Large-scale special events, such as world's fairs and conventions, often can serve as a defining moment for a city. In terms of the development of Seattle's self-image, the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition and the 1999 World Trade Organization Ministerial meeting rank as notable events at opposite ends of the twentieth century. Two lesser known events that took place in Seattle, however, were not without their significance. The Shriners convention that took place in July 1915 (officially called the Forty-first Annual Session of the Imperial Council of Nobles, Mystic Shrine) and the Knights Templars Conclave that was held in the summer of 1925 (officially called the Thirty-sixth Triennial Conclave of the Knights Templars) each helped put Seattle on the national map. Photographs from the Seattle-King County Department of Public Health collection offer some unique insights into these gatherings.
