Seattle City Lights was founded in 1905 under the leadership of James D. Ross. City Lights once sold Seattle on the advent of electric light. Over a century later the name may not mean much beyond where your power bill came from. Over the years thousands of photographs were taken to document different projects, elaborate exhibits, parades, parties, advertisements, people, and a long lost Seattle. This book is not intended to serve as a history lesson. It’s an art book filled with amazing photographs. These photos date from 1901 to 1985. They were all found in the Seattle Municipal Archives and are public domain. The photographers are unknown. These photos each have their own history. The only common thread is they were all found in the City Lights archive. Living in Seattle today I see a crane on every other block. The city is in flux and constantly expanding. My favorite coffee shop has been town down and replaced by another ugly brick of condos. Digging through the city’s visual history I walk down the block and feel a deeper connection to my home. I strongly encourage anyone to dig through some archives, find some oddities like those enclosed, and build a better sense of place. -Kodi Sershon
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