Louis I. Hoffman family photograph collection, approximately 1890-1950

Overview of the Collection

Compiler
Hoffman (Family : Hoffman, Louis I., 1868-1948)
Title
Louis I. Hoffman family photograph collection
Dates
approximately 1890-1950 (inclusive)
Quantity
.49 cubic feet (2 boxes; 2 folders)
76 photographic prints ; various sizes
Collection Number
PH0752
Summary
Photographs of Louis I. Hoffman family, his clothing stores in New York and Seattle, and other Hoffman family members
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

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

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Louis Isaac Hoffman (1868-1948) was a Jewish businessman involved in the clothing trade in New York State; he later relocated to Seattle, Washington, where he opened a series of clothing stores. Hoffman, who married Sarah Rebecca Gottstein (1873-1942) of St. Paul, Minneapolis in 1894, had moved to Seattle by 1907. The couple would have five children; two daughters, Marion and Dorothy, and a son, Jerome, all of whom were born in New York, as well as two daughters who were born in Seattle, Greta Grace (known as Grace, born 27 January 1906) and Louise Irene (born 20 February 1912). Hoffman had specialized in men's furnishings in Ogdensburg, New York, but expanded to women's wear after his arrival in Seattle, where he initially served as the manager of the Novelty Skirt Manufacturing Company. Hoffman operated several clothing stores in Seattle over the years, including the Hoffman Cloak & Suit Company, Paragon Cloak & Suit Company, and the Pants Store.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection contains photographs of the Louis Hoffman family, his clothing stores in New York and Seattle, and other Hoffman family members.

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

Acquisition Information

Gift of Steve Sorghee, 2001.

Processing Note

Processed by Ryan Hard; processing completed in June 2008

These photographs were relocated from the Hoffman Family Papers, accession 5490-001 in the repository, in November 2007.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Clothing Store Business CardsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/1 1
Business card for Hoffman's Cloaks & Suits
Address: 1510 Westlake, at 4th between Pike and Pine, Seattle, WA
undated
1/1 2
Business card for the Pants Store Co.
Address: 1209 Third Avenue, Seattle, WA
undated
1/1 3
Business card for J. Berkman Company
Address: 220 Jackson Street, Seattle, WA
undated
1/1 4
Business card Newport Clothing Company, Inc.
Address: 149 Fifth Avenue, New York City
undated

Hoffman Cloak & Suit CompanyReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/2 5a-b
Postcard for Hoffman Cloak & Suit Company showing crowd in front of store for "dollar sale"
Postcard 5a shows "Hoffman Cloak & Suit Co." graphic over store entrance. Postcard 5b does not have the graphic and shows less of the store front. Date of sale indicated on postcard as October 11, 1909
1908-1909
box-folder:oversize
2/1 6a
Exterior of the Novelty Skirt Manufacturing Company with crowd in front for "dollar sale", 1316 Second Avenue, Seattle
"Hoffman Cloak & Suit Co. Inc." inked over photo. Served as the basis for the postcards. Date on reverse, August, 3, 1908, conflicts with date of sale indicated on postcard
1908-1909
box:oversize
XH3 6b
Exterior of the Novelty Skirt Manufacturing Company with a different view of the crowd in front for dollar sale
circa 1908-1909
box-folder:oversize
2/1 7
Storefront of the Novelty Skirt Manufacturing Company with mannequins in windows
Note on reverse reads "Aug. 3, 190-" while a very similar picture in the advertisement indicates October 11, 1909
circa 1909
Box/Folder
1/2 8
Exterior of the Hoffman Cloak & Suit Company with crowd in front
Jacobs Photo Shop, Seattle, Seattle (photographer)
Sign over door reads "Sale of Goldstein and Fisher Stock"Formerly the Novelty Skirt Manufacturing Co.
circa 1909
box-folder:oversize
2/1 9
Exterior of Hoffman Cloak & Suit Company with crowd in front
Jacobs Photo Shop, Seattle (photographer)
Sign over door reads "Wellington Wreck Sale". On March 1, 1910 a disaster occurred near Wellington, WA when an avalanche derailed two Great Northern trains killing 96 people
1910
2/1 10
Exterior of Hoffman Cloak & Suit Company with crowd in front
Sign in front reads "Hoffman's Annual Dollar Sale"
July 25, 1913
Box/Folder
1/2 11
Sewing factory with employees and (probably) Louis I. Hoffman in back
Note on reverse states address as 1316 Second Avenue, Seattle
undated

Paragon Cloak & Suit CompanyReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/3 12 circa 1910
1/3 13-15 circa 1910

Pants Store CompanyReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/4 16 undated
1/4 17
Pants Store Company storefront with sign overhead
undated
1/4 18-19 undated
1/4 20a-b
Interior of Pants Store Company
Photograph 20a served as basis for photograph 20b which is a postcard with advertising on it.
circa 1910
1/4 21
Interior of Pants Store Company
undated
1/4 22 undated
1/4 23a-b
Pants Store Company storefront with sign over door reading "Closing-Out Sale"
Photograph 23a includes lettering that reads "Pants Store" over doorway.
undated

Other Hoffman Stores in SeattleReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/5 24 undated
box-folder:oversize
2/2 25
Possibly the interior of Everybody's Store with employees
Note on reverse states address as 1207 2nd Avenue, Seattle
circa 1904-1907
Box/Folder
1/5 26 undated
1/5 27
Drawing of Hoffman's Women's Apparel storefront at 1510 Westlake, Seattle made from photograph #26
undated

Boston Clothing Store, Ogdensburg, New YorkReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/6 28-29
Interior of Boston Clothing Store showing shelves
circa 1895-1900
1/6 30a-b
Two views of the interior of Boston Clothing Store showing shelves of boxes and counter filled with goods
circa 1895-1900
1/6 31
Interior of Boston Clothing Store with employees
circa 1895-1900
1/6 32 1899

Hoffman brothersReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/7 33 undated
1/7 34
Portrait of Louis Hoffman
James M. Dow, Ogdensburg, NY (photographer)
Mr. Hoffman has a Freemasonry button on his jacket
undated
1/7 35
Louis Hoffman with Albert Wake
July 4, 1943
1/7 36
Portrait of A. Hoffman as young adult
James M. Dow , Ogdensburg, NY (photographer)
undated
1/7 37
Portrait of A. Hoffman
Braas (photographer)
undated
1/7 38
A. Hoffman as old man, standing on porch
undated
box-folder:oversize
2/2 39
Portrait of Henry Hoffman
Miss White, New York (photographer)
circa 1920
Box/Folder
1/7 40
Henry Hoffman holding baby
1928

Hoffman familyReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/8 41
Portrait of Sarah R. Gottstein
Haynes, St. Paul, MN (photographer)
August 28, 1893
1/8 42
Portrait of Sarah Gottstein
Shepherd Photo, St. Paul, MN (photographer)
circa 1893
1/8 43
Two small children standing on porch
Home Portrait Co, Seattle, WA (photographer)
Possibly Jerome and Louise I. Hoffman
circa 1895-1905
1/8 44
A woman, likely Sarah Gottstein Hoffman, with children sitting by Long Lake, WA
1920
1/8 45
A woman, likely Sarah Gottstein Hoffman, and Louis Hoffman with woman at Lake Southerland, WA
circa 1920
1/8 46
A woman, likely Sarah Gottstein Hoffman, sitting in chair
circa 1920
1/8 47
Two Hoffman sisters looking at newspaper in front of fireplace
Possibly Dorothy and Grace Hoffman
circa 1947
box:oversize
XH3 48
University of Washington Company D Students Army Training Corps group photograph
Jerome Hoffman is in the second to back row, sixth from the right.
circa 1918
Box/Folder
1/8 49
Hoffman family outdoors standing around Louis Hoffman who is seated
July 1947
1/8 50
Louis Hoffman with his son and daughters in front of fireplace
circa 1947
1/8 51 circa 1947
1/8 52
Hoffman family sitting in Louise I. Hoffman's living room
Address of Hoffman home is 1249 16th East, Seattle, WA
1948
1/8 53
Set dining table in Louise I. Hoffman's home
1948
1/8 54 1948
1/8 55
Louise I. Hoffman and women seated around Louise's dining table for baby shower
circa 1948
1/8 56 circa 1905-1910
1/8 57
Portrait of Dorothy Hoffman as young woman
circa 1915-1920
1/8 58
Louise I. Hoffman wearing fur coat
October 1949
1/8 59
Louise I. Hoffman with dog Renee outside
1971
1/8 60
Grace Hoffman walking dog Renee outside
August 1970
1/8 61
Portrait of Myron E. Hoffman on an announcement of his appointment to Manager of United Airlines' New York Mercantile Division
circa 1960-1970

Hoffman Home, 1510 East Columbia, SeattleReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/9 62 circa 1900-1905
1/9 63
House probably with one of the Hoffman sisters as a child standing in front with dog
circa 1905-1910
1/9 64
Rear view of house at 1510 East Columbia
undated
1/9 65
Front of house at 1510 East Columbia, with yard heavily covered in snow
1915
1/9 66
Front of house at 1510 East Columbia, with yard heavily covered in snow
1916

Miscellaneous photographsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/10 67
Portrait of baby
Boyd and Braas, Seattle (photographer)
Probably one of the Hoffman daughters
circa 1895-1905
box-folder:oversize
2/3 68
Group of portraits on a board - probably from a girls' school
1904
Box/Folder
1/10 69
Christmas greeting card of family sitting around fireplace
December 1929
1/10 70
Woman sitting on side rail of car
undated
1/10 71 August 16, 1943
1/10 72 circa 1945
1/10 73
Battleship at sea
circa 1940-1950
1/10 74
Blue four-door Chevrolet sedan
circa 1950-1960
1/10 75
Store building with cars in front, Seattle
undated

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Clothing trade--New York (State)--Ogdensburg--Photographs
  • Clothing trade--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs
  • Jewish businesspeople--Washington (State)| eattle--Photographs
  • Jewish families--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs
  • Stores, Retail--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs
  • Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)

Personal Names

  • Hoffman, Louis I., 1868-1948--Family--Photographs
  • Hoffman, Louis I., 1868-1948--Photographs

Geographical Names

  • Seattle (Wash.)--Commerce

Other Creators

  • Personal Names
    • Hoffman, Grace, 1906-1992
    • Hoffman, Louise I. (Louise Irene), 1912-1998