Vintage Seattle dug up this amazing image of the point where Pike becomes E Pike from way back in 1902. VS has kindly permitted us to share their find from the Washington State Digital Archives here on CHS. We’ve provided a before and after set for the view below and a few callout images from the high resolution version of the image you can zoom in and pan around on over at the Vintage Seattle site. There is lots to be inspired by in the image including at least two good business names that surely deserve revival. Vintage Seattle comments are filled with more historical detail, too. The apartment building is still there, of course, and is currently home to Uncle Elizabeth’s Cafe.
This dapper gentleman is in a hurry. Just like dapper gentlemen today! UPDATE: Also just realized that this image documents the proud tradition of taking a little bit of your life in your hands in order to cross Pike. Good luck, 1902 pedestrian.
Look, they even had neighborhood bloggers on the Hill in 1902 to carry their dirty laundry around for them. Handy.
Streetcar. We should get one of those. The wires look familiar.
They kicked it roof down at the turn of the 20th century.
Hill style. Also, Hotel Reynolds sounds like a good name for a bar.
You can barely read it, but that sign says Golden Sheaf. A bakery. Perhaps there should be another Golden Sheaf Bakery on Capitol Hill someday. You’ll also note that just past the Golden Sheaf is a sign proclaiming ROOMS where the current home of Club Z exists today — perhaps another element that hasn’t totally changed.
These are great! Thanks for sharing them. :)
Great – old pix are a delight.
What a wonderful blog post! I loved it.
When did we change to driving on the “correct” side?
Even if it’s a one-way street (which I doubt), the steering wheels are still on the right.
No, the picture’s not flipped – the writing’s the right way round.
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/right.cfm
“However, with the introduction of the steering wheel in 1898, a central location was no longer technically possible. Car makers usually copied existing practice and placed the driver on the curbside. Thus, most American cars produced before 1910 were made with right-side driver seating, although intended for right-side driving. Such vehicles remained in common use until 1915, and the 1908 Model T was the first of Ford’s cars to feature a left-side driving position.”
A better comparison view nowadays would be from upstairs at The Seattle Eagle- from the windows near the dart board.
Very cool! thx.
I notice that the horse-drawn carriage is driving on the right, although automobiles drive on the left.
Thanks for sharing these, so great to see the history of the hood.
these are soooo cool. I live in a not-so-exciting condo, but i have the assessor’s picture of the very cool house that stood on the same plot. Christine