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ROTHERMEL • NORTHINGTON

HISTORICAL

Smith Tower, Seattle
lacquer on wood with smoked mirrors
60 H x 20 W x12 D

"WE HAVE DONE SEVERAL PIECES INVOLVING THE SMITH TOWER BUILDING IN SEATTLE. ONCE THE TALLEST BUILDING WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI, IT IS NOW DWARFED BY ITS MORE RECENT COUSINS. DESPITE THE SMITH TOWER'S RELATIVELY DIMINUTIVE STATURE, IT LOOMS LARGE IN THE HEARTS OF NORTHWEST NATIVES. IT WAS BUILT IN 1914 BY LYMAN CORNELIUS SMITH OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK WHO HAD MADE HIS FIRST FORTUNE IN ARMS MANUFACTURE (SMITH AND WESSON REVOLVER) AND HIS SECOND FORTUNE IN A PROSPEROUS TYPEWRITER COMPANY (SMITH CORONA)." MARY