Vancouver to Los Angeles

1867 - An early US Coast Survey of Puget Sound from Quimper Peninsula to Olympia. Seattle is named on the map but at this point was largely undeveloped and much smaller than it is today.

Looking southwest from Dash Point State Park across Puget Sound. The clear, deep water runs up through the bays in fjords, flooded river valleys, produced as a result of sea level rises.

Portage Island in Puget Sound is one of hundreds of small islands which dot the channels and basins between the Washington coastline and the Pacific Ocean.

The dark waters of Puget Sound swirl with lighter currents in this satellite image, denoting areas of higher concentration of chlorophyll in marine algae, an important marine food source.

A satellite view of Seattle and Puget Sound shows some of the major islands near the city and the range of development (agricultural, forestry and urban) across the Sound itself.

The extent of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet across what is now Puget Sound. The glacial scouring action of this ice sheet, and the sea level rise upon melting, shaped the Sound as it is today.

The Southeast Olympic Peninsula, part of Puget Sound, looking across the Sinclair Inlet, one of many channels which make up the expanse of the Sound.

An aerial view of the Ballard Coast looking out over Shilshole Bay and Puget Sound. The Lake Washington Ship Canal can be seen running along the bottom of the image.

A pleasure yacht in Puget Sound in full sail, taken from the advertising materials used for the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle in 1909.

Two large commercial vessels, a bulk carrier and a container ship, transit through Puget Sound on their way to Seattle Harbour or to the Lake Washington Ship Canal.

An aerial view over Alki Point, West Seattle, jutting into the dark waters of Puget Sound. This beautiful area is home to a large number of state parks which are easily accessible from Seattle.

An annotated map of the Puget Sound area showing the major cities, developments and airports. The deep, flooded inlets of the sound can be identified through their finger-like shape.

Fishermen hauling in their catch using seine nets from Puget Sound, taken from the advertising materials used for the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle in 1909.

1915 - The Canal Lumber Company timber mill in Seattle, one of a number of large timber mills set up to take advantage of the ready source of timber around Seattle at this time.

Coming in to land at Boeing's current airfield in Seattle. A major employer during WWII for military contracts, Boeing then diversified into commercial and private aircraft.

1915 - The Seattle Cedar Company Lumber Mill in Ballard, Washington. This mill was eventually flooded and destroyed when the Lake Washington Ship Canal locks were built.

Boeing promotional material from the late 1960s. Although aircraft manufacturing in Seattle declined after WWII, Boeing emerged strong and still has a presence in the city today.

1896 - A stereoscopic image of loggers unloading loads of timber in Puget Sound. Timber was the industry that caused Seattle to be settled in its current location in 1851.

A large crane in the South Lake area of Seattle highlights building work on some of Amazon's new offices, another globally successful technology company based in Seattle.

1909 - "Lumbering in Washington": timber workers fell some of the enormous trees once found across the Seattle area for use as timber. Many were over 100 metres tall.

1879 - The side-wheel steamship George E. Starr under construction in Seattle, which was a centre of ship building at this time due to easy access to local timber.

The Seattle Central Business District, where many innovative small technology firms are based, is a compact but growing area at the heart of the city.

c.1900 - The busy dockyard in Seattle during the Klondike Gold Rush, as the steamship Ohio prepares to set sail with hundreds of prospecting hopefuls on their way to Canada.

A mining operation during the Klondike Gold Rush, during the early 1900s. The Gold Rush brought prosperity to Seattle, which acted as a supply port and "dropping off" point for prospectors.

One of the largest buildings on the Main Campus portion of Microsoft's Redmond campus. Based in Seattle, Microsoft is the world's most profitable corporation.

c.1910 - Leschi Park and boat docks on Lake Washington, a popular spot for pleasure boaters. Many great steamships were built in Seattle as the ship-building industry flourished.

The original Starbucks Coffee Shop at 1912 Pike Place, set up in 1971. It is now the largest coffee company in the world, with over 11,000 stores in the US alone and 17,000 worldwide.

The Seattle skyline at night. Seattle is one of the USA's most literate cites, with a higher percentage of college and university graduates than any other city in the United States.

The "Green Bicycles" scheme, set up by the Washington State Department of Transport, provides bikes to "drive-alone" commuters who pledge to reduce their car journeys by 60%.

Pikes Place Market in downtown Seattle, built in 1907, has long been a place to exchange lively gossip and ideas over a cup of coffee in and around the farmer's market stalls.

Seattle's iconic Space Needle, built for the 1962 World's Fair is a symbol of the city and expressed the modern and forward-thinking views that are part of Seattle's culture.

A panoramic view across Seattle's skyline, stretching from the Space Needle across Puget Sound with Mount Rainier towering over the city in the background.

Seattle's Westgate Monorail station in 1963. The monorail was built for the 1962 World's Fair, as an example of innovation and new technology for effective public transport.

An aerial view of Downtown Seattle (centre of the image), where many of Seattle's innovative technology firms are based.

The Moore Theatre, one of the largest theatres in the USA when it was built in 1907, has been at the heart of Seattle's theatre and cultural scene since it opened.

The Last Exit on Brooklyn Coffee House, set up in 1967 - one of the earliest cafes to embody Seattle's counter-culture of coffee houses, often filled with bohemian musicians and intellectuals.

A sculpture outside Seattle's Art Museum representing Seattle's manufacturing and industrial past. The city is home to a range of public and independent galleries.

The Seattle based grunge band Mudhoney in concert. The "Seattle Sound" of grunge combines rock, punk and heavy metal and was hugely popular in the early 1990s.

The University of Washington campus in Seattle during spring with cherry blossoms in bloom. Established in 1861, it is a world renowned centre for research and development.