Seattle Municipal Archives
PO Box 94728
600 Fourth Avenue, Floor 3
Seattle, WA 98124-4728
Phone: 206/233-7807
Email: archives@seattle.gov
http://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives



Guide to the Seattle Bridges Photograph Album, 1910-1932


2613-23





Finding aid prepared by Anne Frantilla

Finding aid encoded by Shannon B. Lynch and Seth Dalby, 2004
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.


Overview of the Collection

 
Repository Name:
 

Seattle Municipal Archives

PO Box 94728
600 Fourth Avenue, Floor 3
Seattle, WA 98124-4728
Phone: 206/233-7807
Email: archives@seattle.gov
http://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives

 
Collection Number:
 

2613-23

 
Creator:
 

Seattle (Wash.). Engineering Dept.

 
Title:
 

Seattle Bridges Photograph Album

 
Dates:
 

1910-1932 (inclusive)

 
Quantity:
 

.5 cubic ft.
(1 box)

 
Languages:
 

Collection materials are in English. 

 
Summary:
 

Photographs of Seattle Engineering Department work on bridges, overpasses, and viaducts. Neighborhoods pictured include the Industrial District, University District, and Downtown.

 

Historical Note

The Seattle Engineering Department (SED) maintained the City's streets and bridges, designed and oversaw construction of public works projects, provided traffic and transportation planning, and operated the sewer and solid waste utility. The position of City Surveyor was created in 1873 to survey the City, establish boundaries and street grades, and administer condemnation processes. This position was renamed City Engineer in 1890. In 1931 the Engineering Department absorbed part of the Department of Public Utilities and in 1936 it assumed the responsibilities of the Department of Streets and Sewers and the Traffic Department. In 1997, the water, solid waste, drainage, and wastewater utilities from the Engineering and Water departments were merged with the Engineering Services Division of SED and the Customer Service Call Center and Construction Engineering Sections of City Light to form Seattle Public Utilities. The traffic and transportation functions of the Engineering Department were consolidated in the Seattle Transportation Department.

Content Description

The images in this collection, taken by the Seattle Engineering Department, illustrate bridges, overpasses, and viaducts in the Seattle area as well as work that the Engineering Department performed on the structures. Structural materials, signs, neighboring businesses, Engineering Department employees at work, streetcars, and waterways are depicted in the photographs. Neighborhoods include the Industrial District, University District, and Downtown.

Photographs are pasted on black paper and each page is labeled and dated. The sizes of the prints vary from 3 1/2 x 5 to 5 x7. The majority of the images are in the Seattle Municipal Archives online photograph database, for which original negatives exist. Selected photographs are available as high-resolution images.

Arrangement

Photographs are grouped according to neighborhood and arranged alphabetically by neighborhood name.

Administrative Information

Processing Note 

Pages were removed from albums and placed in folders.

Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Access 

Records are open to the public.

Preferred Citation 

[Title of image, date. Item number.] Seattle Engineering Department Bridge Photographs, Record Series 2613-23. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.

Subjects

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

 
Seattle (Wash.) Engineering Department
Seattle (Wash.)--Buildings, structures, etc.--Photographs
Bridge construction--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs
Viaducts--Design and construction--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs
Photographic prints

Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.


 

Seattle Bridges Photograph Album, 1910-1932

 
Container(s)
Description
Dates
 
box/folder
1/1


Admiral Way at Fairmont Avenue
  1927-1928
 
1/2

Admiral Place Viaduct
  1931-1932
 
1/3

Bell Street Bridge
  1914 1931
 
1/4

Fremont Bridge
  1936
 
1/5

West Garfield Street Bridge
  1910 1930
 
1/6

George Washington Memorial Bridge/Aurora Bridge
  1932
 
1/7

Harbor Avenue S.W.
  1929-1930
 
1/8

Lawton Way Reconstruction
  1929
 
1/9

E. Marginal Way (at Hanford Street)
  1932
 
1/10

Montlake Bridge
  1914 1925
 
1/11

Sand Point Way/Princeton Avenue Viaduct
  1930
 
1/12

West Spokane Street Bridge No. 1 and No. 2
  1928-1930
 
1/13

West Spokane Street Bridge No. 2
  1930
 
1/14

Youngstown Place Trestle
  1929-1930
 
1/15

Second Avenue Extension
  1928-1929
 
1/16

Eighth Avenue South Viaduct at Argo
  1928
 
1/17

Twelfth Avenue South Bridge
  n.d.
 
1/18

Various: includes Lenora Street Viaduct and Tunnel Shield for Eighth Avenue South
  1931-1936