Book of the Year! Book of the Year!

Fans of Seattle's history -- especially its pop-culture past -- will dig Clark Humphrey's fantastic new photo book, Vanishing Seattle. Humphrey's an expert on such stuff, as he's previously demonstrated in the definitive Loser: The Real Seattle Music Story, and currently in his long-running blog, MISCmedia.com.

For me, Vanishing Seattle fondly brings to mind my dad and I eating at Dag's (not the one on the cover, but the one on Fourth Avenue South) following Mariner games at the Kingdome (p. 96). I've also eaten at Pizza Haven (p. 46), Herfy's and Sea Galley (both p. 42), and the Admiral Benbow (p. 58). I've worn Britannia jeans purchased at the Squire Shop (p. 19), gone through many pairs of Converse All-Stars purchased at Chubby & Tubby (p. 28), and had my picture taken with Santa at Frederick & Nelson (p. 10-12). In 1959 or so, my parents had their first official date at the Coliseum Theater (p. 105); in 1977 they took me to see Star Wars at the UA 150 (p. 106). I also rode the Bubbleator (p. 110), shopped with my family at both Jafco (p. 33) and Pay 'n' Save (p. 21), watched J.P. Patches on TV (p. 116-117), and bought records at Fallout (p. 26).

Here are a few other such places I've visited (and photographed) on my own...

Though Humprhey's book includes a '60s photo of the Seattle Center's Flight to Mars (p. 113), animatronic monster gargoyles were added to the ride's facade sometime in the '70s. They used to scare the crap out of me.

Humprhey's book also includes a daytime photo of Food Giant (p. 31); here's how its awesome neon sign looked at night.

This place was on Aurora near 50th (just south of Woodland Park) before it was demolished to make way for condos. It had already closed when I took this picture around 1992 or '93, though it still had menus and speakerboxes positioned at each parking spot.

Unfortunately, I never ate at Chuckwagon Bar-B-Q; I also regret the places Humphrey mentions that I could've visited but sadly didn't: the Dog House (p. 34-35), the Copper Kitchen (p. 37), Trader Vic's (p. 54), and Longacres (p. 97). Though my family did shop at the Kent Wigwam (p. 22), I'm especially bummed that I never ate at the Twin Teepees (p. 36).

Vanishing Seattle was released last week by Arcadia, the publisher responsible for those cool books lovingly filled with historic photos of specific regions around the country. (Two other local favorites are Jeff Obermeyer's Hockey in Seattle and David D. Williams's Hydroplane Racing in Seattle.) I bought mine at the Walgreen's on 15th Avenue East; it's also available at a couple other not-yet-vanished Seattle institutions, Ye Olde Curiousity Shop and Amazon.com.

Only eight more shopping days...