Suzanne Hittman Collection of the Pike Place Market
Preview up to 100 items from this collection below. Explore the early history of the Pike Place Market through letters, receipts, plans, rental agreements and other documents related to the market’s business.
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John Clifford contract for employment with Pike Place Public Markets, Inc., January 1927
The contract presents the terms of John Clifford's employment as the Assistant Manager for Pike Place Public Markets, Inc. The contract stipulates that Clifford will work for the company for a period of ten years with a salary of $275 per month with additional stock benefits.
Identifier: spl_sh_00030
Date: 1927-01
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Letter from Arthur Goodwin to John J. Rowan describing the opening of the Tacoma Crystal Palace Public Market, June 24, 1927
Letter from Arthur Goodwin to John J. Rowan thanking him for his congratualtions on the opening of the Tacoma Crystal Palace Public Market. Goodwin describes market's success and the high traffic on opening day. He writes 'I actually believe there were more people circulating through the market on the opening day than we have in the Pike Place Public Markets on a Saturday. The business that was transacted by some of the merchants was astounding. All of the butcher shops sold out entirely three times during the day; one farmer took in over $500.00 from the sale of farm produce; one fruit man sold $90.00 worth of bananas in one hour; Piggly Wiggly had the largest attendance at the opening of the market than at any of their stores in the northwest; and so it went down the line.'
Identifier: spl_sh_00120
Date: 1927-06-24
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Letter from John J. Rowan to Arthur Goodwin regarding the New York Central market, November 21, 1927
Letter from John J. Rowan to Arthur Goodwin regarding the New York Central market, asking if he will be taking a role in the planning process.
Identifier: spl_sh_00122
Date: 1927-11-21
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Letter from A.H. Albertson regarding funds donated to prevent African Americans from buying property, November 7, 1927
Letter regarding funds collected from property owners near 34th Avenue to prevent the property at 507 34th Avenue from being bought by African Americans. The recipient of the letter is unknown.
Identifier: spl_sh_00068
Date: 1927-11-07
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Market Rules and Regulations
Pike Place Market Rules and Regulations for tenants to abide by including certain hours of operation, management approval for signage, behavior requirements and the specific commodities that tenants are allowed to sell at their stalls. This particular form states that the tenant will be allowed to sell ""all drinks, all kinds pastry, chili, soups, salads, [and] individual meat pies.""
Identifier: spl_sh_00056
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Letter to Mr. Van Nostrand regarding his disputes with another merchant, December 7, 1928
Letter informing Mr. Van Nostrand that Mr. White, a butter and egg merchant with a stall near him, has made numberous complaints about Mr. Van Nostrand's antagonistic behavior which includes stacking his materials so that shoppers cannot see Mr. White's stall. The letter states 'He also claims you do other petty things to arouse his anger (or in other words trying to get his goat) that are too numerous to mention' and encourages Mr. Van Nostrand to act more considerately.
Identifier: spl_sh_00060
Date: 1928-12-07
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Butterfly, ca. 1921
Frank Asakichi Kunishige was born in Japan on June 5, 1878. He came to the United States via San Francisco in 1895. After graduating from the Illinois College of Photography, he opened a small photography studio in San Francisco. Kunishige moved to Seattle in 1917. In the same year, he married Gin Kunishige and began working in the studio of Edward S. Curtis where he became acquainted with Ella McBride who he worked for in later years. Kunishige was well known for his use of Pictorialism, a popular painterly style of photography. He developed his photographs on "textura tissue," a paper of his own creation, which allowed him to produce almost dreamlike prints. His work was featured nationally and internationally in exhibitions and publications such as Photo-Era and Seattle's Town Crier. In 1924, Kunishige became one of the founding members of the Seattle Camera Club, a group of local photographers including Kyo Koike, Yukio Morinaga, Iwao Matsushita and Fred Y. Ogasawara who gathered to share techniques and ideas, as well as their deep love of the medium. Although the group was initially solely Japanese, they soon welcomed more members including Ella McBride, their first female member. When World War II struck and the country's Japanese internment policy was put in place, Kunishige and his wife were forced to leave Seattle for Idaho where they were interned at the Minidoka camp. After their release, Kunishige spent two years working at a photography studio in Twin Falls, Idaho but eventually returned to Seattle due to his poor health. Frank Kunishige passed away on April 9, 1960.
Identifier: spl_art_367924_23
Date: 1921
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Clipping on construction of new Bon Marche building, 1927
Seattle Post Intelligencer clipping discussing the start of construction on the new Bon Marché building.
Identifier: spl_sh_00024
Date: 1927-08-07
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Agreement between the City of Seattle and Pike Place Public Markets, Inc., November 1927
Agreement allowing the City of Seattle to use certain spaces within the Market owned by Pike Place Public Markets, Inc. for the construction of public sidewalks. In addition it allows Pike Place Public Markets, Inc. to use certain stalls within the Municipal Market Building which are owned by the City.
Identifier: spl_sh_00034
Date: 1927-11
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Invitation from the Officers and Directors of the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition to Opening Ceremonies in Seattle, Washington, June 1, 1909
With A.Y.P.E. seal.
Identifier: mohai_ayp_2006.3.46.4
Date: 1909-06-01
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