Secret Seattle (Seattle Walk Report): An Illustrated Guide to the City's Offbeat and Overlooked History - Couverture rigide

Ryan, Susanna

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 1632173743 ISBN 13 : 9781632173744

Editeur : Sasquatch Books, 2021

Synopsis

Capturing the same charm and whimsy she brought to Seattle Walk Report, Instagram darling Susanna Ryan takes things a step further, revealing the forgotten history behind the people, places, and things that shaped Seattle.

Cartoonist and creator of Seattle Walk Report, Susanna Ryan strolls on with a quirky new illustrated guide celebrating Seattle's historical treasures and outdoor wonders. In Secret Seattle, Ryan explores the weird and wonderful hidden history behind some of the city's most overlooked places, architecture, and infrastructure, from coal chutes in Capitol Hill, to the last remainder of Seattle's original Chinatown in Pioneer Square, to the best places in town to find century-old sidewalks. Discover pocket parks, beautiful boulevards, and great public gardens while learning offbeat facts that will make you see the Emerald City in a whole new way. Perfect for both the local history buff who never leaves a favorite armchair to a walking enthusiast looking for offbeat and off-the-beaten-path scavenger hunts.

A propos du livre

À propos de l'auteur

Susanna Ryan, the artist behind Seattle Walk Report, is a self-taught cartoonist, illustrator, and designer. After discovering a love for exploring Seattle by foot, she anonymously started the Instagram comic series Seattle Walk Report in 2017. Her first book, Seattle Walk Report, was published in 2019. With her keen eye for Seattle's overlooked landmarks and everyday ephemera, she captures everything that makes the Emerald City magical. Her work has appeared in Seattle magazine, The Stranger, Seattle Refined, The Evergrey, and the Seattle Review of Books, as well as on KOMO News and 107.7 The End.

Extrait. © Reproduit sur autorisation. Tous droits réservés.

Dear Reader,

Five years ago, when I started taking long walks around Seattle for fun, it felt like the city was blossoming right before my eyes. Discovery awaited me at every turn, as previously ignored side streets were explored, Little Free Libraries were rummaged through, and spilled boxes of paper clips on the sidewalk became the catalyst for endless wonder. By slowing down and tuning in to my surroundings, I found myself appreciating the little things in life in a whole new way.

These strolls were turned into an online comic, and later, a book, called Seattle Walk Report, where the everyday mundanities of city life were meticulously documented through data collection and drawings. Even thousands of miles in, the ephemeral discoveries of a meandering walk were a renewable source of comic inspiration. But then, on a late summer evening in Capitol Hill, a new sort of inspiration struck.

I was walking on sidewalks whose every crack and contour I knew well, past buildings I had seen countless times, when something caught my attention. There, on the side of an old building on 14th Ave. and E. Pike St., appeared a small rectangular door at ground level. “CLARKS COAL CHUTE,” an embossed emblem on the door read. “T.F. CLARK. PATENTED JULY 24 1906. SEATTLE, WASH.”

Before I knew it, I was digging through US Census records, patent applications, newspaper databases, and photo archives, determined to piece together what I could about this mysterious man and his beautiful coal chute. A few weeks later and knee-deep in research, I returned to 14th and Pike in the daytime to get a photo of this object of my affection and… it was gone, the hole that remained covered up by a piece of plywood. A rented dumpster stood nearby. I felt like I had dreamt it (and briefly considered dumpster diving). This coal chute had likely been sitting on the side of that building for over 100 years, I’d spotted it, and then just weeks later, it was gone. What were the chances?
But then, I saw another Clark’s Coal Chute on Capitol Hill. And another. My eyes were opened anew, and I began to wonder how much I really knew about the things I passed by every day on Seattle’s streets, from light fixtures and utility covers to bricks and parks. The closer I looked at the parts of my environment I had glossed right over, the more questions I had. There was a heap of hidden history right under my nose, just waiting to be documented before becoming the next thing to meet its fate at the bottom of a nondescript dumpster on a Capitol Hill street corner.

On these pages, you’ll find the untold story of T. F. Clark and his coal chutes, along with other tales—of trees, trails, and terra-cotta. I wanted to shine a light on the stories behind the places and things you can walk or roll by any day in Seattle, as well as share some of my favorite under-the-radar spots, most of which I didn’t even know existed before a chance encounter on a neighborhood walk. My hope is that this book will inspire you to take a look at your surroundings with a new interest and curiosity. While mundane on the surface, a closer look may reveal some fascinating stories and secrets that deserve to see the light of day.

Love,
Seattle Walk Report
a.k.a. Susanna Ryan

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Sasquatch Books
• Date d'édition: 2021
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 1632173743
• ISBN 13: 9781632173744
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 176
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible