Medical Arts Building Collection, Feb., 1990

Overview of the Collection

Photographer
Stamets, John, 1949-
Title
Medical Arts Building Collection
Dates
Feb., 1990 (inclusive)
Quantity
12 photographic prints
3 contact sheets
Collection Number
PH0618
Summary
Photographs documenting the Medical Arts Building in downtown Seattle before its demolition in 1990.
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

Collection is open to the public.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was partially provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

John Stamets received his B.A. in photography from Yale University, where he studied with documentary photographer Walker Evans. Stamets is a lecturer in photography in the School of Architecture at the University of Washington. He specializes in photographing historic buildings using the HABS/HAER standards.

Historical BackgroundReturn to Top

Constructed in 1902, designed by architects Saunders and Lawton, and located in the business district of Seattle, the Medical Arts Building was connected with several important Seattle personalities. The Medical Arts Building was known as the Lumber Exchange Building until 1933 and was owned by prominent Seattle citizen Albert Sperry Kerry for a number of years. It contained offices and at one time, the Garvey-Buchanan department store. The building was remodeled in 1950 by Paul Thiry, the celebrated Seattle architect. This renovation was featured in the October, 1950, issue of Architectural Forum (included in the collection).

Built of brick and concrete with stone and masonry trim, the building featured a plaster cornice as well as 15 bronze relief plaques based on Northwest Native American themes by sculptor Everett S. Du Pen.

In 1990, the Medical Arts Building was demolished by Wright, Runstad, & Co., but before its destruction, photographer John Stamets undertook to document the building. Although the Medical Arts Building was not an officially designated landmark, Stamets used the HABS (Historic American Buildings Survey) guidelines for recording historic landmarks. HABS documentation includes large-format photographs and descriptive text.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The photographs in the collection include exterior views (details, perspectives, and elevations) of the Medical Arts Building, as well as the neighboring Taft Building, photographed to Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) standards. Also included are historic reviews and reports.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Special Collections does not hold the copyright to the Medical Arts Building photographs but has unlimited, nonexclusive rights to the use of the images.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

Gift of Tom Croonquist, Wright, Runstad, and Co.

Processing Note

Processed by Larie Smoyer and Shannon Lynch, 2003.

Related Materials

Photograph Collection 346: Historic American Buildings Survey No. WA-197 (Fox Theatre); photographs by John Stamets.

Photograph Collection 442: Historic American Buildings Survey No. WA-201 (Longacres Park); photographs by John Stamets.

Photograph Collection 554: Northwest Buildings Survey No. WA-001 (Fred Nelson Barn/Old Riverview Farms Dairy Barn); photographs by John Stamets according to Historic American Buildings Survey standards.

Photograph Collection 623: Historic American Buildings Survey No. WA-213 (Henry Art Gallery); photographs by John Stamets.

Photograph Collection 627: Historic American Engineering Record No. WA-24 (Skagit River and Newhalem Creek Hydroelectric Projects); photographs by Jet Lowe.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Photographic Documentation, Feb., 1990Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/1 1
1/1 2
Medical Arts Building elevation from Seneca Street
1/1 3
1/1 4
Taft Building from Second Avenue
1/1 5
Medical Arts Building and parking lot
1/1 6
1/2 7
Detail: lower window, Medical Arts Building
1/2 8
Detail: mid-rise window, Medical Arts Building
1/2 9
Detail: upper window/cornice, Medical Arts Building
1/2 10
Detail: window, Taft Building
1/2 11
1/2 12
1/3 13-15
Contact sheets corresponding to prints

Paper DocumentationReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/4
Historic Background and Site History
July 1, 1988
1/4
Article from Oct., 1950, issue of Architectural Forum, featuring Medical Arts Building renovation
May 15, 1989
1/4
Assessor's Office information on Medical Arts Building
July 5, 1989
1/4
Second and Seneca Property History Report
July 19, 1989
1/4
Medical Arts Building Historic Review
July 19, 1989
1/4
Medical Arts Building Historic Review
Mar. 15, 1990

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Historic buildings--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs

Corporate Names

  • Medical Arts Building (Seattle, Wash.)--Photographs

Geographical Names

  • Seattle (Wash.)--Buildings, structures, etc.--Photographs

Form or Genre Terms

  • Architectural photographs

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)