History is more than dates and events. History is images often as mundane as a shopper buying vegetables or a lost view of a neighborhood transformed by development. In the three decades following the midcentury mark, Seattle photographers captured the city day-to-day, to have their exposures published once, or not at all, and then relegated to the darkness of an archive.

Historic Photos of Seattle in the 50s, 60s, and 70s compiles photos that recover some of the memories. Mary Randlett and Josef Scaylea are widely known and highly regarded for their work with light and film, and their work appears here. For some photos, the names of city employees and other professionals of lesser note, but no less skill, can be credited. And for many, the photographer’s name is lost to time, but his work endures.