Presentation Album of Thirty Original Photographs of the Construction of Seattle City Light's Boundary Hydroelectric Project, 1963-1967

Seattle Light City Boundary Project, [1967].

Boundary Dam, located on the Pend Oeille River in Northeastern Washington, supplies a substantial portion of the hydroelectric power used by Seattle residents. A concrete, double-curvature arch dam rising 340 feet from bedrock, it is 740 feet long at the top, 32 feet thick at the base, and eight feet thick at its crest. Boundary Powerhouse, located adjacent to the dam, is completely built inside of the rock that makes up the left abutment of the dam itself. Although the site was identified as early as 1953, controversies and legal battles delayed permitting until 1961 and pushed back construction until 1964. This interesting album shows the site in its untouched state in 1963, followed by work on the tailrace in 1964 and the first bucket of concrete for the dam being poured on November 12, 1965. There are aerial photos giving an overview of the project site at various phases, and shots of the dam under construction, the sluice maintenance gate, forebay and trashracks, machine hall (images at several stages), draft tube and penstock, stayring and spiral case, and turbine and generator. The first commercial electricity was produced by one turbine at the dam on September 1, 1967. By December, all four turbines were producing 600,000 kilowatts of electricity. Physical description: Commercial comb-bound album containing 30 original 8 x 10 black and white photographs, with the first bearing the title and crediting photographers Glen Saxe and Bert Holmes. Facing that title page is a plain sheet of paper on which 23 people who worked on the project signed their names and, in several cases, identified their role on the project (many were inspectors) or included well wishes for the recipient (who is not identified). All photos in clear sheet protectors; fine condition. Accompanied by five page printed report titled "Progress Report, February 18. 1967, Seattle City Light's Boundary Project, Pend Oreille River, Washington," and a 1964 issue of the Pend Oreille newspaper the Newport Miner devoted to the dam and its powerhouse.

Item #20994

Price: $450.00