Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
James P. Lee Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition Photographs, 1909
Overview of the Collection
- Photographer
- Lee, James P. (James Patrick), 1894-
- Title
- James P. Lee Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition Photographs
- Dates
- 1909 (inclusive)19091909
- Quantity
- 53 photographic prints on 13 album pages ; 5 1/2 x 3
- Collection Number
- PH0760
- Summary
- Photographs of the grounds and buildings of the AYPE in Seattle, Washington, 1909
- Repository
-
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Entire collection can be viewed on the Libraries' Digital Collections website. Permission of Visual Materials curator is required to view originals. Contact Special Collections for more information.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was partially provided through a grant awarded by the Friends of the Libraries.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
James Patrick Lee started his career as a messenger boy in 1910 for the Seattle Engineering Department. From 1913 until his retirement in 1957, he worked for and became manager of their blue-print and photographic division which documented the progress of major city construction jobs. In 1922, he advanced from photographer's assistant to the position of full time photographer. His work recorded the development that marked the ever changing landscape of Seattle from the years 1904-1940
Historical BackgroundReturn to Top
The Klondike Gold Rush had made Seattle the dominant city in the Pacific Northwest, being the major source of supplies to Alaska. The goal of the 1909 Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition was to show off the growth and development of the Pacific Northwest, specifically Seattle, and to display the value of commercial trade with the Pacific Rim. When Japan agreed to participate, the AYPE became a truly international, multi-cultural event, which planners of the AYPE hoped would demonstrate cooperation between people from around the world. City officials also hoped that the exposition would encourage people to relocate to the growing metropolis of Seattle.
Officials soon decided on the largely wooded grounds of the University of Washington, situated on Lake Washington, with Mount Rainier visible in the distance. The first $650,000 for the AYPE was raised by proud Seattleites, who bought “shares” of the exposition. Much of the rest was funded by the sale of public lands and by the Washington State legislature, with the understanding that the buildings built for the exposition would become part of the University of Washington at the end of the AYPE. John and Frederick Olmsted, son and stepson of Frederick Law Olmsted, prominent landscape architects in their own right, designed much of the AYPE grounds.
Thanks to the extra two years of planning and the huge sums of money raised, the AYPE grounds and exposition were everything the planners had hoped for. It was a fascinating mix of ethnic diversity and crass commercialism, but it clearly appealed to the people of the United States. Over 80,000 people attended the AYPE on opening day in June 1909, and by closing day (October 16, 1909) 3.7 million people had paid to see attractions such as the Igorotte Village, and the Indian and Eskimo exhibits. They had seen animals built out of fruits and nuts, and rode on the Fairy Gorge Tickler. The AYPE had been a huge success. Seattle officials were pleased to note that the AYPE had drawn 700,000 people more than the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition had attracted in the rival city of Portland, Oregon.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Photographs depicting the buildings and grounds of the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle, Washington in 1909
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Alternative Forms Available
View the collection in digital format.
Restrictions on Use
Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Acquisition Information
Source: R. W. Nord, 2002
Processing Note
Processed by Marion Brown in 2007.
The photographs were possibly part of a larger album that was torn apart before acquisition by Special Collections. The original order of the pages was lost, but the order in which they were acquired was retained as possibly representing the original order.
Related Materials
The James P. Lee Photographs (PH Coll 294) primarily consists of Lee's photographs of municipal engineering projects, but also contains a few of the images of the AYPE in this collection.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)
Corporate Names
- Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition (1909 : Seattle, Wash.)--Aerial views
- Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition (1909 : Seattle, Wash.)--Photographs