The garden attended by children in the older view has long since been divided into home lots and filled - stuffed, actually - with a different landscape. To get the "now" view of this landmark, I peered over the fence of a neighbor who was at home and into the backyard of one who was not. Comparing the roofline of the children's home at 4646 36th Ave. W. that shows on the right of both scenes, the attentive examiner will deduce that I did not quite make it to the "scientific" roost of the unidentified historical photographer. That would have led me over the fence and through the bushes on the right.

PAUL DORPAT

In this scene, the plants and the children have been artfully arranged in the garden, built on a ledge to the rear of the home. In searching hospital minutes for information about the home, chair Monica Wooton of the Magnolia Historical Society uncovered many details. A 1932 report notes that "the Social Welfare League is soon sending out a man to work in the garden."

During World War II the home was closed as supplies dwindled and the Junior League turned its attentions to the war effort. In 1943 it was leased to the Ryther Child Center to care for children with behavior problems. In 1947 Children's Orthopedic took it back again, but only temporarily. Until its recent abandonment, this picturesque English Arts and Crafts center spent most of its years as a nursing home under various names, most recently Lockview. Its fate — Triad Development and Heartland propose to tear it down for single-family residences — is under review by the city Landmarks Preservation Board.

Paul Dorpat specializes in historical photography and has published several books on early Seattle.