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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Semi nudes
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_04
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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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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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Letter from George C. Mason to Arthur Goodwin regarding Portland public market plans, October 27, 1927
Letter from George C. Mason, an engineer, to Arthur Goodwin asking for his input on proposed building plans for the Portland public market.
Identifier: spl_sh_00110
Date: 1927-10-27
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Letter from Arthur Goodwin to Walter Soames regarding a dispute over the placement of Pike Place Market stalls, November 11, 1927
Arthur Goodwin letter to Walter Soames, President of the Associated Farmers regarding a dispute with the Pike Place Public Markets, Inc. over the placement of farmers' stalls in Pike Place Market. Goodwin offers several compromises to avoid having to move farmers off the sidewalk area such as creating display signs for vegetables not grown locally and installing glass partitions for private stalls in the 'GG' section.
Identifier: spl_sh_00129
Date: 1927-11-11
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Pike Place Market postcard looking north on Pike Plaza, ca. 1915
Postcard with black and white photograph of Pike Place Market looking north along Pike Plaza which is lined with cars. The Leland Hotel can be seen on the left and signs for the Sanitary Public Market appear on the right.
Identifier: spl_sh_00027
Date: 1915?
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Letter from Arthur Goodwin to D.Z. Gourman regarding sugar prices, June 13, 1927
Letter from Arthur Goodwin to D.Z. Gourman alerting him to the fact that his selling of sugar at a discounted price during the week is negatively affecting other businesses. Goodwin advises that Gourman is only allowed to sell sugar at a discounted price on Saturdays.
Identifier: spl_sh_00084
Date: 1927-06-13
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Cherry Blossoms
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_14
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Letter from Robert L. Laing to Arthur Goodwin informing him of City ordinance violations at Pike Place Market, August 18, 1927
Letter from Robert L. Laing, City of Seattle Fire Marshall, informing Arthur Goodwin that there are several violations of City ordinances in the Pike Place Market buildings. Attached to the letter is a list of the violations including fire escapes and flou chutes that do not conform to city requirements and rotten timbers in the Athenian Bakery.
Identifier: spl_sh_00101
Date: 1927-08-16
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Letter from Arthur Goodwin to H.V. Whitehouse regarding his space in the Municipal Market, August 10, 1927
Letter from Arthur Goodwin to H.V. Whitehouse with details of the rental agreement for his Whitehouse Plating Company in the Municipal Market.
Identifier: spl_sh_00132
Date: 1927-08-10
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