Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Liberty Studio photograph collection, circs 1940s
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Flatte, David; Flatte, Joseph; Liberty Studio (Seattle, Wash.)
- Title
- Liberty Studio photograph collection
- Dates
- circs 1940s (inclusive)19401949
- Quantity
- .21 linear feet, (1 box) : 21 photographs
- Collection Number
- 1000-035
- Summary
- Photographs of servicemen taken at Liberty Studio in downtown Seattle in the 1940s.
- Repository
-
Seattle Public Library, Special Collections
1000 Fourth Ave.
Seattle, WA 98104-1109
Telephone: 206-386-4636
specialcollections@spl.org - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open and available for use.
- Languages
- English
Historical NoteReturn to Top
Liberty Studio first appears in the Seattle Polk City Directories in 1941. The studio was run by David and Joseph Flatte. The studio remained in operation at 1011 1st Ave. through 1980, although it was under different ownership by that time.
The studio's location near the waterfront in downtown Seattle likely made it a convenient spot for servicemen to have their photos taken for loved ones before they departed overseas. During World War II and the Korean War, Seattle's Piers 36-39 served as a Port of Embarkation, organizing the transportation of troops and supplies across the Pacific.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This collection includes photographs of 11 soldiers and sailors taken at Liberty Studio in the 1940s. Most of the soldiers posed for two photos, one serious portrait and one smiling portrait. For each individual, there is an envelope stamped with the studio's information and handwritten details about development of the photo. Some envelopes also include the name of the individual and who the photo should be sent to, presumably loved ones of the serviceman. The negatives for the photos are also included.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
[ITEM DESCRIPTION], Liberty Studio photograph collection, circa 1940s. 1000-035. Seattle Public Library, Seattle, WA.
Restrictions on Use
Copyright restrictions apply.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Folders within the collection are organized alphabetically according to the name of the individual photographed which is sometimes included on the accompanying envelope. A few of the subjects are unidentified and have been interfiled with the rest of the names as "unidentified soldier" or "unidentified sailor."
Acquisition Information
Collection was purchased.
Processing Note
The envelope in folder 7 was photographed and discarded due to mold issues. The photographs of the envelope are available in the folder.
Acknowledgement of Harmful Content
The Seattle Public Library Special Collections Department is committed to creating an inclusive archive that documents the history of our diverse communities in a respectful manner. Our collections include historic materials that may contain images and outdated language which can be harmful due to issues such as racism, colonialism, sexism and homophobia. This content can provide important insight into the creator and context of the historic materials but can also reveal hurtful biases and prejudices.
We may decide to use or retain harmful language in our description when the terms have been used by the creator(s) of the materials to describe themselves or their community; when we have reused description created by the donor; when we have transcribed information directly from the materials; and when using national standards such as Library of Congress Subject Headings, which allow for standardized searching and retrieval of records. When including language from the original material in our finding aids or descriptions, we will indicate that this material comes directly from the original item by putting the language in quotes or prefacing it with a note that says the description is transcribed from the item or provided by the creator.
We will continually review our finding aids to identify harmful language and encourage you to contact us at specialcollections@spl.org if you find language that causes concern.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Folder | ||
1 | 1 | Anderson, Roy | circa 1940s |
1 | 2 | Gaisford, L.J. | circa 1940s |
1 | 3 | Johnson, Walter E. | circa 1940s |
1 | 4 | Mauch, Reuben | circa 1940s |
1 | 5 | Sellers, E.E. | circa 1940s |
1 | 6 | Unidentified sailor | circa 1940s |
1 | 7 | Unidentified sailor | circa 1940s |
1 | 8 | Unidentified sailor | circa 1940s |
1 | 9 | Unidentified sailor | circa 1940s |
1 | 10 | Unidentified soldier | circa 1940s |
1 | 11 | Westfall, H.D. | circa 1940s |