A Sea Gull’s View of Seattle

Promoting arts education in the public schools of Seattle

This playful map of Seattle shows a stylized overview of the metropolitan area between Green Lake in the north and the Georgetown neighborhood in the south. A variety of vignettes highlight recreational opportunities, transportation options, and locations of interest. Other fanciful elements are also present, like sea monsters, a compass rose, and an illustrated border with the cornerstones of Seattle’s early 20th-century economy – fish, ships, power, and lumber.

The map was illustrated by Clara P. Reynolds, Art Director of the Seattle Public Schools, in 1927 and printed locally by the Pioneer Printing Company. It was distributed compliments of the American Crayon Company of Sandusky, Ohio – possibly as part of ongoing efforts to increase funding for arts programs in the school system.

Text around the edges of the sheet provides suggestive recommendations for support. e.g. – “Do you know that the Department of Superintendence of the National Education Association at the Dallas meeting passed a resolution recommending that art be given equal consideration and support with other basic subjects?”