Maps and Atlases Collection
Preview up to 100 items from this collection below. See maps and atlases depicting the changing landscape of Seattle and other areas in the Pacific Northwest. Take a look at our historic map resources page to browse maps by location.
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Muir Glacier, Alaska, June 25, 1899
A steamboat can be seen at the far left of the photograph and the Muir Glacier can be seen at the right.
Identifier: spl_ap_00053
Date: 1899?
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Chart of the Antarctic Continent shewing the icy barrier attached to it discovered by the U.S. Ex. Ex., 1840
This map shows the travels of the expedition along the Antarctica with winds, currents, temperature, lines of variation and icy barriers.
Identifier: spl_maps_367358_02
Date: 1840
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West Seattle Bridge entrance ramps at SW Spokane St. and SW Avalon Way, May 30, 1968
View of West Seattle High-Rise Bridge (high bridge), which opened in 1984, and the Spokane Street Swing Bridge (low bridge), which opened in 1991 over the Duwamish River.
Identifier: spl_dor_00006
Date: 1968-05-30
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Richard Gilkey Interview, June 14, 1986
Richard Gilkey (1925-1997) was a painter and sculptor who was part of the Northwest School of Artists. Gilkey was born in Bellingham, Washington. His family moved to Seattle when he was 12 and he attended Ballard High School. During World War II, Gilkey served with the Marine Corps and was discharged because of injuries in August 1944. Following the war, he began to develop an interest in artwork and was particularly inspired by the work of fellow Pacific Northwest artists Mark Tobey and Guy Anderson. His work was featured in the 1948 Northwest Annual Exhibition and in 1958 Gilkey was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, allowing him to travel through Europe and further develop his skills. In 1975, he purchased a Skagit Valley home and developed an art studio where his work was increasingly inspired by the surrounding environment. His painting came to a sudden halt when he was in a car accident in 1984, which left him unable to paint for three years due to crushed vertebrae. He slowly made his way back into the art world and was awarded the Washington State Governor’s Art Award in 1990. The same year he was awarded the grand prize in the Osaka Triennale 1990 exhibit. Notice of the award came on the same day that a Skagit River levee broke and flooded his home and studio. Following a severe lung cancer diagnosis in 1997, Gilkey drove from Seattle to Jackson Hole, Wyoming with his revolver and committed suicide near Togwatee Pass. Gilkey’s works have been featured internationally and included in collections of institutions such as the Seattle Art Museum.
Identifier: spl_ds_rgilkey_01
Date: 1986-06-14
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Eugene Wright Interview, April and May 1988
Eugene Wright (1913-2002) . Wright was born in Seattle and attended TT Minor Elementary and Broadway High School. Wright earned his law degree from the University of Washington in 1937 and joined his father’s law firm following graduation. He married his wife, Esther Ladley, in 1938 and the couple had two children. During World War II, Wright joined the army and served as a Colonel in the South Pacific, leading Nisei soldiers. Wright was honored with multiple awards during his time in the service including the Bronze Star. Following the war, Wright remained a member of the U.S. Army reserve for twenty years. Upon his return to Seattle, he resumed his law career. In 1948, Wright began serving as a temporary Municipal Court Judge and in 1954 he was appointed to the King County Superior Court where he stayed for 12 years. In 1966, Wright left the court to become vice president of Pacific National Bank. Wright returned to the bench i 1969 when President Nixon appointed him to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, a position that he held until his death in 2002. Wright was active in his local church, St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, and enjoyed gardening.
Identifier: spl_ds_ewright_01
Date: 1988-04-18; 1988-04-19; 1988-05-10
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Winter dance time
Helmi Juvonen was born in Butte, Montana on January 17, 1903. She worked in many media including printmaking, painting and paper-craft. She attended Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle where she met artist Mark Tobey with whom she was famously obsessed. Although she was diagnosed as a manic-depressive in 1930, she gained wide appreciation in the Northwest for her linocut prints depicting Northwest Indian people and tribal ceremonies. She worked with a number of artists on the Public Works of Art Project including Fay Chong and Morris Graves. Over the years, her mental health deteriorated and in 1960 she was declared a ward of the state and was committed to Oakhurst Convalescent Center. She was much beloved and had many friends and benefactors (including Wes Wehr) and was able to have exhibitions despite the confinement. She died in 1985.
Identifier: spl_art_J989Wi
Date: 1946
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Philip McCracken Interview, February 8, 1987
Philip McCracken (1928-) is a Washington artist known for his animal and bird sculptures. McCracken was born in Bellingham, Washington and grew up in Anacortes. He graduated from Anacortes High School in 1947. McCracken began studying pre-law at the University of Washington but interrupted his education to serve as an Army reservist during the Korean War. When he returned to his studies, he decided to switch his major to art. He graduated from the University of Washington in 1954. After graduation McCracken traveled to England to become an apprentice to the famed British sculptor Henry Moore. On the ship to England, he met his future wife, Anne. The couple moved to New York where Morris Graves helped introduce him to local galleries. In 1955 they decided to move back to the Pacific Northwest and settled into their Guemes Island home. McCracken’s work is featured in many galleries and museums such as the Tacoma Art Museum and the Seattle Art Museum. In 1994, he was awarded the Washington Governor’s Art and Heritage Award.
Identifier: spl_ds_pmcracken_01
Date: 1987-02-08
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Mossy wood, Washington
Elizabeth Aline Colborne was born in Chamberlain, South Dakota. She studied at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY and was a member of the National Association of Women Painters and Sculptors and was also a highly accomplished printmaker. She lived in Bellingham, WA and maintained a studio in New York City. She worked on the Public Works of Art Project for the state of Washington in the 1930's.
Identifier: spl_art_C671Mo
Date: 1934
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Regrade construction SE of New Washington Hotel, ca. 1906
The backs of the Washington Hotel Annex (later known as Hotel Gowman and Hotel Stewart), the New Washington Hotel and the Moore Theatre are visible in distance near 2nd and Virginia intersection.
Identifier: spl_dr_039
Date: 1906
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