2036

Seattle,WA - King County - c1910 - Blue Funnel Line, Pier 14 Photograph :

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Photographic Images Start Price:100.00 USD Estimated At:200.00 - 400.00 USD
Seattle,WA - King County - c1910 - Blue Funnel Line, Pier 14 Photograph :
A view of two steamships docked on either side of the Blue Funnel Line, Pier 14. The image measures 9 3/4 x 7 3/4", mounted on brown cardstock measuring 14 x 12". Contrast is high, while focus is sharp. "Ainsworth-Dunn" appears on the building above Pier-14, while several other signs are also easily read. A railroad car in front of the building has "Chicago Great Western" printed on its side. Several spots, areas of foxing, and one ink mark are visible on the image, but take little away from the object of the photograph. The backing has worn areas around the edge and in the corners, with both bottom corners having small areas removed. Pinholes are visible in each corner of the cardstock with several stained or discolored areas also visible. "Seattle, Wash" can also be found printed in pencil on the reverse. The photographer listed is "Frank H. Nowell, 1212 Fourth Avenue, Seattle, U.S.A." Nowell founded the first dairy ranch in Alaska in 1886 after arriving from Nebraska. Studying in Nome c.1900, he photographed ships, scenes, miners, and indigenous people. He moved his studio to Seattle in 1909, and was the official photographer of the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in 1909. (Ref: Mautz) The image is a classic dock scene: two steamers on either side of a wharf. Several railroad cars sit on railroad tracks leading directly onto the pier on the right, while several vintage autos are parked in front of the building. The name Ainsworth likely refers to Captain John A. Ainsworth, who along with several investors started the Oregon Steam Navigation Company (OSNC) in 1860. The OSNC controlled the shipping routes of steamers, railroads, and freight lines in Washington and Oregon. By 1869, the OSNC was one of the most powerful transportation companies in the Pacific Northwest. (Ref: pnwc-nrhs.org)