Shining brightly from the top of The Bon Marche department store (now Macy’s) in downtown Seattle, it signifies Christmas is on the way, and soon! This version of the star was first illuminated for Christmas in 1957. Always in competition with Frederick & Nelson department store to draw in holiday shoppers with creative and dazzling displays, a young merchandiser was asked to come up with a star that could be displayed on the upper corner of the building at Fourth and Pine. The first display in 1953 was a tree with a small star, but it gradually grew into a large star with no tree in 1957, the same star displayed these days. As twilight gathered around downtown, I was able to get this shot of the star which provided me with a Christmas image unique to Seattle and I used it as the background for my holiday blog theme uploaded today.
i love the star and the building it is on, and you are talented to be able to use it as the background, something i have not conquered
I write my own WordPress templetes…
A nice recollection from the past.
Sometimes I wish things were still like our lives in ‘Christmas Story,’ era…
Ooh, interesting how it shows through your blog pages! Nice. Margie
I do that deliberately by setting the opacity level at less than 100%…
i do like how it is mounted on the corner.
I do too!
Neat to see a Bon Marche that isn’t part of a mall.
I wish it were still the Bon… I miss Frederick and Nelson too…
I love it! Re: your snowfall question, we average around 5-8 snowfalls a season (Nov-April) and they very from a few inches to a few feet.
Wow, that’s a lot … way more than us!
It’ll always be the Bon Marche to me too, even though it’s been Macy’s for years now.
Yes… me too!
Hi Marge –
I saw this photograph and nearly felt homesick for Christmas when I was much younger. I was fascinated by the old buildings, the images in the department stores, and the (now) antique decorations, classic, such as this star. Thank you for bring it back for some of us!
Best wishes!
Mary
Homesick for simpler times.. I hear ya!
Wow, Wow, Wow, just gorgeous
Yes and nostalgic too!
This photo has a very nostalgic feel to it, Madge. Love the big displays like this. :)
Love the star. So original and beautiful! Great shot!