Scroll or pinch to deep-zoom · powered by IIIF

The Tacoma Owney tag

Owney obtained this hotel key check token while visiting The Tacoma Hotel in Tacoma, Washington. The hotel, built by architect Stanford White in 1884, drew a number of remarkable guests, including writer Mark Twain. In the early 1890s the hotel had its own mascot, an 800-pound bear named Jack. There are no records that reveal if the two mascots ever met, and perhaps the hotel staff wisely kept them well separated during Owney’s visit.

Date

1888-1897

Type

Seals, Symbols & Signage

Medium

metal (brass)

Department

NPM

Institution

National Postal Museum

Object number

npm_0.052985.96.16