Find of the Month

Each month we highlight interesting, important, and odd items from our collection, along with the stories they tell.

Most recent Find of the Month

May 2025 - Seattle City Beautiful

Beautification was a hot topic at the end of the 1950s. A national "Keep America Beautiful" campaign led to the Seattle City Council passing an ordinance defining "litter," as well as correspondence between the Mayor’s Office and other cities regarding litter enforcement and funding for visual improvement projects. Citizens were appointed to a Seattle City Beautiful Committee in 1959.

The committee sent a report to Mayor Clinton in 1960 recounting their first year of work. The group had so far mainly been focused on studying other cities' programs and determining a structure and work plan, but did "point with pride to some actual accomplishments" including a new yellow and white color scheme for trash cans, plans for a community survey, and a good working relationship with the City’s Inter-Departmental Team dedicated to the same issues.

One of the more visible products of the group’s work was the creation and adoption of Pelican Pete, "a copyrighted Seattle litter symbol." They commissioned the design of a costume which was used for community events. Pete was also used prominently in public relations materials, and stickers with his picture were given to participating downtown businesses to put in their windows.

The City’s beautification work continued in the following years. Anti-litter curriculum guides were created for teachers, and TV spots were created to run during cartoon commercial breaks. By the end of 1961, over 500 litter receptacles were installed, mainly in the downtown area, and signs were posted with reminders of the litter law. The 1962 World's Fair brought an all-out effort to have the city look its best for fair visitors.

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