"I Knew From Day One": Remembering Rear Admiral Herb Bridge

Announcing the release of the Washington Jewish Museum digital exhibit and opening

of MOHAI's Rear Admiral Herb Bridge Welcome Hall

Title screen for “I Knew From Day One”: Remembering Rear Admiral Herb Bridge

Washington Jewish Museum digital exhibit.

I Knew From Day One brings together oral histories, photographs, and most vividly,

digitized Bridge family home movies, providing a glimpse of Herb Bridge’s enormous

impact, leadership, and inspiration, together with his wife Shirley and generations of the

Bridge family.

About Herb and Shirley Bridge

Herbert “Herb” Marvin Bridge (March 14, 1925 - April 2, 2018) was born in Seattle,

Washington, the first child of Benjamin “Ben” and Sally (Silverman) Bridge. In 1948,

Herb married Shirley Selesnick and raised a family, introducing his two sons to the

jewelry business that spanned both branches of the family tree.

For six decades, Herb and Shirley were active civic leaders and philanthropists – driven

to action with a desire to heal, improve, and repair what is wrong.

I Knew From Day One explores the following themes:

● The Bridge family’s immigration to the U.S. from Poland and Russia

● Herb Bridge’s Navy years and military career

● Herb Bridge’s marriage and six-decade partnership with Shirley (Selesnick)

Bridge and raising their children

● Ben Bridge Jeweler, a family business

● Advocacy for downtown Seattle and local community leadership

● Tradition of tikkun olam - “Repair of the world”

The exhibit includes materials from the Bridge family; Washington State Jewish

Archives, University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections; Seattle Public

Schools Archives; Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI); and the National Museum of

American History, Smithsonian Institution.

The exhibit can be viewed online with the Washington Jewish Museum (WJM) and can

be seen along with the new interpretation area at MOHAI, 860 Terry Avenue N, Seattle.

The WJM exhibit curators were Ryan Anthony Donaldson and Jennie Diaz.

Special thanks to the Bridge family for their generous support of this exhibit.

Jon Bridge and Leonard Garfield, Executive Director, MOHAI, from the opening

reception. MOHAI is located at 860 Terry Avenue North in Seattle’s South Lake Union

neighborhood.

MOHAI Herb Bridge Welcome Hall Dedication

On October 17, 2021, 60 attendees gathered together to dedicate the new Herb Bridge

Welcome Hall at the Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI) at the Microsoft Lakefront

Pavilion.

Introductory remarks were made by Leonard Garfield, MOHAI Executive Director; Ryan

Anthony Donaldson, Washington State Jewish Archives Collections Strategy Manager &

Archivist; Jon Bridge, son of Herb and Shirley Bridge and MOHAI Board member; and

Maria Denny, President of the MOHAI Board of Trustees.

Following the remarks the Bridge family cut the ribbon, officially opening the Welcome

Hall to the public for the first time. The Welcome Hall is accessible on the right-hand

side just past the main entrance doors to the museum.


The Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) Rear Admiral Herb Bridge Welcome Hall

launched with a dedication event on Sunday, October 17th. The Welcome Hall, which is

immediately accessible beyond the front entrance doors on the right, (pictured above

during the ribbon cutting ceremony) includes new interpretive panels and an orientation

video that complements the WSJHS digital exhibit.


From left: Leonard Garfield, MOHAI Executive Director, with Ryan Anthony Donaldson,

exhibit co-curator and Washington State Jewish Archives Collections Strategy Manager

and Archivist.

Rear Admiral Herb Bridge Welcome Hall exhibit on display at MOHAI. The two panels

pictured include “Naval Officer, Merchant, Philanthropist” and “The Naval Reserve

Armory.” The Welcome Hall is accessible on the right-hand side just past the main

entrance doors to the museum.

Pictured above, the Rear Admiral Herb Bridge Welcome Hall orientation touchscreen

video alongside the QR code linking visitors to the Washington Jewish Museum

digital exhibit.

The Seattle of Tomorrow, From the Past

Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI)
in

Last Wednesday, I ventured to MOHAI for the History Cafe program “The Seattles That Might Have Been.” The evening’s speaker Eric Scigliano (award-winning writer & journalist) opened the program by noting that cities are ultimately collections of ideas. We primarily experience what has come to into being and persists in our local landscape - this is what makes up the “Emerald City” as we know it. Or we remember what has been built and demolished (strong in my memory - Kingdome, Sit N Spin, Cloud Room at Camlin Hotel). Adaptive reuse presents a spectrum of options in between, whether preserving the facade or other methods.

For historical unrealized buildings and construction projects, they comprise a number of many possible outcomes, much like a disco ball with faceted mirrors. According to Mr. Scigliano, it is important to pay attention to Seattle’s ideas of the past because they remain relevant today. They also can provide insight into possible future civic projects, whether for research purposes or to revisit (such as further lidding I-5, first suggested by the architect Paul Thiry in the 1960s).

Eric Scigliano sets the context for this presentation, noting how cities can take on second (or third lives), and Seattle is a great example with multiple boom and bust historical cycles.

Eric Scigliano sets the context for this presentation, noting how cities can take on second (or third lives), and Seattle is a great example with multiple boom and bust historical cycles.

Mr. Scigliano outlined an intriguing survey of Seattle’s proposals, many quite serious and developed, others more imaginative and a bit whimsical.

Rare newspaper illustration commenting on the Bogue Plan, which would have been Seattle’s first comprehensive plan that included subways and a civic center in Denny Regrade. Residents of Queen Anne were concerned that the development would isolate a…

Rare newspaper illustration commenting on the Bogue Plan, which would have been Seattle’s first comprehensive plan that included subways and a civic center in Denny Regrade. Residents of Queen Anne were concerned that the development would isolate and negatively impact them. Image via HistoryLink.

George Hartman believed that every great city should have a river. Hence, a proposal to fill in I-5 with water!

George Hartman believed that every great city should have a river. Hence, a proposal to fill in I-5 with water!

The next day, I headed to the Seattle Public Library’s Seattle Room to learn more about these unrealized plans. The SPL staff helpfully pointed me towards a University of Washington thesis - “A Forgotten Future: One Possible Seattle” by Steven Gano Cecil. Submitted in 1981, the thesis further expands the survey to include additional plans and projects.

Images that illustrate proposed above ground train at Westlake and Fourth Ave. (1918), and section perspective for underground light rail on Third Ave. (1961).

Images that illustrate proposed above ground train at Westlake and Fourth Ave. (1918), and section perspective for underground light rail on Third Ave. (1961).

Rendering for proposed Seattle General Hospital in downtown (1932).

Rendering for proposed Seattle General Hospital in downtown (1932).

Metropolitan Tract Plan was proposed by the Tishman family from New York City, bringing a bit of Gotham to Seattle with a Rockefeller Center-type development (1952).

Metropolitan Tract Plan was proposed by the Tishman family from New York City, bringing a bit of Gotham to Seattle with a Rockefeller Center-type development (1952).

Urban Stream proposal for a salmon stream to run from Volunteer Park to downtown (1975).

Urban Stream proposal for a salmon stream to run from Volunteer Park to downtown (1975).

A video recording of the event is available via the Seattle Channel.

MOHAI also offers audio recordings of all History Cafe programs online via Soundcloud - well worth checking out.