Aerial Photographs
Two types of aerial photographs are found in the photograph collections of the King County Archives:
1. Photographs taken systematically as part of an aerial mapping project, usually for tax assessment purposes.
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2. Photographs taken incidentally as part of a county project or program.
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King County Archives series containing aerial photographs
The below table lists series that are known to contain aerial photographs.
| Dates | Geographic Area | Description | Access | Series Number (links to series record) | Series Name | Record Group (Agency Name) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1931 | Boeing Field | 1 photo | Archives research room by appointment. | 49 | Miscellaneous photograph collection | King County |
| 1936- 1937 | King County outside Seattle city limits as of 1936 (see Seattle Municipal Archives Annexation history (external link)) | 1936 aerial survey conducted as part of WPA Land Use Survey project. (Related: Archives exhibit featuring film footage documenting the survey project: Films of King County Assessor Roy B. Misener.) | Indexed by Section-Township-Range; images online through Department of Transportation, Roads Services Division Map Vault. | 1042, 1043, 1532 | Aerial photographs: 1936 survey | Assessor |
| circa 1938-1973 | Cedar River, Green River, Kimball Creek, Patterson Creek, Raging River, Snoqualmie River, Andover Industrial and Commercial Site | Mounted black-and-white prints, some of which are aerial views of sites of flooding and flood control facilities. | Archives research room by appointment, digital copies available. For additional aerial photos of flooding see also department's site Historical Flood Photos. | 1883 | Department of Natural Resources and Parks, Water and Land Resources Division | Flooding and flood control project photographs |
| circa 1940-1949 | City of Shoreline, 15th Avenue NE and NE 150th Street | Single aerial photograph of former naval hospital site, which in 1947 became the location of the Firland Sanitorum for treatment of tuberculosis patients (1947-1973). | Image online in Archives collection database record | 275 (item 275.27.23) | Photograph files | Public Health |
| 1947-1991 | State Flood Control Zone District | Aerial photographs are present in some permit files for individual properties. | Archives research room by appointment. | 630 | Permits | Department of Transportation, Roads Services Division |
| 1950-1988 | Sites throughout King County | Photographs of department projects, include aerials. | Images are indexed in Archives collection database, access photos Archives research room by appointment. | 415 | Photograph files | Department of Transportation / Community Relations |
| 1950-2013 | Current and former landfill and transfer station sites throughout King County. | Aerial photos of County operated landfills and transfer stations. Series includes 8" x 8" photographic prints and oversized mounted prints. | Archives research room by appointment. | 441 | Photograph files | Public Works, Solid Waste Division / Department of Natural Resources and Parks Solid Waste Division |
| 1955-1987 | South Park Bridge, Duwamish River area | Aerials included in Box 15. | Archives research room by appointment. | 474.15 | Bridge files (photographs) | Road Engineer |
| 1958, 1959, 1960, 1964, 1968 | King County | Aerial photographs and maps used for residential appraisal. | Indexed by flight path, access in archives research room by appointment. | 922 | Aerial photographs | Department of Assessments / Residential Appraisal |
| 1960-1989 | King County | Color aerial photographs. | Archives research room by appointment. | 629 | Administrative working files | Department of Transportation / Roads Services Division |
| circa 1960-2000 | King County wastewater facilities, roads and streets, City of Seattle. | Photographs of METRO projects, property, and facilities; City of Seattle aerial photographs used in program promotion. | Archives research room by appointment. | A07-056 | Photographs | Department of Transportation |
| circa 1960-2002 | Unincorporated King County | Many aerials of roads, rivers, county properties and structures. Videos also include aerial footage. | Indexed by subject in Archives online collection database. Access photos in Archives research room by appointment. Some images online in Archives collection database. | 400 | Photograph and moving image files | Department of Transportation / Road Services Division |
| 1961 | Ranges 2E-6E, Townships 20-23, 25, 26 | Aerial photostatic prints from Assessor survey. | Section list in series file. Archives research room by appointment. | 425 | Aerial photostat maps | Assessor |
| [1961]-1965 | Ranges 3E-5E | Diazotypes. | Archives research room by appointment. | 1649 | Aerial photographs | Department of Development and Environmental Services / Land Services Division |
| 1962-1966 | Sammamish River Park | Reproductions of aerial photographs included in applications for federal funding to purchase land for parks. | Archives research room by appointment. | 1720 | Reproductions of aerial photographs | County Commissioners |
| 1962-1968 | Green River and Snoqualmie River areas | Aerial films of search-and-rescue operations. | Archives research room by appointment. | 420 | Films | Department of Public Safety / Seattle-King County Office of Civil Defense |
| 1987 (series dates 1965-1987) | Kent Highlands | Series includes aerial photographs document County property acquisition in 1987. | Archives research room by appointment. | 411 | Miscellaneous program files | Department of Executive Administration / Real Property Division |
| circa 1969-2000 | Bellevue, Bothell, Burien, Duwamish area, Eastside area, Federal Way, Kent, north King County, Lake Sammamish, Lake Washington, Medina, Northgate area, Renton and the Cedar River, south Federal Way and Tukwila, Seattle neighborhoods | Aerial photographs of County facilities and operations include surrounding areas. | Archives research room by appointment. | 1629 | Photograph files | Office of Information Resource Management - Printing and Graphic Arts |
| circa 1970-1979 | Burien, Highline, Kenmore, Pacific Highway South, Shoreline, Soos Creek area | Aerials documenting streets, highways, surrounding neighborhoods. | Indexed by street in Archives online collection database. Archives research room by appointment. | 426 | Aerial photographs | Public Works |
| 1970-1998 | Unincorporated King County | Series includes aerial images of property being considered by King County for parks acquisition for Forward Thrust. | Photographs are indexed by subject in Archives online collection database. Access photographs in Archives research room by appointment. | 467 | Photograph files | Park System |
| 1972-1975 | Marine, lake and stream shorelines, beaches and adjacent land areas. | Reproductions of aerial photographs as part of larger body of records. | Archives research room by appointment. | 1634 | Shoreline inventories | Department of Community & Economic Development / Land Use Management |
| 1972-1999 | Downtown Seattle and south of downtown (SODO area) | Aerial photos of Kingdome. | Photographs indexed by subject in Archives online collection database. Access photographs in Archives research room by appointment. | 1608 | Photographs | Stadium Administration |
| 1972-2008 | Green Valley (Yakima Valley) and Boulder Park (Douglas County) biosolids application sites | Aerial recordings (VHS and Umatic video format). | Archives research room by appointment. | 1819 | Biosolids Management Program records | Department of Natural Resources and Parks / Wastewater Treatment Division |
| circa 1977-1990 | King County park sites | Aerial photographs of County parks properties, black and white, printed on mylar. | Indexed by park name in Archives online collection database. Access photographs in Archives research room by appointment. | 900 | Photograph files | Department of Natural Resources and Parks / Parks Division |
| circa 1980-1989 | Snoqualmie Valley | Photostatic copies of aerial photographs. | Archives research room by appointment. | 974 | Subject files, Snoqualmie Valley Community Plan | County Council |
| 1980-1990 | King County wetlands | Original aeral photographs marked with topographical contour lines and other data. | Archives research room by appointment. | 1426 (no online record at this time) | Project file: King County Wetlands Inventory | Department of Parks, Planning and Resources: Environmental Division |
| 1981 (series dates circa 1970-1983) | Upper Snoqualmie River valley, Snoqualmie area, North Bend | Slide show from 1981 contains both ground and aerial photographs. A related sound cassette accompanies the photographs. | Indexed by street in Archives online collection database. Archives research room by appointment. | 421 | Photograph files: color slide presentations, SEPA section | Department of Parks Planning and Resources/ Environmental Division |
| 1984 (series dates 1977-1986) | King County | Aerial photographs, compiled by the County Executive's Office, of property being considered for acquisition by the Farmland Preservation Program. | Archives research room by appointment. | 1407 | Subject files | County Executive: Randy Revelle |
| 1986-1989 | Puget Sound shoreline, Issaquah, and Cedar River area | Black and white 9" x 9" photographic prints from aerial survey. | Scanned images of photographs for Issaquah and Cedar River flights are available on Archives online collection database. Flight lines maps available. Aerial photos from Puget Sound shoreline flight may be accessed at Archives research room by appointment. | 1774 | Aerial photographs | Department of Natural Resources / Water and Land Resources Division |
Additional resources
The following aerial surveys are available through the Department of Transportation Map and Records Center's Map Vault
| 1936 King County Assessor Aerial Survey (this survey is also listed above) |
| 1942 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Survey |
| 1959 King County Assessor Aerial Survey |
A few more resources are listed below:
- Department of Natural Resources DNR Photogrammetrist
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Aero-Metric
12652 Interurban Ave S
Seattle, WA 98168
(206) 244-2333 - The Seattle Municipal Archives photograph collection includes historical aerial photography of the City of Seattle and of City Light- and other utility-owned property.