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Old photos of Seattle

21 photographs of Seattle, from 1912 to 2023 — each pinned to the exact place it was taken.

Escalators in central library in 1912 — Seattle Public Library, circa 1912 Escalators in central library in 2017 — Pacific Building from Seattle Public Library 2017
Then and now: Escalators in central library, 1912 vs 2017
Have an old photo of Seattle? A family album, a postcard, a print from the attic. Pin it to the map and it becomes part of the record.
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What the photos show

The 21 photographs of Seattle on PlaceWas span 8 decades, from 1912 to 2023. 8 of them were taken before 1980; the other 13 are recent views of the same streets and landmarks.3 spots were photographed more than once, so you can compare the same street, square or building across the years.15 of the photos carry a written caption explaining what is in the frame. Every picture is pinned to the place it was taken, so the map below shows where the photographers stood.

Pick a decade to filter the photos below and the map above. Open full map ↗

Places in Seattle through time

Spots photographed more than once — compare the same place across the years.

Seattle Public Library interior 01, Seattle — photos through time
Seattle Public Library interior 01 7 photos · 2022–2023
Escalators in central library, Seattle — photos through time
Escalators in central library 6 photos · 1912–2017
Seattle - Fourth Avenue between Marion and Madison, Seattle — photos through time
Seattle - Fourth Avenue between Marion and Madison 4 photos · 1914–2023

Stories from Seattle

What contributors wrote about these photographs.

Seattle Public Library, circa, Seattle, 1912
Seattle Public Library, circa 1912 The Seattle Public Library's original Beaux-Arts central building, photographed around 1912. Completed in 1906 with support from a Carnegie grant, it served as the city's main library for decades.
Seattle - Fourth Avenue between Marion and Madison, Seattle, 1914
Seattle - Fourth Avenue between Marion and Madison 1914 Fourth Avenue between Marion and Madison, Seattle, Washington, U.S., 1914. Man is carrying a surveyor's pole, but is doing something rather odd with it.
Seattle - Newsstand at 5th & Pike, Seattle, 1938
Seattle - Newsstand at 5th & Pike 1938 Newsstand at Fifth Pike, Seattle, Washington, 1938. Looking slightly north of west, down Pike in the direction of Pike Place Market (which is out of frame at left).
Seattle Public Library demolition, Seattle, 1957
Seattle Public Library demolition 1957 Demolition underway at the Seattle Public Library in 1957. The Carnegie-funded building was torn down to make way for a new central library that opened in 1960.
Tsutakawa fountain at Seattle Public Library, Seattle, 1960
Tsutakawa fountain at Seattle Public Library 1960 Tsutakawa fountain in the plaza at the northeast corner of the then-new Paul Thiry-designed Downtown Seattle Public Library, Seattle, Washington, U.S., 1960. This fountain now sits near the southwest corner of the…
Welcome ceremony for Army troops returning from Vietnam, Seattle, 1969
Welcome ceremony for Army troops returning from Vietnam 1969 Welcome ceremony for Army troops returning from Vietnam, Seattle, Washington, U.S., 1969. Outside the downtown Seattle Public Library. In middle ground is the YMCA.
Seattle, November 2022 - 147, Seattle, 2022
Seattle, November 2022 - 147 2022 A street view in Seattle, United States, photographed in November 2022, capturing the everyday urban fabric of the Pacific Northwest's largest city, set between Puget Sound and Lake Washington.
Seattle, WA, November 2022 - 14, Seattle, 2022
Seattle, WA, November 2022 - 14 2022 The William Kenzo Nakamura United States Courthouse, home to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, is shown in this November 2022 photograph of downtown Seattle.
1910s · 2 photos
1930s · 1 photo
1950s · 1 photo
1960s · 3 photos
1970s · 1 photo
1980s · 1 photo
2010s · 1 photo
2020s · 11 photos