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Walter Straley Century 21 Exposition Photograph Collection, 1961-1963

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Straley, Walter William, 1913-1999
Title
Walter Straley Century 21 Exposition Photograph Collection
Dates
1961-1963 (inclusive)
Quantity
5 boxes, (3.09 cubic feet)
Collection Number
1965.3598 (accession)
Summary
Photographic materials collected by Walter Straley documenting the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair (Century 21 Exposition.)
Repository
Museum of History & Industry, Sophie Frye Bass Library

P.O. Box 80816
Seattle, WA
98108
Telephone: 2063241126 x102
library@mohai.org
Access Restrictions

The collection is open to the public by appointment.

Languages
English.
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Biographical Note

Walter William Straley (1913-1999) was born in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. Shortly after his birth the family moved to Manderson, Wyoming where his father worked as a railroad depot agent and town mayor. After his father lost his job with the railway, the family moved to Des Moines, Iowa. Walter left home at age fifteen but later returned and graduated from North High School in 1928. He was a popular, charismatic student and went on to attend Grinnell College and earn a degree in drama, the first in his family to pursue a higher education. After graduation Walter worked for a short time as a radio announcer. He enjoyed acting and reportedly competed against Ronald Reagan in a Des Moines repertory theater.

In 1933, Straley accepted an entry level position with Northwestern Bell Telephone Co. selling services and collecting overdue bills in the Des Moines office. There he met his future wife Rachel Worthington, and they were married in 1938. The couple had five children.

Straley excelled at public speaking and soon began moving up in the Bell Company. The family relocated every 3 or 4 years as his position changed in the company. In 1961, he became founding president of Pacific Northwest Bell in Seattle and was the youngest president in the company at the time. His progressive policies reduced management and hired African Americans for the first time. He had a lifelong commitment to community service and headed the Seattle Area Industrial Council. He served as president of the Century 21 Center, Inc. and was a member of the planning team for the Seattle World’s Fair. Straley was well-connected in the business community and active in obtaining corporate and political sponsorship for fair exhibits. The large Bell Systems Pavilion had a variety of state-of-the art telecommunications displays.

After five years at Pacific Northwest Bell, in 1966 Straley was transferred to New York and became a vice president for AT&T. He continued his commitment to racial equality in hiring and corporate public service. In 1971, he retired from AT&T and returned to Seattle where he managed a consulting practice and became president of the Seattle Symphony Board. He campaigned for Democratic candidates and helped found the Straley House, a transitional home for street children in the University District. He remained active in local politics and community service until his death in 1999.

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Content Description

The collection contains over 1,800 individual images and provides a comprehensive visual documentation of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair (Century 21 Exposition.) Many of the images were acquired while Straley was active in the planning and construction phases of the fair. The collection includes over 200 captioned portraits of fair planners, politicians and management. Later photographs show completed exhibits, buildings, ceremonies, celebrities and attractions during the fair’s run from April 21 to October 21, 1962. The photographs and slides are organized into 36 subject categories.

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Historical Background

The Century 21 Exposition (Seattle World’s Fair) began its six-month run on April 21, 1962 after years of planning, building and preparation. In 1955, the Washington state legislature passed a bill designating $5,000 to form a World’s Fair Commission. The Commission was quickly organized with enthusiastic participation from local politicians, business and community leaders. In 1956, Washington voters passed a $7.5 million Civic Center bond at the same time the legislature approved an additional $7.5 million. With these funds, the Commission began preparations for the “Century 21 Exposition." The complex planning and construction process was soon underway. The lower Queen Anne area had been selected for a “civic center" in 1919, and the city of Seattle provided the Century 21 Commission with land and buildings conservatively valued at $14 million. A groundbreaking ceremony for the massive Washington State Coliseum was held on May 12, 1960, launching ambitious urban renewal and construction projects for the new fairgrounds.

The theme of the fair was science and the Commission consulted with some of the nation’s top scientists on exhibit development. The goal was to design complex science exhibits that would still appeal to a wide audience. Corporate sponsors were urgently needed to develop educational exhibits while showcasing their current and future products. Ford Motor Company was of the first corporate exhibitors to sign on, and Bell Systems and others soon followed. The resulting exhibits were a unique combination of science, self-promotion and entertainment. Ford Motor Company’s “An Adventure in Outer Space" and Boeing’s “Spacearium" were among the most popular fair attractions. The Bell Systems Exhibit featured a film called “Century 21 Calling" and had a direct “city-to-city" dialing demonstration by attractive female telephone operators.

The sparkling new fairgrounds with the iconic Space Needle, monorail, exotic exhibits, art displays, racy amusements, restaurants, shops and entertainment gained international attention in 1962. Nearly 10 million tickets were eventually sold, making the fair a financial success and leaving behind a permanent legacy of public buildings and landmarks at the site now known as the Seattle Center.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

The Museum of History & Industry is the owner of the materials in the Sophie Frye Bass Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from MOHAI before any reproduction use. The museum does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.

Preferred Citation

Walter Straley Century 21 Exposition Photograph Collection, Museum of History & Industry, Seattle

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The print photograph series is arranged by folder into 25 subject categories. The series of 90 individual color transparencies covers a variety of fair subjects and promotional materials. The series of slides taken by Byers Photography, Portland, Oregon are arranged with the photographer’s original numbering system. The additional slides have been organized into eight subject categories.

Location of Collection

2a.3.6

Acquisition Information

Gift of Walter Straley, 1965

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Century 21 Exposition (1962 : Seattle, Wash.)
  • Exhibition buildings–Washington (State)–Seattle
  • Exhibitions–Washington (State)–Seattle
  • Seattle Center (Seattle, Wash.)
  • Space Needle (Seattle, Wash.)

Geographical Names

  • Seattle (Wash.)

Form or Genre Terms

  • Film transparencies
  • Photographs
  • Slides

Finding aid prepared by Sue Terrible
2011

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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