William P. Romans Alaska Building Photographs

William P. Romans Alaska Building Photographs, 1904

Overview of the Collection

Photographer: Romans, William P
Title: William P. Romans Alaska Building Photographs
Dates: 1904 (inclusive)
19041904
Quantity: 13 photographic prints (1 box)
Collection Number: PH0592
Summary: Photographs by William P. Romans documenting the construction of the Alaska Building in Seattle in 1904.
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.

Historical BackgroundReturn to Top

After the disastrous fire of 1889, Seattle's tallest building and first steel-framed skyscraper was constructed. The Alaska Building, built from 1903 to 1904 at the southeast corner of 2nd Avenue and Cherry Street, rose fourteen stories high. Earmes & Young, a St. Louis architectural firm, with assistance from Seattle architects Saunders & Lawton, designed the building. The Alaska Building remained the tallest building in Seattle until the eighteen-story Hoge Building (located at 705 2nd Avenue) was completed in 1911.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection consists of thirteen photographs of the Alaska Building construction, 1903-1904.

All of the photographs were taken by William P. Romans, a Seattle photographer in partnership with photographer Asahel Curtis in the early 1900s.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Alternative Forms Available

View the digital version of the collection.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Photographs are arranged chronologically.

Custodial History

The photographs were transferred from the Seattle photographs file, 2004.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Robert Dunn, 1989.

Processing Note

Processed by Jill M. Dalager, 2004.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Folder	item
1	1	Construction workers and horses working in the excavation for the foundation	May 23, 1904
2	2	Construction workers and horses beginning to install steel beams in foundation	June 7, 1904
3	3	Construction workers and horses installing steel beams in foundation	June 14, 1904
4	4	Construction workers laying boards on first floor	June 21, 1904
5	5	Construction work on second and third floor wall beams	June 28, 1904
6	6	Steel beam frame construction up to sixth floor	July 19, 1904
7	7	Steel beam frame construction up to eighth floor	July 26, 1904
8	8	Steel beam frame construction up to eleventh floor	Aug. 2, 1904
9	9	Decorative brick and concrete facade on first floor	Aug. 9, 1904
10	10	Steel frame construction of Alaska Building seen from roof of building next door	Aug. 15, 1904
11	11	Steel beam construction up to fifteenth floor, decorative brick and concrete work up to second floor	Aug. 17, 1904
12	12	Steel beam construction up to fifteenth floor, decorative brick and concrete work up to sixth floor	Aug. 29, 1094
13	13	Exterior brick walls with wooden scaffolding	Sept. 5, 1904

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

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

Corporate Names

Earmes and Young
Saunders and Lawton

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)

Archives West Finding Aid

Table of Contents