passerbys that the store is patrolled by K-9 Police dogs.

Security systems; Kurt's Carpet (Tacoma);

ca. 1979. Formally attired mannequins inhabit the windows at Huseby's Tux-N-Tails.

Huseby's Tux-N-Tails (Tacoma); Window displays--Tacoma; Mannequins; Wedding clothing & dress;

ca. 1979. Antique barber chair in an unidentified barbershop, circa 1979. Decorations on the wall feature barber poles and the slogan "Ask for Wildroot." Wildroot Cream Oil hair tonic was preferred by barbers and comic strip character Dick Tracy. By the late seventies when this picture was taken, these items would already be collector's items.

Barbershops--Tacoma--1970-1980;

ca. 1979. The gaily striped awning decorates the exterior of Tutor Craft Interiors at 1531 Market St. In 1979, a newly remodeled store had opened following a disastrous fire in Jan. of 1978. The business had opened in 1944 and specialized in custom draperies.

Fabric shops--Tacoma; Draperies; Textiles; Tutor Craft Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1979. West side of the 700 Block of Pacific Ave. Left to right: partial view of 732 Pacific, the Viant & Pierce Building at 728-30, Johnson Cox Co. structure including Casino Bldg. (with bay windows) at 726, Mrs. McCarver Building at 724 and L.M. Root Bldg. at 722 and Fife's Wholesale Block, 718-20 Pacific, home in 1979 to Morley Studios. In 2007, most of these buildings house offices.

Johnson Cox Co. (Tacoma); Business districts--Tacoma--1970-1980; Building deterioration--Tacoma--1970-1980;

ca. 1979. This photograph taken in 1979 shows the neon sign and store front of Tryfon Hatters, a men's hat store located at 944 Commerce.

Tryfon Hatters (Tacoma);

ca. 1979. Jerry's Adult Book Store, 1305 Commerce St.; Jerry Holt, owner.

Jerry's Adult Book Store (Tacoma);

ca. 1979. Tutor Craft Interiors at 1531 Market.

Fabric shops--Tacoma; Draperies; Textiles; Tutor Craft Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1979. A hand-lettered sign in the window above a boarded up pane advertises the location as "Kurt's Carpet," address unknown, while a more substantial sign notifies passerbys that the store is patrolled by K-9 Police dogs.

Security systems; Kurt's Carpet (Tacoma);

ca. 1979. Formally attired mannequins inhabit the windows at Huseby's Tux-N-Tails.

Huseby's Tux-N-Tails (Tacoma); Window displays--Tacoma; Mannequins; Wedding clothing & dress;

ca. 1979. The Asako Barber Shop, 1552 Market St., circa 1979. The barber shop was owned and operated by Asako Mayeda. According to the City Directory, the barber shop was located in the Lorenz Building, 1552- 56 Market St., built in 1889 and formerly home to the Japanese hotel, the Hiroshimaya Hotel, also known as the Astor House.

Asako Barber Shop (Tacoma); Barbershops--Tacoma--1970-1980;

ca. 1979. Restmore Mattress & Furniture Co., 1541 Market St.

Restmore Mattress & Furniture Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1979. Window with house plants in unidentified barber shop, reflections in window glass, circa 1979. The shop is believed to be the Asako Barbershop, 1552 Market St.

Barbershops--Tacoma--1970-1980; Reflections; Show windows--Tacoma--1970-1980;

ca. 1979. Unidentified barber shop circa 1979. The shop is believed to be the Asako Barber Shop, 1552 Market St.

Barbershops--Tacoma--1970-1980;

The most famous resident of E.L. Irwin's B&I Shopping Center was not a store owner, customer or employee, he was an endangered Western Lowland gorilla named Ivan. Mr. Irwin bought Ivan and a female gorilla, Burma, as infants from an animal trader in 1964. The young gorillas were born in the wild in the Congo, present day Zaire. The female died soon after arrival, but Ivan became a family favorite, even living with the Irwins until his strength became overwhelming. In 1967, he went to live permanently at the B&I in a 14 x 14 concrete and steel cage. He remained there for 27 years, until he was donated in 1994 to the Woodland Park Zoo. He was on permanent loan to the Atlanta Zoo, where he was the star of their Ford African Rainforest habitat. Ivan died in Atlanta on Monday, August 20, 2012

Gorillas; B&I Circus Store (Tacoma);

Ivan, the shopping mall gorilla, looked out from his cage at the B&I on September 5, 1973. He had been a resident at the B&I since 1967. He was acquired by store owner E.L. Irwin in 1964 from the Congo and lived the first few years of his life as one of the family. As his size and strength grew, he was moved permanently to the store. For 30 years, he drew the young and old to the mall. As attitudes towards animals in captivity changed and as zoos gave up their cages for spacious naturalistic "habitats," a "Free the Gorilla" campaign developed. Ivan was the source of much publicity and discord until 1994, when the endangered Western Lowland gorilla was donated to the Woodland Park Zoo. He was on permanent loan to the Atlanta Zoo, where he died on Monday, August 20, 2012

Gorillas; B&I Circus Store (Tacoma);

A playful Ivan the gorilla approached the camera in September of 1973. For 27 years, from 1967-1994, Ivan was the most famous resident of the B&I Circus Store, 8012 South Tacoma Way. Store owner Earl (E.L.) Irwin purchased Ivan and another infant gorilla from an animal trainer in the Congo in 1964. The pair were intended to publicize the B&I. The female Western Lowland gorilla died soon after arrival, but Ivan became a favorite of the Irwin family and took up residence at their house. By 1967, Ivan's strength, natural curiosity and playfulness ruled him out as a house pet and he went to live at the B&I full time. As attitudes toward captive animals changed with the time, Ivan's fans became the core of a "free the gorilla" movement. In 1994, the Irwin family donated Ivan to the Woodland Park Zoo. The Western Lowland gorilla was on permanent loan to the Atlanta Zoo, where he died on Monday, August 20, 2012 .

Gorillas; B&I Circus Store (Tacoma);

Ivan the Gorilla, pictured here on September 5, 1973, was synonymous with the B&I Circus Store. People came from far and wide to see Ivan and visit the heavily advertised "Biggest Little Store in the World." That was exactly what owner Earl Irwin hoped for when he purchased the infant gorilla from an animal trader in the Congo in 1964. At first, Ivan lived with the Irwins as a family pet. By 1967, his size and strength made him a domestic liability and he was moved permanently to the pictured home at the store. He remained there for 27 years until 1994, when he was first donated to the Woodland Park Zoo and then loaned to the Atlanta Zoo. Ivan died in Atlanta on Monday, August 20, 2012

Gorillas; B&I Circus Store (Tacoma);

Ivan, the shopping mall gorilla, stared pensively into the camera from his cage at the B&I Circus Store in September of 1973. Ivan, a Western Lowland gorilla (now an endangered species), had lived in this 14 x 14 cage since 1967. B&I owner Earl (E.L.) Irwin had bought Ivan from an animal trader in the Congo in 1964. Irwin, a master showman, intended to use Ivan to draw crowds to the store. Ivan lived up to his part. From 1967-1994, people came to the B&I to visit with Ivan. As attitudes towards captive animals changed with the times, a "free Ivan" movement developed. After much contention, the Irwin family donated Ivan to the Woodland Park Zoo in 1994. They in turn loaned him permanently to the Atlanta Zoo, where he died on Monday, August 20, 2012

Gorillas; B&I Circus Store (Tacoma);

Ivan the gorilla posed in the doorway separating the two rooms of his cement and steel home at the B&I Circus Store, 8012 South Tacoma Way, in September of 1973. This was Ivan's home for 27 years, from 1967-1994. When it was constructed in 1967, the cage was state of the art. However, as time passed and zoo animals were released from their cages and introduced to "habitats," Ivan still remained alone at the B&I. A "free Ivan" movement developed and in 1994, the Irwin family donated Ivan to the Woodland Park Zoo. The Western Lowland gorilla was on permanent loan to the Atlanta Zoo, where he died on Monday, August 20, 2012

Gorillas; B&I Circus Store (Tacoma);

B&I Circus Store owner Earl Irwin was a master showman and an expert at promotion. His longest running promotion for the store was Ivan, the shopping mall gorilla; pictured here in September of 1973. The gorilla, acquired by Irwin in 1964, was a permanent resident at the B&I from 1967-1994. He lived in a steel and concrete cage with no contact with others of his species. In 1994, after years of controversy over his captivity, he was donated to the Woodland Park Zoo. The Western Lowland gorilla was on permanent loan to the Atlanta Zoo, where he died on Monday, August 20, 2012

Gorillas; B&I Circus Store (Tacoma);

The new Allstate Insurance Co. building was open for business in early January of 1972. It was located at 2102 South 48th St., across from the Tacoma Mall. Groundbreaking had occurred on August 31, 1971, for the $200,000 building. Photograph ordered by Allstate Insurance Co.

Allstate Insurance Co. (Tacoma); Insurance companies--Tacoma--1970-1980; Office buildings--Tacoma--1970-1980;

The new Allstate Insurance Co. building was located on the southwest corner of Ferry and South 48th St., across the street from the Tacoma Mall Shopping Center. Construction of Allstate's district office had been completed in four months. The Jack A. Benaroya Co. was the $200,000 structure's builder. Photograph ordered by Allstate Insurance Co.

Allstate Insurance Co. (Tacoma); Insurance companies--Tacoma--1970-1980; Office buildings--Tacoma--1970-1980;