Things just aren't what they used to be. This is especially true of the way we think of and construct our buildings. It's rare to see decorations on new buildings that are not strictly utilitarian. The whimsy factor has been eliminated. The joy of quirkiness has been crushed.

There are still some beautiful examples of older buildings in Seattle that have what I consider to be "soul". In this gallery I hope to record as many of these as aI can find on my lunchtime photo-jaunts.

I am neither an architect nor an archeologist. My explanations may not be the most accurate, but I hope the photos can communicate some of the sense of "Wow!" that I feel when I see some of the buildings. If you have things to add about the buildings or the decorations depicted here, please feel free to add comments in the section provided below each photo.

Comments and constructive criticism are welcomed.