Seattle Municipal Archives Photograph Index
The Mayor is the chief executive officer of the City with responsibilities for law enforcement, appointing department heads, administering City department and programs, and preparing and executing the City budget. Seattle's original Charter (1869) created the position of Mayor who served as ex-officio President of the Common Council. The 1875 Charter gave the Mayor a cote on Council. That was amended in 1886 to provide for a tie-breaking vote only. The 1890 Charter completely separated the Executive and Legislative branches. Mayoral terms were set at 4 years by the 1946 City Charter.
Born digital photographs of mayoral programs, conferences, and events, including but not limited to: neighborhood walking tours, Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement progress, awards ceremonies, cultural activities, naturalization ceremonies, transportation developments, press conferences, bill signings, climate actions, visiting dignitaries, and parades.
Office of the Mayor Digital Photographs continue to be updated as new material is acquired and processed. Available now are images captured during the terms of Mayors Greg Nickels (2001-2009), Mike McGinn (2010-2013), and Ed Murray(2014-2017).
For photos of a specific Mayor's term, see descriptions and links to photographs below. Click
Images from Mayor Nickels two terms relate to programs such as Bridging the Gap, Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement, U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection summit, South Lake Union streetcar groundbreaking, numerous awards and recognition ceremonies, and visits with dignitaries such as Barack Obama, Al Gore, and the Dalai Lama.
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Mayor Mike McGinn's digital photos feature town halls and budget hearings; visit to Seattle Sister Cities Chongqing and Beijing, China; signing ceremonies for the panhandling ordinance veto and rental inspection resolution; Books on Bikes program; Bike-to-Work Day; South Lake Union trolley announcement; Muckleshoot Canoe Journey; Seattle's first same-sex marriages at City Hall; Fundraiser at Faith Samoan Church; neighborhood tours; and the City Hall Open House.
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Mayor Ed Murray photos include events such as: signing ceremonies for minimum wage bill, Race and Social Justice Initiative, and supporting Planned Parenthood; neighborhood summits; Seahawks celebration; Pride parade; Indigenous Peoples day; and community events including Vietnamese New Year's celebration..
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Records are open to the public.
[Item number.] Office of the Mayor Digital Photograph Collection, Record Series 5200-03. Seattle Municipal Archives.
Photographs acquired through the Seattle Municipal Archives Digital Image Management Program.
This series may grow due to continued accessioning through the Digital Image Management Program. This finding aid will be updated to reflect additional accessions.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.