Cooper and Levy families photograph collection, circa 1860s-1950s

Overview of the Collection

Title
Cooper and Levy families photograph collection
Dates
circa 1860s-1950s (inclusive)
Quantity
241 photographs (8 boxes) ; various sizes
Collection Number
PH0722
Summary
Photographs of the families of Isaac Cooper and Louis Levy, prominent Jewish businessmen in Seattle during the early years of the 20th century, and the Cooper & Levy store
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

The collection is open to the public.

Additional Reference Guides

These materials form part of the Cooper and Levy Families Papers, which are described and indexed in the guide to the Cooper and Levy Families Papers .

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was partially provided through a grant awarded by King County 4Culture

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

The Cooper and Levy families were Seattle merchants, civic leaders, and philanthropists.

Isaac Cooper and brother-in-law Louis Levy formed Cooper & Levy in 1892, a retail and mail order grocery, hardware, and woodenware business. Supplying most of the prospectors during the Alaska-Klondike gold rush, they acquired a considerable fortune by the time they sold out ten years later to the Bon Marché department store.

Aaron Levy organized Ohaveth Shalom, Seattle's first reform congregation, in 1889. Esther Levy and daughter Lizzie Levy Cooper organized the Ladies' Hebrew Benevolent Society (LHBS) in 1892 to provide aid to needy Jewish families. Esther served as president of the LHBS until 1900, and Lizzie from 1900 to1915. Lizzie also served as president of the Seattle Council of Jewish Women and vice president of the State Council from 1903-1906, and was president of the Temple De Hirsch Ladies Auxiliary from 1913-1914.

Louis Levy's two brothers, Aubrey Levy, a lawyer, and Eugene Levy, a motion picture theater promoter, together with Isaac Cooper, formed the Republic Operating Company and built the Republic Building at Third Avenue and Pike Street in 1927. All of the income from the building was willed in 1945 and again in 1959 to three service organizations: the Jewish Welfare Society, the Caroline Kline Galland Home for the Aged, and the Seattle Children's Orthopedic Hospital of Seattle.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection contains photographs of members of the Cooper and Levy families who were prominent Jewish merchants and civic leaders in Seattle in the early years of the 20th century. It includes views of the Cooper & Levy store that supplied outfits for Klondike gold rush prospectors in the late 1890s.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Alternative Forms Available

View selections from 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

Custodial History

Collected by the Washington State Jewish Historical Society.

Processing Note

Processed by Gina Rappaport; 2008; Erik Rath, 2009.

Photographs were relocated from the Cooper and Levy Families Papers, MSS Collection No. 2366, in Special Collections, UW Libraries.

Separated Materials

2 scrapbooks from Eugene Levy relating to theater in Seattle from 1917-1920 were relocated from the Cooper and Levy Families Papers to the Special Collections Pacific Northwest Scrapbook Collection in 1977.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Aaron Levy Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/1 1a
Aaron Levy
Abell & Sons, Portland, OR (photographer)
circa 1880
box-folder:oversize
5/1 1b
Aaron Levy
Abell & Sons, Portland, OR (photographer)
1b is a crayon enlargement of 1a
circa 1880
Box/Folder
1/1 2
Aaron Levy
Bisbee, Seattle, WA (photographer)
circa 1880s

Esther Levy, 1839-1920Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/2 3
Esther Levy
Frank G. Abell, Portland, OR (photographer)
1869
1/2 4
Esther Levy
Davies' Photograph Gallery, Portland, OR (photographer)
circa 1870s
1/2 5-6
Esther Levy
The Mecca, Seattle, WA (photographer)
circa 1900
1/2 7-8
Esther Levy
The Curtis Studio, Seattle, WA (photographer)
circa 1900
1/3 9-11
Esther Levy on her 75th birthday
Schumacher (photographer)
September 28, 1914
1/3 12
Esther Levy
The Curtis Studio, Seattle, WA (photographer)
circa 1915
1/3 13 undated

Elizabeth Levy Cooper, d. 1915Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/4 14
Lizzie Levy Cooper
Imperial Gallery, San Francisco, CA (photographer)
circa 1875
1/4 15
Lizzie Levy Cooper
Abell & Sons, Portland, OR (photographer)
circa 1885
1/4 16
Lizzie Levy Cooper
J.W. Riggs, Lewiston (photographer)
circa 1885
1/5 17-18
Lizzie Levy Cooper in white lace dress
The Mecca, Seattle, WA (photographer)
circa 1900
box-folder:oversize
4/1 19
Lizzie Levy Cooper in beaded and embroidered dress
James & Bushnell, Seattle, WA (photographer)
circa 1900
Box/Folder
1/5 20
Lizzie Levy Cooper in beaded and embroidered dress
James & Bushnell, Seattle, WA (photographer)
circa 1900
1/5 21 circa 1910
1/5 22-23 1915

Isaac Cooper and Elizabeth Levy Cooper, d. 1915.Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/6 24 1886
1/6 25 1911
1/7 26-28
Isaac and Lizzie Levy Cooper standing with several women on deck of Walla Walla bound for Seattle from San Francisco, and views of surrounding bay
Three photographs on one mat
October 18, 1899
8/1 29
Isaac and Lizzie Levy Cooper with woman
Madison Park Tintype Gallery, Seattle, WA (photographer)
: Tintype
circa 1900
1/7 30 July 4, 1904
1/7 31 circa 1900
1/7 32
Isaac and Lizzie Levy Cooper with Esther Levy and others in grounds of the Hotel Del Monte, Del Monte, CA
March 8, 1906
box-folder:oversize
4/1 33
Group picture on steps of Forestry building on the University of Washington campus with Isaac and Lizzie Levy Cooper in upper left
Nowell and Rognon, Seattle, WA (photographer)
All men wearing key-shaped and other pins in their lapels
circa 1911
Box/Folder
1/8 34-44
Photographs from trip to Italy showing Isaac and Lizzie Levy Cooper feeding pigeons in front of St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, on shipboard to Capri, and views of Nice, Sorrento, Genoa, and Rome
circa 1910

Levy family siblingsReturn to Top

Includes photographs of Louis, Minnie, and Lizzie Levy Cooper. Photographs of Eugene and Aubrey Levy are arranged under their own names

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/9 45
Lizzie and Louis Levy
Buchtel & Stolte, Portland, OR (photographer)
On verso: "taken while at Portland in Bishop Scott School."
circa 1873
box-folder:oversize
4/3 46
Louis and Edith Levy
undated
Box/Folder
1/9 47a
Minnie Levy
J.C. Silva, San Francisco, CA (photographer)
4a is a photograph, 4b is a crayon enlargement of 4a, 4c is a pencil drawing of 4a
circa 1874
box-folder:oversize
6/2 47b
Minnie Levy
J.C. Silva, San Fancisco, CA (photographer)
4a is a photograph, 4b is a crayon enlargement of 4a, 4c is a pencil drawing of 4a
circa 1874
5/2 47c
Minnie Levy
J.C. Silva, San Fancisco, CA (photographer)
4a is a photograph, 4b is a crayon enlargement of 4a, 4c is a pencil drawing of 4a
circa 1874
Box/Folder
1/9 48-49
Headstone of Minnie Levy
1875

Eugene Levy Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/10 50
Eugene Levy
Boyd, Seattle, WA (photographer)
circa 1895
1/10 51
Eugene Levy
Bailey (photographer)
circa 1895
8/1 52-53
Eugene Levy with young man and woman
G.S. Wilson, San Francisco, CA (photographer)
: Tintypes
circa 1897
1/10 54 circa 1897
1/10 55
Eugene Levy
Lynn & Co, Seattle, WA (photographer)
circa 1900
1/10 56
Eugene Levy
circa 1900
1/10 57
Eugene Levy
Flett, Atlantic City, NJ (photographer)
circa 1904
1/10 58
Eugene Levy
Braas, Seattle, WA (photographer)
February, 1904
box-folder:oversize
4/4 59a
Theater circuit employees seated at banquet given for them by Eugene Levy (third from front on right)
circa 1910
4/4 59b circa 1910
4/4 59c circa 1910
4/4 59d
Crowd of children and adults outside Eugene Levy's Circuit Theater on Children's Free Day
Pierson & Co, Seattle (photographer)
Caption: Taken Dec. 29th Children's Free Day at Circuit Exhibit Ideal & National.
circa 1916
Box/Folder
1/11 60
Eugene Levy
James & Merrihew, Seattle, WA (photographer)
March, 1921
1/11 61
Eugene Levy
Leonid Fink, Seattle, WA (photographer)
: Tintypes
circa 1927
8/1 62a-62b
Photographs of Eugene Levy and woman mounted in lapel buttons
: Tintypes
circa 1927
1/12 63
House in Farmington, WA
August, 1890
1/12 64-69 June, 1931
1/13 70-71
Eugene Levy at Miami Beach, Florida
1937
1/13 72-79
Eugene Levy at Murietta Hot Springs, CA
1942
1/13 80
Eugene Levy on street
circa 1940
1/13 81
Eugene Levy
On verso: "In Hollywood next door to K.N.X"
March, 1938
1/13 82-83
Eugene Levy at the Carolyn Kline Galland monument
undated
1/13 84
Eugene Levy standing with horse and rider in street at Palm Springs circus
April 1942
1/13 85
Eugene Levy with sister-in-law Edith Levy in Santa Monica, CA
May, 1949
1/14 86
Eugene Levy
G.L. Manuel Frères (photographer)
circa 1940s
1/14 87
Eugene Levy
Austin (photographer)
circa 1940s
1/14 88-89 circa 1949
1/15 90 1952
1/15 91-92 circa 1950s
1/15 93
Eugene Levy standing amid flowers at the Empress Hotel in Victoria, B.C.
1957
box-folder:oversize
4/5 94
Eugene Levy and Haack family at table with pile of letters containing donations to pay off Haack family debt
Newspaper clipping with related story accompanies photograph
October 1948
4/5 95-96
Eugene Levy with Carefoot family
Newspaper clipping with related story accompanies photograph
November, 1949
4/5 97
Tents in which Carefoot family was living prior to assistance by Eugene Levy
Newspaper clipping with related story accompanies photograph
November 1949
Ruby Levy
Ruby Connell Levy was Eugene Levy's second wife
Box/Folder item
1/16 98 undated
1/16 99
Ruby Levy
Bushnell, Seattle (photographer)
undated
1/16 100-101
Ruby Levy
undated
box-folder:oversize
4/6 102
Patricia Connell, daughter of Ruby Levy
undated
Box/Folder
1/16 103-104
Ruby Levy and Ida Bailey in Phoenix, Arizona
March, 1941
1/16 105 1944
1/16 106 August, 1946
1/16
Ruby Levy memorial booklet with tribute written by Rabbi Raphael Levine
1948
Eugene Levy and Ruby Levy
Box/Folder item
1/17 107 August 1946
1/17 108 1947
1/17 109-110
Eugene and Ruby Levy in Honolulu, Hawaii
February, 1947
1/17 111
Eugene and Ruby Levy with George and Helen Tamura in Honolulu, Hawaii
Lyon Char (photographer)
1947
1/17 112-113
Eugene and Ruby Levy on street
1947
1/17 114-115
Eugene and Ruby Levy at house in Palm Springs, CA
April, 1948
1/18 116-118a
Eugene and Ruby Levy in Palm Springs, CA
Johhnie Pagoria (photographer)
1948
1/18 118b
Eugene and Ruby Levy with two young girls (the “Keil twins”) in Riverside, CA
circa 1948
1/18 118c
Eugene and Ruby Levy on street
circa 1948
Eugene Levy and Madeline Levy
Madeline Simmons Levy was Eugene Levy's third wife, and Patricia Simmons Venino was her daughter.
box-folder:oversize item
5/3 119
Madeline Levy
Asher (photographer)
1950
Box/Folder
2/1 120-121
Eugene and Madeline Levy on wedding day
January 8, 1950
2/1 122
Eugene and Madeline Levy with Patricia Simmons Venino
May 1952
2/1 123
Eugene and Madeline Levy at Surfcomber Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida
1953
2/2 124-128 1954
2/2 129-130
Eugene and Madeline Levy in their office in the Republic Building
December, 1955
2/2 131
Eugene and Madeline Levy with Patricia Simmons Venino at the Empress Hotel in Victoria, B.C.
July 1957
Other images
box-folder:oversize item
5/3 132
Chorus line of girls holding banner reading “Levy’s Beauty Chorus”
circa 1920s
4/6 133
Autographed photograph of Jessie Crawford with accompanying letter
1930
Box/Folder
2/3 134
Stucco house with tile roof
October, 1950
2/3 135-137
Jolyn Tamura, daughter of Helen and George Tamura
undated
2/3 138
Young woman in cap and gown
June 1948
2/3 139
Helen Hubbard Nicholson “of Anchorage, Alaska”
circa 1930s
2/3 140
Eight children of family helped during holidays by Eugene Levy
1950
2/3 141a
Photographic postcard advertising realtor in Palm Springs, CA
undated
6/1 141b
Pen and ink cartoon drawing of Eugene Levy
undated
Eugene Levy and Aubrey Levy
Box/Folder item
2/4 142 circa 1882
2/4 143
Eugene and Aubrey Levy
Dore Gallery, San Francisco, CA (photographer)
circa 1883
2/4 144
Eugene and Aubrey Levy
Abell & Son, Portland, OR (photographer)
circa 1884
8/1 145 circa 1885
2/4 146-147
Eugene and Aubrey Levy
Faber Studio, Seattle, WA (photographer)
circa 1890
2/5 148-150 circa 1890
box-folder:oversize
4/7 151
Eugene and Aubrey Levy (seated at left near back) and others seated at long banquet table
circa 1910s
Box/Folder
2/5 152 May, 1943

Aubrey LevyReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
2/6 153
Aubrey Levy with his violin
circa 1890s
2/6 154
Aubrey Levy with his violin
E.J. Bailey, Seattle, WA (photographer)
circa 1890s
2/6 155 circa 1900
2/6 156
Aubrey Levy
Braas, Seattle, WA (photographer)
circa 1900
2/6 157
Aubrey Levy
Boyd, Seattle, WA (photographer)
circa 1900
2/6 158 circa 1900
2/6 159-162
Print with 4 images of Aubrey Levy with two young women
circa 1900
2/7 163-164
Aubrey Levy and other members of the University of Washington’s first orchestra
The University of Washington orchestra was organized in 1899 by Aubrey Levy
circa 1900
2/8
Copies of concert programs and pictures of University of Washington musical groups from the UW Tyee
1900-1955
item
2/9 165
Aubrey Levy
Braas, Seattle, WA (photographer)
circa 1910s
2/9 166 undated
2/9 167-168
Aubrey Levy
circa 1910s
2/9 169 circa 1910s
2/9 170
Aubrey Levy
Bjorklund, Seattle (photographer)
October 1917
2/9 171 1937
2/9 172
Aubrey Levy
circa 1930s
2/9 173
Aubrey Levy
circa 1940

Levy family photograph album, 1860s-1880sReturn to Top

Container(s): Box 7, Item 174

The album contains 46 cartes-de-visite of Levy family and friends including Minnie, Lizzie, and Louis Levy.

The photograph album is a "Harding's Flexible Chain Back Album" patented in 1865. The cover is embossed "Turkey morocco" or goatskin leather with decorative central medallions on front and back, porcelain or glass bosses in the corners (several are missing), and two decorative clasps. The page edges are gauffered (gilded and impressed).

Isaac Cooper Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
2/10 175
Isaac Cooper as a boy
H. Friedrich, New York, NY (photographer)
circa 1867
2/10 176
Isaac Cooper
circa 1877
2/10 177
Isaac Cooper
Abell & Son, Portland, OR (photographer)
circa 1885
2/10 178-179
Isaac Cooper
Wills-Vreeland Studio, Seattle, WA (photographer)
circa 1905
2/10 180
Isaac Cooper
Braas, Seattle, WA (photographer)
circa 1905
2/11 181
Isaac Cooper
James & Merrihew, Seattle, WA (photographer)
circa 1920
2/11 182
Isaac Cooper
Bushnell, Seattle, WA (photographer)
circa 1920
box-folder:oversize
4/2 183a April, 1916
4/2 183b
Isaac Cooper
circa 1920
Box/Folder
2/11 184
Isaac and Hattie Cooper on the promenade in Marienbad, Czechoslovakia
July 20, 1928
2/11 185
Isaac and Hattie Cooper
circa 1928

Leo CooperReturn to Top

Leo Cooper was brother of Isaac Cooper and a stage actor

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
2/12 186
Autographed photograph of Leo Cooper
Mojonick, Los Angeles, CA (photographer)
undated
2/12 187
2/12 188
Leo Cooper
Unity Studio, New York, NY (photographer)

Cooper family Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
8/1 189
Jacob Cooper
circa 1880s
2/13 190
Jacob Cooper
Imperial, San Francisco, CA (photographer)
February, 1887
2/13 191
Joe Cooper
Robinson & Roe, Brooklyn, NY (photographer)
undated
2/13 192
Joe Cooper
Pach Brothers, New York, NY (photographer)
undated
2/13 193
Son of Joe Cooper in army uniform
W.N. Pennington, Kingston, NY (photographer)
undated
2/14 194
Laura Cooper
Pach Brothers, New York, NY (photographer)
circa 1890s
2/14 195
Laura Cooper with sons George and Ralph
Stuart, Hartford, CT (photographer)
circa 1890s
2/14 196
George and Ralph Cooper
DeLamater & Son, Hartford, CT (photographer)
circa 1890s
2/14 197
George and Ralph Cooper
W.M. Kellogg, Hartford, CT (photographer)
circa 1890s
2/14 198
Ralph Cooper
Pach Brothers, New York, NY (photographer)
circa 1890s
2/14 199
Morris Cooper
Estabrook & Naegeli, New York, NY (photographer)
circa 1880s

Family and friends of the Cooper and Levy familiesReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
2/15 200
Gertie Murphie
Tuttle, Bridgeport, CT (photographer)
circa 1880s
2/15 201
Mrs. Klein and Mrs. Wolf
Wilh. Känel, Interlaken, Switzerland (photographer)
August 1904
2/15 202-203
Max and Mrs. Bash
Brunel, NY (photographer)
circa 1910s
2/15 204
Children of Reva Weil
Varney, Chicago, Illinois (photographer)
undated
2/15 206
Patsy Gene Grostein
Noel Photo, Lewiston, Idaho (photographer)
1942
3/1 207-214
Portraits of men, women and children, possibly New York branch of Cooper Family
Aimé Dupont, NY Dana, NY Duryea, NY (photographer)
circa 1880s-1890s
3/2 215-220
Portraits of men, women and children, possibly New York branch of Cooper Family
Jordan Gallery, NY; M.A. Harrison, NY; Meoro & Co, NY; Ollivier & Co, NY (photographer)
circa 1880s-1890s
3/3 221-225
Portraits of men and women
1886-1920s
8/1 226
Portraits of men and women
1886-1920s

Levy family homeReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
3/4 227-229 circa 1899-1927

Cooper & Levy business (Seattle, Wash.)Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
3/5 230 circa 1890s
3/5 231 1897
box-folder:oversize
4/8 232 1897
5/4 233
Republic Building on Third Avenue and Pike Street, Seattle
circa 1950
Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
3/7 237
Matador and bull in ring with spectators on bleachers
3/7 238
Group picture at Christmas party
circa 1940s

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Jewish businesspeople--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs
  • Jewish families--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs
  • Jewish lawyers--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs
  • Motion picture theater managers--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs
  • Philanthropists--Washington (State) eattle--Photographs
  • Real estate developers--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs
  • Stores, Retaill ashington (State)--Seattle--Photographs
  • Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)
  • Women philanthropists--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs

Personal Names

  • Cooper, Elizabeth Levy, d. 1915--Photographs
  • Cooper, Isaac, 1857-1943--Photographs
  • Levy, Aubrey, d. 1945--Photographs
  • Levy, Esther, 1839-1920--Photographs
  • Levy, Eugene--Photographs

Corporate Names

  • Cooper & Levy (Firm : Seattle, Wash.)

Family Names

  • Cooper family--Photographs
  • Levy family--Photographs

Form or Genre Terms

  • Photographic prints
  • Photographs

Other Creators

  • Family Names
    • Cooper family
    • Levy family