Western Washington residents have a love-love relationship with Mount Rainier. Catching a glimpse of the state’s tallest peak often elicits the expression: “Look! The mountain is out.”
A new exhibition at the Washington State History Museum aims to capture that amazement. Its title: The Mountain Was Out. Photos of Rainier, and adventurers who’ve sought to scale it, line the walls of the museum in downtown Tacoma, 1911 Pacific Ave.
The exhibition, which runs through Feb. 16, is coming at a good time. Mount Rainier National Park celebrates its 125th anniversary this year.
“This exhibition focuses on our relationship with Mount Rainier as a destination, as a cultural connection with the Pacific Northwest and our connections, whether it’s through mountaineering, tourism, the national parks or through commerce,” says Derek Nguyen, director of marketing and communications with the Washington State Historical Society.
Indigenous groups have deep-rooted ties to the mountain, called təqʷuʔmaʔ by the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, as noted on the historical society’s website. The mountain is part of the Tribe’s ancestral and traditional land, in addition to the Yakama, Muckleshoot, Nisqually, Cowlitz and Squaxin Island tribes.
The Mountain Was Out features a collection of Lee Silliman prints underscoring the mountain’s recreation and tourism, Nguyen says. There are REI and Eddie Bauer survival kits, plus old-school items like an ice ax, goggles and pair of women’s mountaineer boots.
One striking black-and-white photo depicts Fay Fuller, the first non-Native woman to ascend Rainier in 1890.
Perhaps Nguyen’s personal favorite piece is a 1927 image of automobiles parked at Paradise, one of the national park’s most popular visitor destinations. To him it illustrates the human connection — and ensuing toll — on the surrounding area.
“Inevitably, cars, pollution, congestion are a big part of the park experience, unfortunately,” he says, “but I think that’s kind of an interesting perspective to see from almost 100 years ago.”
The exhibition also showcases a Rainier Beer collection. Remember those iconic TV ads? An original beer-with-legs “Wild Rainier” costume is on display as well.
In addition to The Mountain Was Out, visitors can view What Is Native Art? Eugene Landry and the Creative Spirit, Collections Selections: A Parachute from the D.B. Cooper Investigation and MAKERS ON THE TIDE: The Willits Brothers and Their Handcrafted Canoes, along with some refreshments and curators’ insight.
“Mount Rainier is one of the many things that makes Washington so special,” museum director Jennifer Kilmer says in a statement on the website. “It is just as majestic today as the first time I saw it. It evokes a strong sense of wonder every time we get to see it.”
Learn more and plan your visit at washingtonhistory.org
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