(Photo courtesy of Washington State Archives)

We have good reason to think that our office’s front lobby is the best one in the Legislative Building. After all, our lobby’s walls typically are adorned with panels from an eye-catching historical exhibit created by our Legacy Washington team.

But our front lobby wasn’t always so visitor friendly.

The photo above was taken from the back our office, looking toward the front door. According to a co-worker with extensive knowledge of the Legislative Building’s history, the photo was taken in 1974 in preparation for the earthquake proofing project that included the addition of reinforced sheer walls throughout the building. It also resulted in a greatly reduced opening between the lobby and our back work area.

Our co-worker, who visited the office as a teen around 1980, recalls how it looked back then: “I distinctly remember light sea foam green walls, old furniture and brown file cabinets, and almost everyone had a cigarette or ash tray at their desk. The light bulbs were various shades of blue and pink and buzzed all the time.”

How times have changed.