WAURomansWilliamPAlaskaBuildingPHColl592.xml Guide to the William P. Romans Alaska Building Photographs 1904 Romans (William P.) Alaska Building Photographs Funding for encoding this finding aid was partially provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries © 2004 (Last modified: 4/18/2018)
Seattle, WA 98195
Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard). University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections PH0592 Romans, William P William P. Romans Alaska Building Photographs 1904 13 photographic prints (1 box) Collection materials are in English. Photographs by William P. Romans documenting the construction of the Alaska Building in Seattle in 1904.

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.

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.

Photographs are arranged chronologically.

View the digital version of the collection.

Collection is open to the public.

Request at UW

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

Gift of Robert Dunn, 1989.

Processed by Jill M. Dalager, 2004.

 Earmes and Young Saunders and Lawton Historic buildings--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs Building--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs Seattle (Wash.)--Buildings, structures, etc.--Photographs Architectural photographs Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington) Photographs Seattle Architecture

 

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