MOHAI’S Collections

Even before the Seattle Historical Society’s incorporation in 1914, Seattleites were collecting their history. Over the years, the society’s active volunteers preserved photographs, letters, clothing, tools, paintings and many other items relating to the history of their city and the region. In 1952, the Museum of History & Industry opened in Montlake to house and exhibit the growing collection of library materials and three-dimensional objects. Today, MOHAI’s collections can be found at the museum and at two off-site storage facilities.

The museum’s collections focus on the history of Seattle and the central Puget Sound region from the time of Euro-American settlement in 1851 to present day. Items in the collections are used for exhibits and research, as well as for programs for children and the general public.

MOHAI’s collections include 3 million historical images, some 100,000 artifacts and a wealth of bound volumes, manuscripts, maps and charts, ephemera, oral history transcripts, and audio and video files.

We Need Your Help

 MOHAI staff is looking to acquire artifacts and other materials for the collection to enhance the exhibits at the new museum. Currently we are looking for an intact fallout shelter from the 1950s – 1960s. If you have a fallout shelter at your home and would be willing to let us visit and photograph the shelter, please contact Lorraine McConaghy at (206) 324-1126 Ext. 23.

Background on Fallout Shelters

From the 1950s into the 1960s, Americans prepared for a possible nuclear attack, launched by the Soviet Union. Seattle’s civil defense authorities planned evacuation routes, local schools conducted air raid drills, children were taught to “duck and cover,” and several public fallout shelters were built throughout the region. Some local homeowners built their own home air raid shelters to serve as family refuges after the strike of an atomic bomb.  Designed to meet published specifications, shelter were intended to survive the first blast and to provide protection from radioactive fallout. Families were to remain within their shelters for weeks, and they were provided with beds, books and games, and stocked with food and water.

The museum relies on the generosity of its donors to strengthen and broaden its collection of artifacts, photos, archives and other historical objects with respect to our mission. With your help and generosity, we look forward to creating exceptional exhibits in an exciting new museum.

If you’re interested in donating an item to MOHAI, click here.